Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you will surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then your life shall be spared, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live. 18But if you do not surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand.”
19King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Chaldeans, lest I be handed over to them and they deal cruelly with me.” 20Jeremiah said, “You shall not be given to them. Obey now the voice of the Lord in what I say to you, and it shall be well with you, and your life shall be spared. 21But if you refuse to surrender, this is the vision which the Lord has shown to me:
22Behold, all the women left in the house of the king of Judah were being led out to the officials of the king of Babylon and were saying,
‘Your trusted friends have deceived you
and prevailed against you;
now that your feet are sunk in the mud,
they turn away from you.’
Jeremiah confronts the king, while Zedekiah vacillates.
So far we have not spoken very flatteringly of the character of King Zedekiah. What can we add to it
today? Can we change our opinions and see yet some spark of nobility in this man?
No indeed! They say ‘a cat may look at a king’, but we feel that even that might send Zedekiah scurrying to the top of the nearest chest of drawers. He shows about as much nobility as a mouse.
‘I am afraid’, he says. ‘Afraid of what, Zedekiah?’
Afraid in case the honour of your great nation is brought to shame?
Afraid in case the glory of your God is trampled under heathen feet?
No – wait for it: ‘I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me’ (v.19).
Is this the king speaking? We get a little insight into the opinion Jeremiah had of this man. I wonder if there is a touch of humour in the answer Jeremiah gives from the Lord:
‘Listen, Zedekiah: do as I say or a bunch of women and children will be mocking you!’ (vv.21-23).
The mighty king’s reply: ‘You won’t tell anybody, will you?’
How different from God’s Word: ‘Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might’ (Eph. 6.10).
Editor’s note: The above is taken from the ‘Daily Readings,’ printed weekly for the Dumbarton Free Sunday School by Tommy MacKay, elder. Each entry is edited lightly for the blog post.
Excerpt from Reading Notes Week 101, Friday. Copyright Tommy MacKay, used by permission.