Jeremiah Again Warns Zedekiah

Jeremiah 38

14 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. 15 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? 16 So
Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the LORD liveth,
that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into
the hand of these men that seek thy life.

17 Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of
hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of
Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned
with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house: 18 But if thou wilt not go forth
to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of
the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out
of their hand. 19 And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of
the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their
hand, and they mock me. 20 But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee.
Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it
shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live. 21 But if thou refuse to go
forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shewed me:

22 And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house shall
be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say,
Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are
sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.

23 So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans:
and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand
of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.

24 Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and
thou shalt not die.

* * *

At one time, God had used His mighty hand, unleashed ten plagues
on the Egyptians and made the Red Sea split apart so the Hebrews
could pass and the Egyptian army drowned with the pharaoh.

Sometimes God the Creator had different plans with the believers:
in case of king Zedekiah, prophet Jeremiah warned him not to
fight in the military way against he incoming Babylon invasion.
Perhaps the Babylon military force was too great and Zedekiah was
not the righteous king who would appease God and cause His wrath
to subdue.

We see the same pattern in the New Testament: though there were
frequent rebellions of the Zealots in order that Jews would not serve
a divine heir of Jupiter - true God Creator did not support any of revolts
against Rome for centuries to pass, or not to victory.

Sometimes, God wants us to taste life in slavery and foreign
domination in order to produce a different quality in us. Sometimes,
God wants us not to be delivered from devouring fire, but to go through
the fire.

In this ultimate test of obedience to God against deceitful talk
of incoming liberties, it was Jeremiah who spoke what really
happened. All of the prophets of Zedekiah, just like the prophets
of king Ahab, were promising military and political victory without
a spiritual renewal and return to God. By maintaining the current
policy in charge, they were supposed to suddenly produce different,
victorious results.

But reading later chapters, we know that Ahab was wounded in battle
and died without victory. Dogs were licking his blood and harlots were
bathing in the water that washed his bloody chariot.

Zedekiah had to watch his sons slain before his eyes were plucked out,
so this death of all his sons was the last thing he had seen with his eyes.
So the prophets have written.

Zealots were also inspired by many false messiahs and many false
prophets in the time of Jesus Christ. But from historical books, we
know that the fall of the Roman Empire and the freedom of Biblical Israel
did not come by any of those revolts.

We can also live in a politically liberated country, but in slavery to political
structures, our employers, our neighbours, our debts and our sins.

God's freedom in Jesus Christ appears to start in the very core: by
the salvation of the soul and the new Creature in Christ.

Jesus explained this as the need to be "born again" from the Holy Spirit
and water.

John 3
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he
enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of
the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of
the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not
that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

It is not profitable for a man to go to Hell pit after a life in freedom,
but in sinful living and debaucheries. Sinful living, debaucheries and
braking of the Commandments were the exact punishment for both
Ahab and Zedekiah. Zedekiah tried to organise defence against
the Babylonian army, but against the advice of Jeremiah. All his
people who followed him died in vain and the Biblical Israel went
to the Babylonian exile anyway - the military did not bring them freedom
from the punishment for sin and shedding the innocent blood.

As in the proverb: they brought a knife to a gunfight.

Don't get me wrong - I believe in Moses' account on exodus from
Egypt, and in Jesus' miracles. But after the God's Chosen people
shouted "Crucify! Crucify!" to the Man who just fed them, healed them,
restored the sight of the blind and resurrected dead ... it must have
been a blow.

But after the Gentiles (nations) persistently threw the first disciples
who performed miracles to lions in arenas while they were singing
Psalms ... Yeah, God forgives, but miracles somehow became less
frequent, the Holy Spirit became weary, despite all the grace of God.

And unless a man is secure in the miracle of God like Gideon was,
double checking and triple checking - he is better to make sure
if he can resist with ten thousand to the king coming with twenty
thousand, and seek peace if he finds he cannot.

Luke 14
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down
first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that
cometh against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is yet
a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of
peace.

King Zedekiah was driven by something else than courage. His heart
was not right with the LORD, and he neglected all the admonishers,
finally throwing prophet Jeremiah in the dry well. Zedekiah, however,
died in worse slavery, while the prophet eventually had a better outcome
in the end. But don't let me spoil you the plot! The Book of Jeremiah is
a very interesting read.

* * *

In the meantime, if you have come to conclusion that your current
way of life and your current leadership, political or religious, does not
lead you to the right end ... maybe it looks like the treachery at the end
when you are powerless and in own poo and pee, or with your bowels in
a plastic bag?

You need the personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ our
Lord and Saviour. The religion will tell you that you are not worthy,
but the Holy Scripture and the apostles said you are (Romans 10:13)
"Whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved!"

So, if you feel like you would like to escape the trial that is coming
on this earth in its latter days, deny Satan the Devil and accept Jesus
as Saviour in this humble and simple prayer:

Dear God the Father,
I have seen that my ways and the ways of the world do not lead me
to any good end.
I deny Satan the Devil who is the lord and ruler of this world, and I accept
Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.
Please forgive me my sins, mistakes and transgressions,
as I make you my Lord.

in the LORD God Creator of the Universe, Merciful, Longsuffering, Almighty
Amen