CHAPTER 39

1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it. 2 And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up. 3 And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.

The horrors of the seige of Jerusalem are unimaginable. This seige took 18 months. During that time, food became scarce, and ultimately Jerusalem fell. The year was 587BC.

The "princes" (or leaders) of the Babylonian army came to sit in the main gate. The wall of Jerusalem was destroyed; the beautiful temple Solomon had built was burned and torn to pieces; and the house of the king was burned.

The REASON? SIN! Simply put, sin is disobedience to the express will of God. The people sought self-pleasure rather than pleasing God.
God began a good thing in the Garden of Eden; but Adam and Eve destroyed it with sin.
God began a good thing in the Kingdom of Israel; but people destroyed it with sin.
God began a good thing in the Church of Jesus Christ; but sin is destroying it.

God has given His express will to the church today. He has said that each born again Christian should learn, grow and tell others about salvation through Christ alone.

Are we being OBEDIENT?

4 And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain. 5 But the Chaldeans' army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him. 6 Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. 7 Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.

When Zedekiah knew the will of God was to surrender to the Babylonians - he fought.
When Zedekiah knew the seige was ruining the city - he tried to withstand.
When Zedekiah saw that he had lost - he ran.

For eleven years Zedekiah refused to hear and obey the will of God. The horrible story of his capture is evidence that we should SURRENDER to the will of God in our lives.

Zedekiah's sons were killed before him, then his eyes were "put out." The last thing he saw was the death of his sons.

OH! What a tremendous price we pay when we do not adhere to the will of God in our lives!

8 And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained. 10 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

After totally destroying the city's buildings, the "captain of the guard" of the Babylonians appointed some poor people to take care of the vineyards. All the rest of the people were taken into captivity.

11 Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying, 12 Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee. 13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon's princes; 14 Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people.

Now Nebuchadnezzar had no respect for God. He had no respect for God's people. So WHY would he treat Jeremiah with respect, and demand that the new governor do the same?

Friends, there is only ONE reason: Jeremiah was faithful and obedient to God's will!

15 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying, 16 Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. 17 But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. 18 For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.

Just before Jeremiah was released from the prison, he received a special "word" from God for Ebed-melech. Ebed-melech was an Ethiopian eunuch under King Zedekiah. He was the one who approached the king (at the hazarding of his own life) in the public gate and told the king that Jeremiah was being treated badly. Ebed-melech was responsible for Jeremiah being saved from a terrible death.

God promised this man that He would "not be given into the hand of the men of whom" he was afraid (verse 17). God's promise was that He would "deliver" Ebed-melech. WHY? Because he had put his "trust" in God!

Here are two opposites. Zedekiah refused to trust God and faced awful consequences. Jeremiah and Ebed-melech trusted God and met with grace and kindness.

What, then, is the lesson here?

CHAPTER 40

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon. 2 And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place. 3 Now the LORD hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you. 4 And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go. 5 Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go. 6 Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.

Nebuzaradan may not have believed in the One and Only Jehovah God; but he did believe in "gods." One cannot help but notice that he states to Jeremiah: "..the Lord THY God..." (verse 2). While he may not have personally believed in Jehovah God, Nebuzaradan was quite familiar with the prophecy that had been spoken in Jehovah's Name.

Jeremiah is given his freedom. He is released from the prison, given food and money, and told that he can go wherever he wants. He is also told that his friend, Gedaliah is now Governor; and, that Jeremiah can go and live with him. Gedaliah has been instructed to take care of Jeremiah.
ALL this was done because God's prophecy was KNOWN!

Jeremiah knew that Gedaliah was kind and gracious man. He could have chosen to retire and retreat to some "out-of-the-way" place. But instead, still feeling the calling of God upon his life, he remained to be a spiritual advisor.

7 Now when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon; 8 Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men. 9 And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. 10 As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah to serve the Chaldeans, which will come unto us: but ye, gather ye wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken. 11 Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan; 12 Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.

Some army and militia men had been "in the fields" when Jerusalem was beseiged. When they learned that Gedaliah had been named Governor, they began to gather at Mizpah where Gedaliah had set up his office (verses 7-8).

Gedaliah encouraged them to live under the rulership of the Babylonians and be good citizens (verse 9).

Other Jewish people, who had been scattered when the Babylonians had begun war on Judah, also came to Mizpah and/or to other cities in Judah.

13 Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, 14 And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not. 15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish? 16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.

Johanan uncovered a plot to kill Gedaliah. But when he told Gedaliah, the governor couldn't believe that Ishmael would do such a thing.

Johanan was so sure of the plot, that he begged the governor's permission to go and kill Ishmael. But Gedaliah wouldn't condone such behavior. A senseless murder now would destroy what credibility the Jewish people had in the eyes of the Babylonians.

There are things that leaders CAN do, and things that leaders MUST do. Gedaliah felt that what he MUST do was to maintain credibility for the sake of the people. Though he COULD have had Ishmael killed, he would not; because he MUST do what was right!

Oh! That leaders would see the same need today!

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.