Zedekiah, another son of King Josiah was put on the throne in Judah in the place of Jehoiachin, his nephew. When the latter placed him on the throne, he also changed his former name Mattaniah to Zedekiah. Second Kings 24:18 said that he was 21 years old when he became king and reigned for 11 years. In 2 Kings 25, we are told that Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem started in the 9th year until the 11th year of Zedekiah’s reign. Jeremiah 32:1 tells us that it was in the 10th year of Zedekiah’s reign that the events narrated in Jeremiah 30-33 took place. This would put the timing around 586 B.C.
We
are told in Jeremiah 32:2-3, that Zedekiah had the prophet retained under the court
of the guard that was in the palace. Verse 4 then provides the reason why Jeremiah
was held in custody. It was because he was prophesying the overthrow of
Jerusalem by the Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. He declared that the Lord had given Judah into the hand of the
king of Babylon. For rebelling against Babylon, Jeremiah told Zedekiah that he would
have to confront Nebuchadnezzar face to face and eyeball to eyeball. The
latter would then take him captive to Babylon. And there he would be held until
God’s visitation. The Lord wanted
Zedekiah to know the futility of resisting the Babylonians and that he would not
succeed in his resistance.
There
is a need to discern God’s direction for our life. God’s plan for us does entail
tough circumstances. And it is precisely in those times that He builds and strengthens
us. That’s the reason we should not try to bill out HIs dealings. Apart from toughening
and strengthening us, God also uses the circumstances to reveal our character
and the substance we are made of. Remember tough times don’t last but tough
people will.
No comments:
Post a Comment