Jeremiah 52:1-3a - Do not test the patience of God

Jeremiah 52 essentially is a historical record. What we read in this chapter is exactly what was recorded in 2 Kings 24:18 – 25:30. All that  Jeremiah had written concluded in chapter 51 with  the last line of Jeremiah 51:64 that says, “Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.”  Hence Jeremiah 52 was believed to be added to what he had written. The name of the person who added it was not mentioned. However, Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe was thought to be the most likely person to have done it. Essentially Jeremiah 52 narrates events that led up to the fall of Jerusalem, the capture of Judah, and the Jews being brought into captivity.

The account began with Zedekiah, the youngest of the sons of King Josiah. His mother was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. Nebuchadnezzar had renamed him Zedekiah when he put him on the throne of Judah in place of his nephew Jehoiachin.  His original name was Mattaniah. Both his names were good names. Mattaniah means “gift of God” and Zedekiah means “Righteousness of God.” But His character fit neither meaning of the names.  He was far from being the person he was expected to be.  We are told that he ascended the throne at 21 years old and ruled as a Nebuchadnezzar’s vassal king for eleven years.  

As wonderful as the meanings of his names were, verse 2 tells us he did not live up to either of them. It says that “he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord….” He emulated his brother Jehoiakim’s wicked deeds and angered the Lord. The wickedness of all that Jerusalem and Judah had done reached an unbearable point even to the patient God. So verse 3 said, he had to cast both Jerusalem and Judah out of His presence.

The judgment of Judah did not besmirch the nature nor the patience of God. It merely goes to show how incorrigible the fallen nature of His people could take them. The issue in life has never been about  God’s goodness and patience. It has always been about the inability of fallen nature to live up to the billing that God desires. Thankfully our old nature is buried in Christ. But we cannot deny that it does seek to rear its ugly head every now and then. Even though we are redeemed, we need to live a God-dependent, Spirit-filled life. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we need to constantly put to death our flesh and leave no room for it to take a potshot at us. We must not test the patience of God. Never take His grace for granted.