The Truth in Print Vol. 19 Issue 10, Nov. 2013
A Publication of the Valley church of Christ,
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
Website
Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Zedekiah Would not Listen
Here are the five kings of
Judah that also appear during Jeremiah’s prophesying. Look closely at what
happened to each up to king Zedekiah:
1. Josiah 640-609
B.C. (Mostly good); Killed by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt for not listening to the
words of Necho “from the mouth of God” (2 Ch. 35:22).
2. Jehoahaz 609 B.C. *reigned 3 mo. (Evil); Necho put in prison in Egypt
and he died there (2 Ch. 36; Jer. 22:11-12).
3. Jehoiakim (Eliakim)
609-598 B.C. (Evil); Pharaoh Necho of Egypt made him king. Nebuchadnezzar comes
in 605 B.C. His death then — body cast out of the city like a dead donkey (Jer.
22:18-19, 36:30).
4. Jehoiachin becomes king
598-597 B.C. (Evil). Nebuchad-nezzar
comes in 597 B.C. (Released from prison in 37th year of exile by
Evil-merodach and treated kindly until death, 2 Kings 25:27-30).
5. Zedekiah 597-586 B.C.
(Evil). Nebuchadnezzar comes in 586 B.C.
Zedekiah is warned
“And I
myself will fight against you with an out stretched hand and with a strong arm,
even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath. And I will smite the
inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great
pestilence. And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of
Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from
the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of
Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into
the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge
of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy” (Jer.
21:5-7).
God’s offer
“And unto this people thou
shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and
the way of death. He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by
the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the
Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a
prey” (Jer. 21:8-9).
Why is God giving this to “us”? It would
take faith in God’s word to do this and live (cf. Rom. 10:17; Heb. 11:6).
I’ll abandon you Zedekiah
“And as the evil figs, which cannot be
eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah
the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain
in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt: And I will deliver them
to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a
reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall
drive them. And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among
them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to
their fathers” (Jer. 24:8-10).
Why is God giving this to “us”? Because
God knows the evil figs among us! (cf. Matt. 7:16)
Quit Listening to Liars!
“I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah
according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the
king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. Why will ye die, thou
and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD
hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you,
saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto
you. For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my
name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the
prophets that prophesy unto you” (Jer. 27:12-15).
Why is God giving this to “us”? Quit listening to
instruction from lying preachers that causes you to err from God’s word (cf.
Pr.19:20, 27).
Why did you say this?
In Jer. 32 in Zedekiah’s tenth year, the
eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, thus close to the end for Zedekiah only had
twelve years, Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem (Jer. 32:1-2). But Zedekiah had
shut up Jeremiah in the prison which was in the king’s house “saying, Wherefore
dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will give this city
into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it; And Zedekiah king
of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be
delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth
to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes; And he shall lead Zedekiah to
Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith the LORD: though ye
fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper” (Jer. 32:3-5).
Why is God giving this to “us”? A
fool’s question! One who has forgotten how God deals with man! “...with the
crooked you show Yourself astute,” Ps. 18:26).
Be quick to hear! (cf. Ja. 1:19-20).
Hear the word of the Lord, Zedekiah!
"Yet hear the word of the LORD, O
Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the LORD concerning you, 'You will not die by
the sword. 'You will die in peace; and as spices were burned for your fathers,
the former kings who were before you, so they will burn spices for you; and
they will lament for you, "Alas, lord!"' For I have spoken the
word," declares the LORD” (Jer. 34:4-5).
Why is God giving this to “us”? Incentive! Incentive to
hear what applies at the present to benefit both self and others (cf. I Tim.
4:16).
You think they’re gone but I’ll bring them
back on you!
“'Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I
will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek
their life, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon which has gone
away from you.’Behold, I am going to command,' declares the LORD, 'and I will
bring them back to this city; and they will fight against it and take it and
burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without
inhabitant'" (Jer. 34:21-22).
Prior to the destruction the Chaldeans
lifted the siege to go fight against Egypt (Jer. 37). Why is God giving this to “us”?
God can “pursue you until you perish” and there is nothing you can do to stop
Him in your disobedience (cf. De. 28:22, curses come again and again).
Please pray for us Jeremiah
“But neither he nor his servants nor the
people of the land listened to the words of the LORD which He spoke through
Jeremiah the prophet. Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and
Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
"Please pray to the LORD our God on our behalf" (Jer. 37:2-3).
Why is God giving this to “us”? God told Jeremiah “in time of their trouble they will say,
‘Arise and save us’ (Jer. 2:26-27). Get it! Read the first line above again!
Zedekiah “secretly” asks Jeremiah if there
is a word from the Lord
“Now King Zedekiah sent and took him out;
and in his palace the king secretly asked him and said, "Is there a word
from the LORD?" And Jeremiah said, "There is!" Then he said,
"You will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon!" (Jer.
37:17).
As a matter of fact, there is! It is no
secret! It has been preached publicly to all! Does it sound familiar! Jeremiah pleads for his life in this chapter
and Zedekiah commits him to the guard house where he remained until the end of
the destruction (37:18-21).
Why is God giving this to “us”?
Are
you Zedekiah? Zedekiah had 11 years. Have you had your 11 years to listen! How
many times has God’s Word told you to repent and be baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins? (cf. Acts 2:37-41; Rev. 2:10).
Zedekiah is a temporary Pilate
“Therefore the princes said unto the king,
We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands
of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in
speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this
people, but the hurt. Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand:
for the king is not he that can do anything against you. Then took they
Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that
was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in
the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire” (Jer.
38:4-6).
Why is God giving this to “us”?
Look! See what those who “secretly” like to talk about things will
do to you! So you won’t sell the one who speaks the Truth out because you love
to surround yourself with brethren without any faith in God’s word! Those who
say, “I tried to get you to stop teaching that way but you wouldn’t!”
Jeremiah is saved by a
eunuch who persuades “Pilate” (Zedekiah) to get him out of the pit before he
dies!
Don’t hide anything from me
“Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took
Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the
LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing
from me. Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou
not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken
unto me?” (Jer. 38:14-15).
Why is God giving this to “us”? Answer a fool as his folly
deserves! (cf. Pr. 26:5).
The Word of the Lord fulfilled
“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. Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with
chains, to carry him to Babylon. And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and
the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem” (cf.
Jer. 39:5-8; Jer. 52; 2 K. 25).
Why of course it would not end any other
way. Why is God giving this
to “us”? Listen! Have “you”
heard? Peter commanded us to hear, repent and baptized for the remission of our
sins (cf. Acts 2:22, 38, 41).
By Bob Lovelace
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NOTE: Here are two more articles dealing with the days of
Jeremiah: Jeremiah
and the Unfaithful Remnant and Jeremiah’s
Lamentations – Look Who’s Cast into Hell!
To learn more call, visit or visit our website at: http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com