Blessed in Spite of Their Sin

Though God was punishing Judah for ongoing disobedience, they were protected, and as God had pomised, and those who submitted themselves to the captivity were richly blessed throughout the seventy years.  Jehoiachin had been only eight years old when he became king, and the Jewish leaders constantly rebelled against the Babylonians during his reign.  After only three months, he was deposed and carried off to Babylon.  Finally, thirty seven years after the Nebuchadnezzar first took control, his son, Evil Merodak, or Awil Marduk freed Jehoiaqchin as Jeremiah 52:31-34 describes.  “And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison, And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.  And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.”

For the rest of his life, Jehoiachin was treated respectfully, and received a living allowance, even though he was a conquered king.  It demonstrates how God cares for and protects his children even when there seens to be no hope.  He blesses his people even when they are rebellious and are far from where He originally intended them to be. As  Paul reminds us in Romans 8:38-39, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Even our own rebellion will not kill his love for us.

God Doesn’t Forget His Prophecies

Almost twenty years before the Jews fled to Egypt, Jeremiah had prophesied that the Babylonians would conquer Egypt, shortly after the Egyptians had been defeated at Carchemish, as we learn in Jeremiah 46:1-28.  “The word of Jehovah which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.  Of Egypt: concerning the army of Pharaoh-neco king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah.

Prepare ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.  Harness the horses, and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, put on the coats of mail.  Wherefore have I seen it? they are dismayed and are turned backward; and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: terror is on every side, saith Jehovah.  Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; in the north by the river Euphrates have they stumbled and fallen.

Who is this that riseth up like the Nile, whose waters toss themselves like the rivers?  Egypt riseth up like the Nile, and his waters toss themselves like the rivers: and he saith, I will rise up, I will cover the earth; I will destroy cities and the inhabitants thereof.  Go up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men go forth: Cush and Put, that handle the shield; and the Ludim, that handle and bend the bow.  For that day is [a day] of the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour and be satiate, and shall drink its fill of their blood; for the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates. Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain dost thou use many medicines; there is no healing for thee.  The nations have heard of thy shame, and the earth is full of thy cry; for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, they are fallen both of them together.

The word that Jehovah spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.  Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand forth, and prepare thee; for the sword hath devoured round about thee.

Why are thy strong ones swept away? they stood not, because Jehovah did drive them.  He made many to stumble, yea, they fell one upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.  They cried there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath let the appointed time pass by.  As I live, saith the King, whose name is Jehovah of hosts, surely like Tabor among the mountains, and like Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.  O thou daughter that dwellest in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity; for Memphis shall become a desolation, and shall be burnt up, without inhabitant.

Egypt is a very fair heifer; [but] destruction out of the north is come, it is come.  Also her hired men in the midst of her are like calves of the stall; for they also are turned back, they are fled away together, they did not stand: for the day of their calamity is come upon them, the time of their visitation.  The sound thereof shall go like the serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.  They shall cut down her forest, saith Jehovah, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.  The daughter of Egypt shall be put to shame; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.

Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saith: Behold, I will punish Amon of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with her gods, and her kings; even Pharaoh, and them that trust in him: and I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants; and afterwards it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith Jehovah.  But fear not thou, O Jacob my servant, neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be quiet and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.  Fear not thou, O Jacob my servant, saith Jehovah; for I am with thee: for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee; but I will not make a full end of thee, but I will correct thee in measure, and will in no wise leave thee unpunished.”

About twenty years later, God fulfilled that prophecy.  Had the Jews paid attention when Jeremiah first made the prophecy, they would have known what would happen, but like people today, they chose to listen to those who told them what they wanted to hear instead of what God said.  Nebuchadnezzar’s defeat of Egypt is a matter of historical record, and only a handful of Jews survived their flight to Egypt.   God does not forget his prophecies, even though they were made many years, or even centuries before. 

Nebuchadnezzars defeat of Egypt was probably the source of pride that lead to the events described in Daniel 4.  After all, he had just conquered one of the oldest and strongest empires in the world. 

Blaming God For Their Disobedience

The Jews had deliberately ignored God’s command, going to Egypt.  Once they had gone out of God’s will, they went further into sin, beginning to worship the idols and gods of the Egyptians.  When Jeremiah confronted them about the sin, they began to blame God, claiming they had been better off worshipping the idols, as Jeremiah 44:15-19 describes.  “Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying, As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.  But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.  But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.  And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?”

Josiah had managed to get them to stopp worshipping the idols, and now they claimed their problems began when they stopped worshipping them.   In fact, they had turned back to the idols as soon as Josiah died, and Jeremiah pointed out that that was what had caused God to stop blessing them, in Jeremiah 44:20-23.  “Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying, The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind?  So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.  Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.”

Because they had deliberately committed to follow those false religions, God was going to bring judgement on them with the result that only a very few would survive who would understand that God and not man had the final word, as Jeremiah 44:24-28 describes.  “Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.

Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth.  Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.  Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.”

As proof this was God’s word, the Babylonians would conquer Egypt just as they had conquered Jerusalem, as Jeremiah 44:29-30 describes.  “And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil: Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.”

Unfortunately, I see this same attitude of blaming God for their problems among people today.  They refuse to admit the problem is that they have not been willing to completely obey him and as a result he cannot bless them like he wants to.  They blame him for not keeping his promise even though they have not done their part.

God Loved Them In Spite Of Their Disobedience

The people had chosen to ignore God’s warning against going to Egypt in hopes of escaping Nebuchadnezzar’s retribution for the murder of his governor.  God reminded them that their captivity was the result of their refusal to listen and obey, in Jeremiah 44:1-6.  “The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein, Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers.

 Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.  But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.  Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day.”

Their flight to Egypt was like a teenager running away from home to keep from having to obey his parents.  It would not turn out well, as Jeremiah 44:7-14 declares.  “Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain; In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?  Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?

They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.  Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah.  And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.  For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape.”

Many of the teen agers who run away from home wind up homeless and involved in drugs and alcoholism, turning to prostitution or burglary just to support their habit or survive.  As a result many spend time in prison or are killed.   God warned that those who had gone to Egypt would find themselves in much the same condition.    Like a father trying to convince a runaway child to come home God was making another effort to convince his people to come home, because he still loved them so much.    

The People’s Choice

Fearing retaliation for the murder of Gedaliah, the Jews had decided to go to Egypt for safety, but wanting God’s blessing, they asked Jeremiah to pray about what God wanted.  God told Jeremiah that if they would stay where they were, God would protect them but that if they went to Egypt they would be killed.  This was not what they had decided, and they refused to stay, accusing Jeremiah of setting them up to be killed, in Jeremiah 43:1-7.  “And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, even all these words, Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there: But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.

So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah.  But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah; Even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.  So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.”

Determined to do what they had decided was est, they forced Jeremiah and Baruch the son of Neriah to go along with them even though they were trying to obey the Lord.   God warned them that their flight to Egypt to escape Nebuchadnezzars wrath would fail because the Babylonians or Caldeans would conquer Egypt as well. 

Their flight would only incense him, according to Jeremiah 43:8-13.  “Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah; And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.  And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword.”

God had chosen Nebuchadnezzar to punish the various nations for their refusal to worship him and follow his commands, and Egypt was one of the Nations that was to be punished, as Jeremiah 43:12-13 tells us.  “And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace.  He shall break also the images of Bethshemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire.”

Choose You This Day Whom Ye Will Serve

Ishmael the son of Nethaniah was a member of Judah’s ruling class.  Nebuchadnezzar had appointed Gedeliah, a man who the Jews respected as governor.  In an effort to regain power, he and other members of the political elite murdered Gedaliah with the assistance of the Ammonite king.  They then got the people to move to Ammon for protection, even though the people opposed it. 

Upset by Ishmaels actions, a group of former military leaders united the people,defeating him  and returning to Judah as Jeremiah 41:11-14 tells us.  “But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done, Then they took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon.  Now it came to pass, that when all the people which were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad.  So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah cast about and returned, and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah.”

Unable to regain control, Ishmael turned his back on Judah, joining the Ammonites, according to Jeremiah 41:15.  “But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites.”

Even though they had not been involved, the people feared retribution by the Babylonian forces for the deat of Gedaliah, and decided to flee to Egypt for protection, as Jeremiah 41:16- 18 tells us.  “ Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after that he had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, even mighty men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought again from Gibeon: And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt, Because of the Chaldeans: for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor in the land.”

Wanting God’s blessing on their efforts, they consulted Jeremiah before leaving, according to Jeremiah 42:1-3.  “Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near, And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:) That the LORD thy God may show us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.”

Jeremiah agred to seek God’s leadership promising to tell them exactly what God said, and the people promised that they would do whatever God commanded, in Jeremiah 42:4-6.  “Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.

Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.  Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.”

Ten days later, God responded, giving them a choice.  If they would stay in Judah and trust him, he would bless them mightily, as Jeremiah 42:7-12 describes.  “And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah.  Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him; If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.  Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.  And I will show mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.”

On the other hand, if they chose to go to Egypt rather than trusting God, they would all be killed for lying about their willingness to obey God, as Jeremiah 42:13-22 tells us.  “But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God, Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell: And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.  So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.  The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day.  For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.  And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you.  Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn.”

The people had to make a choice whether to trust God, or to yield to their fears and follow their own ideas.  It is much like what Joshua demanded of the people in Joshua 24:15.  “And if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell…”

Determined to Keep Control

Nebuchadnezzar had made Gedaliah governor over Judah and the Jews who were left behind, as Jeremiah 40:7-8 describes.   “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; 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.”

Gedeliah encouraged the people to do exactly what Jeremiah had been telling them for years, that if they would yield, they could be at peace.  As a result even Jews who had taken refuge in other countries returned to Judah, as Jeremiah 40:9-12 describes.  “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.  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.  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; 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.”

For years, the Jewish royalty had opposed Jeremiah, accusing him of treason for telling them that God would bless them if they would just surrender.  When the people came to gogether to Gedeliah, some of the military leaders warned Gedaliah that The Ammonite king was conspiring with those princes to overthrow him, in hopes of regaining control, but Geeliah didn’t believe they would take the chance of destroying their country, in Jeremiah 40:13-16.  “Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, 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.  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?

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.”

Two months after Gedaliah was made governor, the Jewish royalty met with Gedaliah, and murdering him and the leaders who supported him, saving ten men who offered a ransom for their lives, in Jeremiah 41:1-9.  “Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah.  Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.  Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war.

And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it, That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD.  And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.  And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he, and the men that were with him.

But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren.  Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men, whom he had slain because of Gedaliah, was it which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with them that were slain.”

Fearing Babylonian retribution, Ishmael took the people to Ammon for protection, in Jeremiah 41:10.  “Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Ammonites.”

God has given people the ability to make their own decisions, and unfortunately, some refuse to learn.  Ishmael and his followere ignored even the destruction of Jerusalem in their efforts to maintain control.  History is replete with stories of people who are willing to murder their own people to get and keep control.   

Prophecy Fulfilled

Jeremiah had repeatedly warned Judah and Zedekiah that fighting against God’s punishment in bringing the Babylonians against them would only make things worse, as Jeremiah 27:12-17.  “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. Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD'S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.  Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?”

If as Jeremiah told them, God was empowering the Babulonians and Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar, there was no way they coud win.  If the prophets were truly of God, they would be more concerned with praying for God’s protection of their temple and religion than saving the political system, according to Jeremiah 27:18-22.  “But if they be prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.   For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city, Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem; Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem; They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.

Because they refused to listen, the people were removed, as were all the religious items that had been left when Nebuchadnezzar first onquered the city, according to Jeremiah 52:17-23.  “Also the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brazen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.  The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.  And the basins, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.  The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brazen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow.  And a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these.  And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about.”

In the process, the religious leaders that had encouraged the people to resist were executed, according to Jeremiah 52:24-27.  “And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king's person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city.  So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.  And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.

II Chronicles 36:18-21 summarizes what had betaken, making it clear this was the fulfillment of prophecy.  “And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.  And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.  And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.” 

Had the Jews simply yielded and trusted God, this last invasion and destruction could have been avoided. 

Jerusalem Destroyed

Late in Zedekiah’s ninth year as king, the Babylonians beseuged Jerusalem again.  A year and a half later, starvation left the Jews unable to fight as Jeremiah 52:4-6 describes.  “And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about.  So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.  And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.”

The walls were quickly torn down, and the Babylonian forces entered the city.  Zedekiah and his government officials attampeted to escape but were captured as II Kings 25:4-7 describes.  “And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain.  And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.  So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.  And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.”

Because of the repeated rebellions, the Babylonian forces completely destroyed Jerusalem, carrying all those in leadership as captives, as Jeremiah 52:12-15 describes.  “Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem, And burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire: And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.  Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.” 

Unlike the Assyrians, the Babylonians did not relocate all the Jews, but left the common people to occupy and care for the land, as Jeremiah 52:16 describes.  “But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.”  Jeremiah had been shut up in prison for several years because of his prophecies.  Nebuchadnezzar gave him his freedom, as Jeremiah 39:11-14 descrbes.  “Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying, Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.  So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon's princes;  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.”

Nebuchadnezzar had named Gedaliah to govern the people left in Judah, and as jeremiah 40:2-6 describes, jeremiah chose to remain under his protection.  “And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.  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.  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.

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.  Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.

The Consequences of Refusing To Obey

Zedekiah had been made king by Nebuchadnezzar, but was constantly seeking to throw off Babylonians power, despite God telling the Jews to yield. An Egyptian invasion had momentarily forced the Basbylonians to temporarily withdraw, but in the ninth year of his reign, they had returned.  Jeremiah warned the Jews to yield, but he also told them that God had not and would not forsake them, but would one day restore their land and freedom. 

The Jews insisted on fighting, and Jeremiah warned them that their resistance would fail, but that they could live in peace in Jeremiah 34:1-5.  “:1 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire: And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.  Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword: But thou shalt die in peace: and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee; and they will lament thee, saying, Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, saith the LORD.”

God had been very displeased for centuries that rich Jews kept taking advantage of their fellow Jews, making them into slaves, and Jeremiah warned them to set them free, in Jeremiah 34:6-9.  “Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem, When the king of Babylon's army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah.  This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them; That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.”

When it looked like the Babylonians were going to make them all slaves, the people didn’t feel like they had anything to lose, but shortly later they realized wshat freeing the slaves would mean, as Jeremiah 34:10-11 tells us.  “Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let them go.  But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.”

Exodus 21:2 commanded, “If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.”  The Jews were being punished for their refusal to keep God’s law, and when they revoked their freeing of the slaves, it angered God, as Jeremiah 34:12-16 tells us.  “Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondmen, saying, At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear.

And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name: But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom he had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.”

Because they changed their minds and refused to let the people go free, Zedekaih and the leaders who had made them into slaves would be enslaved themselves, according to Jeremiah 34:17-22.  “Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.  And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof.

The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf; I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.  And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which are gone up from you.  Behold, I will command, saith the LORD, and cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire: and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant.

God Never Forsakes Us

Jeremiah was thankful that God had promised Israel would once again occupy the land after a time of captivity.  God pointed out that though they had sinned against him and he would allow them to be made captives, he was still God.  He described what they had done to make him angry and lead to the captivity, in Jeremiahs 32:26-35.  “Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?  Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it: And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger.

For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD.  For this city hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face, Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.  But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it.  And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.”

In spite of their wickedness, God still loved Judah and Jerusalem.  Though he would allow them to suffer as a result of their sin, he would one day bring them back and bless them the way he had promised from the very beginning as Jeremiah 32:36-44 describes.  “And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.   Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.

For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.  And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.  Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD.”

Having Jeremiah buy his cousin’s land demonstrated faith that God would one day bring them back to that land at a time when it seemed there was no hope.  While Jeremiah would not live to see that day, his children and grandchildren would one day inherit the land.  As the old saying goes, Actions speak louder than words.  While Jeremiah was warning that they would go into captivity, buying the land indicated that he believed they would one day be free again. 

One of the greatest Promises we have as Christians is that, like Israel, no matter how much we have messed up, God still loves us and will never forsake us.  We don’t need to give up as a result of our failures or his chastisement, as Hebrews 13:5-6 tells us.  “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

A Promise Of Hope In The Midst Of Despair

Zedekiah and the rulers had not liked Jeremiah’s message that they would be defeated, and he was left in the prison.  A few months after the Babylonians besieged the city, God sent another prophecy advising tham that they would be defeated, in Jeremiah 32:1-5.  “The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar.  For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah's house.  For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, 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.”

Though they would be defeated and carried away captive, God directed Jeremiah to buy land to demonstrate that the captivity would not be forever, in Jeremiah 32:6-15.  “And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it.

So Hanameel mine uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself.

Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.  And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.  And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances.  So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open: And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.  And I charged Baruch before them, saying,  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days.  For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.”

After learning that they would again return to their land, Jeremiah took time to praise God, thanking him for his past blessings and the promise that they would once again possess the land, in Jeremiah 32:16-25.  “Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the LORD, saying, Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: Thou showest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name, Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings: Which hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day, and in Israel, and among other men; and hast made thee a name, as at this day; And hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror; And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey; And they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them: Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest it.  And thou hast said unto me, O Lord GOD, Buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses; for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.”

Worse Than It Needed To Be

Hananiah had prophesied that within two years, the Babylonians would be forced out and the captivies, including Jehoiachin would be returned to Jerusalem.  It never happened, but five years later, in response to constant rebellion by the Jews, the Babylonians again attacked, placing Jerusalem under siege for about a year ans a half, as II Kings 25:1-2 describes.  “And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it: and they built forts against it round about.  And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.”

Clearly, Jeremiah had been right that the Babylonisns had not just gone away, so Zedekiah contacted him again after the Babylonians attacked, in Jeremiah 21:1-2.  “The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,  Inquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.”

Zedekiah was hoping God would fight for them and defeat the Babylonian Empire.  God’s response was that he would fight against Judah rather than against Babylon, in Jeremiah 21:3-7.  “Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah: Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.  And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched 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.”

God was using the Babylonians to punish the Jews for their refusal to obey his commands.  The people would have a choice when the fighting was over.  They could continue to resist God’s punishment by fighting against Babylon and die, or they could yield and he would protect them, as he explained in Jeremiah 21:8-14.  “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.  For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the LORD; O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.  Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the LORD; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?  But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.”

God was quite clear that they would have to suffer the consequences for their sin.  Because they insisted on resisting God’s judgement, the consequences would be worse than they would otherwise be.  James 4:9-10 advises, “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”  If we want God’s blessings, we need to willingly submit to him. 

Which Prophet Would They Follow?

Jeremiah’s prophecies went against people’s desires, and a number of false prophets were telling them exactly what they wanted to hear.  People find it easy to accept what goes along with their desires and beliefs without question, even when there is evidence it is not true.   Because of such false prophets, Jeremiah’s message went largely unheeded. 

Jeremiah 28:1-4 tells the story of one such false prophecy.  “And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.  Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD'S house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon: And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”

Hananiah very carefully worded his claims to sound like it was a message from God.  The people were concerned about the Babylonian occupation, and his prophecy that the occupation would end within two years sounded really favorable.  Few stopped to see if it included a short term prophecy as a sign it was true.  Jeremiah agreed the prophecy sounded good, but as he pointed out, the test of whether a prophecy is from God is whether it comes true or not.  If the prophecy did not happen it would clearly indicate Hananiah was not a true prophet, as he says in Jeremiah 28:5-9.  “Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD, Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD'S house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.

Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people; The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence.  The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.”  The people would be wise to wait and see if the chaldeans withdrew before following Hananiah’s advice. 

 When challenged about his claims, like many other false prophets, Hananiah doubled down on them, as described in Jeremiah 28:10-11.  “Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah's neck, and brake it.  And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.”  Rather than argue with him, Jeremiah simply walked away. 

God sent Jeremiah back to warn the people that following Hananiah’s advice would only make things worse for them, in Jeremiah 28:12-14.  “Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron.  For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.”

As proof that Jeremiah’s prophecy was from God and Hananiah’s was not, God would cause Hananiah to die within a year, as he explained, in Jeremiah 28:15-16.  “Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.  Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.” 

Hananiah had made his prophecy in the fifth month as Jeremiah 28:1 told us.  Two months later, Hananiah died, according to Jeremiah 28:17.  “So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.”

It is important for us to understand that if a person makes a prophecy that dowen’t happen he is a false prophet.  Following his or her teachings will only lead us further from what God wants.  We need to take the time to check out the prophecies before we follow them.  For example, over the years, many have set specific dates as to when the Lord will return which have not happened.  As a result, many people no longer believe in the Lord’s return, and do not take the biblical teachings about judgement seriousle, despite the number of biblical prophecies relating to Christ’s return that have been fulfilled, proving that the biblical prophets were speaking the truth.   

Zedekiah Consults With Jeremiah

Though the political leaders had accused Jeremiah of treason and tried to destroy him, the king had allowed him to be saved.  Knowing he was a prophet of God, Zedekiah was concerned that his prophecies might be true and asked to speak to him privately, In 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.”

After the attempts to kill him, Jeremiah didn’t trust Zedekiah very much, but upon being assured he would not be killed, jeremiah repeated his warning that to resist Nebuchadnezzars forces would result in the destruction of the city, in Jeremiah 38:15-18.  “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?

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.

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: 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.”

Zedekiah made it clear that though he was king, he didn’t have the support of his people and was afraid that if he surrendered, they would sell him out.  Jeremiah told him they wouldn’t, but that God would not protect them if they fough the Babylonians, in Jeremiah 38:19-23.  “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.

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.  But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath showed me: 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.  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. “

Fearing the politician’s reaction, Zedekiah swore Jeremiah to secrecy. When he was asked about what they had talked about, Jeremiah told the politicians what the king told him to say.  As a result, Jeremiah was allowed to live, remaining in the prison until Jerusalem fell, eleven years after Zedekiah became king, as Jeremiah 38:24-28 tells us.  “Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.  But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee: Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.

Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.  So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.”

The Political Leaders Attempt To Kill Jeremiah

God had directed Jeremiah to warn the Jews that God had placed Nebuchadnezzar in his position and that if they would yield to his authority, God would bless them even though he was a pagan.   If they did not, they would experience further punishment.  His message was much like what Pau wrote in Romans 13:1-5.  “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.  For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.  Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.”

Jeremiah’s prophecy was very upsetting to the Jewish leaders, even though the signs that it came from God were very clear.  Jeremiah had already been imprisoned for the message, but was still able to get his message out.  The leaders demanded his execution, in Jeremiah 38:1-4, accusing him of treason.  “Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.  Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it.  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.”

Afraid to oppose the political leaders, Zedekiah gave them permission to do what they wanted.  Knowing the people believed Jeremiah was a prophet of God and might rebel if they killed him outright, The leaders had him cast into a dungeon where the floor was just mud but there was no drinkable water, hoping he would die there, in Jeremiah 38:5-6.  “Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing 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.”

One of Zedekiah’s workers was an Ethiopian slave who had adopted the Jewish religion.  He warned the king that if Jeremiah were left in the dungeon he would almost certainly die, whether from disease as a result of living in the constant filth or of starvation or thirst, and his death would only create more problems.  The king gave permission to pull him out of solitary confinement in the dungeon and put him with the other prisoners in the main yard, in Jeremiah 38:7-13.  “Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king, saying, My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.

Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.  And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.  So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.”