Jeremiah

Jeremiah 37:1-3

Zedekiah had been appointed as king by Nebuchadnezzar after Jehoiachin went out to meet with Nebuchadnezzar and was captured.  This 18 year old king only reigned for 3 months.  Jehoiachin had no capacity to reign in such a dire circumstance, nor did he have the Lord's ways or wisdom in his life.  Unfortunately, the same could be said for Zedekiah.  He didn't listen or care about the word of the Lord.  Subsequently, neither did his attendants or the people. 

While it was noted the king, officials and people paid no attention to the word of the Lord, we now see the king send a pair of men to ask Jeremiah to pray for them.  It becomes obvious this is more an act of desperation than repentance.  They were hoping to hear to some good news.  Bad news was not allowed. 

It was a commonly held belief that to speak or vocalize something was to help bring it about.  Besides just being godless and hardhearted, this partially explains the responses we see in the bible to unfavorable prophecies.  To silence the bad news was an attempt to retain, or regain, control over their circumstances. 

Part of the job of a prophet was to bring intercessory prayer to God on behalf of the people. 

Jeremiah 37:4-17

Jeremiah was not yet held in prison.  When Egypt's army marched out of Egypt to challenge the Babylonians, seemingly on behalf of Israel, then the Nebuchadnezzar's army withdrew from Jerusalem to go deal with them.  Jeremiah once again gave Zedekiah and his officials the word of the Lord, which was the same unfavorable prophecy.  The king and officials continued to hold out hope of holding onto Jerusalem and defeating Babylon in spite of the Lord's word to them.  They were deceiving themselves. 

Jeremiah's home was in Benjamin.  During this ceasefire, he attempted to return to Benjamin when this accusation was laid on him.  This exit of the city, along with his prophecies to surrender to Babylon, gave the appearance of a traitor.  Jeremiah is arrested, beaten and thrown in the dungeon.   The word for dungeon means cisterns.  Johnathon's house must have had cisterns they could use for cells.

Jeremiah was in the cistern a long time before the king called for him.  Zedekiah longed for a good prophecy.  The best prophecy is the one you listen and heed; Zedekiah was hard-hearted and his mind was set.  He wanted the Lord, via Jeremiah, to agree with him.  Such are the ways of sinful man.  We often fall to this deception ourselves.  Jeremiah had no word but the truth.

Jeremiah 37:18-21

Jeremiah defended himself against the accusation of being a traitor and imprisoned.  It was clearly anger derived from his prophecy.  Yet, they were coming about.  Jeremiah asked where the other prophets were that said Babylon wouldn't attack; where were these prophets that told him all the things he wanted to hear, yet did not come about.  Did Zedekiah's heart soften a bit?  Jeremiah was moved from the cistern to the courtyard and given bread. 

©2018 Doug Ford