SCRIPTURE: JEREMIAH 37
JEREMIAH IN PRISON (vs. 1-21)
Zedekiah was made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. He reigned in place of Jehoiachin. King Zedekiah send Jehucal with priest Zephaniah to Jeremiah with this message: “Please pray to the Lord our God for us” (v. 3). So God told Jeremiah to say to to the king of Judah these words: “Pharaoh’s army which has marched out to support you, will go back to its own land, to Egypt. Then the Babylonians will return and attack this city. They will capture it and burn it down. Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, “The Babylonians will surely leave us. They will not. Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian army, They would come out and burn this city down.” (vs. 7-8)
After the Babylonian army had withdrawn from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the territory of Benjamin to get his share of the property among the people. But when he reached the Benjamin gate, the captain of the guard Irijah said to Jeremiah: “You are deserting to the Babylonians!” (v.13) Then he arrested him and brought him to the officials. They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan, the secretary. Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon where he remained for a long time.
Then King Zedekiah sent for him to ask him privately, “Is there any word from the Lord?” Jeremiah answered: “Yes, you will be handed over to the king of Babylon.” (v. 17) Then Jeremiah requested King Zedekiah not to send him back to the house of Jonathan, the secretary. So, King Zedekiah gave orders to transfer Jeremiah to the courtyard of the guard and given bread from the street of the bakers each day. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard and given bread from the street of the bakers each day.
THOUGHTS;
King Zedekiah and his officials did not want to listen to Jeremiah’s words but wanted the blessings of his prayers. God is not pleased with those who call to him seeking only what they can get rather than seeking a relationship with him.
Jerusalem looked to Egypt for help in spite of Jeremiah’s warning. But the Egyptians were no help. As soon as the Babylonian turned on them, they retreated. Jeremiah’s warnings had been correct.
Zedekiah is confused between surrender and resistance. He was weak and afraid to exercise authority, So he invited Jeremiah secretly to come to the palace for some better news from God. He was desperate to hear a word from God but he feared the political ramification of being caught talking to Jeremiah.
Zedekiah wanted the revelation of God’s prophet but not the instruction of the Word of God. Do you ask God for help only in emergencies or do you seek His direction each day?