Jeremiah 38:1-6 – Take a stand for God

To understand why the four opposers of Jeremiah were mad at him we need to understand the desperate condition of Jerusalem was in. Nebuchadnezzar’s army had laid a siege on the city, camped outside the wall, and surrounded it. The supplies to the city were s cut off, the ration was running low and there was a severe food shortage. Besides the cistern was dry. Depleted of water, those well only had mud.  In such a situation it was difficult to imagine how demoralized the people were. Any stout-hearted man would be disheartened and demotivated to go out and fight the war.

And Jeremiah’s message did not help. He was proclaiming that “He who stays in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live and have his own life as booty and stay alive. This city will certainly be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and he will capture it.” He was encouraging the people to submit to the will of God and not fight the Babylonians.  

Therefore, it was not surprising that the four officials of Zedekiah namely, Shephatiah, Gedaliah Jucal, and Pashhur should be upset with the prophet. His message was bad for the morale of the people. So they came to the king seeking Jeremiah’s life. They told the king “Now let this man be put to death, inasmuch as he is discouraging the men of war who are left in this city and all the people, by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of this people but rather their harm.”

Here we see King Zedekiah as a man who could be easily swayed. He gave in to political pressure too easily. Such people would vacillate and be incapable of making tough decisions. They would rather pander to the opinions of men. The Scripture is clear that “the fear of man will bring a snare.” Yet Zedekiah would rather listen to men than to truth.  So he gave Jeremiah into the hands of the gang of four - Shephatiah, Gedaliah Jucal, and Pashhur – who then had Jeremiah thrown into a cistern, an unused well, and left to die.

 

There is a price for being true to God. Like Jeremiah, true servants of God with a message from God are not afraid to confront the status quo. They know their lives will be at risk since their message does not conform to societal norms. Will we remain true to G0d and be His true messengers in a world hostile God? We must not be afraid to share the truth even when it is unpopular to do so. Let us “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:2).      

     

 

J eremiah 37:11-21 – Being true to God at all cost.

In Jeremiah 32:7-10, we learned that the prophet’s cousin, Hanamel offered him a parcel of land in Benjamin, which he acquired for 17 shekels of silver. So during the brief period when the Babylonians temporarily lifted their siege on Jerusalem, he left to examine that piece of land in Benjamin and to attend to some personal business.

In Jeremiah 37:11-21 we are told what happen to him when he did so. He was arrested by Irijah, the captain of the guard of Zedekiah. He was accused of seeking to deflect to Babylon. Though he vehemently denied any wrongdoing, Irijah would not listen to him but brought him to the officials of the king who interrogated and beat him up. They conveniently charged Jeremiah for treason, since he had strongly advocated the judgment that Judah would have to face at the hand of the Chaldeans. They then confined him in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which they converted into a prison, and threw him into a dungeon for many days.

In Jeremiah 37:17 we are told that Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah. When he was brought before him, the king secretly asked if he had a word from the Lord. His response was in the affirmative before telling the king that he would be given into the hand of Babylon. Boldly, he then asked the king what wrong had he committed against him, his servants, or the people that they should treat him this way.  He even asked the king where the prophets were who had prophesied that Babylon would not come against Judah. At the same time, he also pled with him to listen to what he had said and not to send him back to the dungeon in Jonathan’s house. He feared that he could die at their hands. Acceding to his plea, the king then had him confined in the court’s guard house and remained there. And he was also fed with a loaf of bread daily from the bakers’ street until all the bread in the city was gone.

Far too many people would readily compromise just for some personal comfort and ease but not Jeremiah. He remained true to his mission, even in the face of danger and hardship. A true servant of the Lord remains true to his message even in the face of harsh opposition. He considers the integrity of God more important than the comfort of his life. Will we compromise our stand for God just to evade tough times? Or will we be true to God and the message He sends us to share even when hardships beckon? Jesus let us know that “he who is faithful in little will be faithful in much.” Faithfulness to God requires that we must continue to trust God and follow His instruction even when life’s circumstances are not harsh.  

  

Jeremiah 37:6-10 – The certainty of God’s Word

The Babylonians temporarily and briefly lifted their siege on Jerusalem when they heard of the approaching army of Egypt. Since Zedekiah had sent his men to request Jeremiah to pray for him, the prophet gave the king the word of the Lord to him in Jeremiah 37: 7-10. There were a few things Jeremiah declared would happen.

Firstly, the Egyptians whom Zedekiah had solicited for help would retreat. Secondly, the Babylonians would return, continue their attack, capture Jerusalem, and raze it with fire. Thirdly, Zedekiah was not to deceive himself by thinking the Babylonians would go away permanently, for they wouldn’t. Finally, God said, “For even if you (Judah) had defeated the entire army of Chaldeans who were fighting against you, and there were only wounded men left among them, each man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.”  This was a guarantee that Judah would be defeated by Babylon. Why? For this was a judgment decreed by God on Judah.

From these verses, there are two lessons for us:

 

Firstly, we learn that we must not deceive ourselves. Self-deception happens when one ignores fact and deny the reality of the situation. This was God’s warning to Zedekiah. Self-deception will blind a person from what will undoubtedly take place. In Galatians 6:7 we are warned, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” The Law of Reciprocity is a guarantee. If we deny God, He will deny us.  

 

Secondly, we learn that God’s will is irresistible. What He has said will definitely come to pass. No discussion will ever make it go away nor would denying it make it go away. Forever, the Word of God is settled. The certainty of what God has said is undeniable. We either obey Him or face the consequences of disobedience. It is a choice we can make. Choose this day to obey God, regardless!      

Jeremiah 37:1-5 – Don’t live life dubiously

In Jeremiah 37:1-5, we read of a king of Judah, who lived a life of pretense. He was none other than Zedekiah. He was the son of Josiah whose name was Mattaniah but Nebuchadnezzar had it changed to Zedekiah when he was put on the throne in place of his nephew, Coniah (whose other names were Jeconiah or Jehoiachin). More detail about him can be found in 2 Kings 24-25 and 2 Chronicles 36.   

Why do we consider Zedekiah a man who lived a life of pretense? Our conclusion, firstly, is that his decision and action were done for show and not with true intention to seek or please God. Verse 2 made it clear that “neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Lord which He spoke through Jeremiah the prophet.” He was clearly an unbeliever at heart, one  who would not take the word of God seriously. In that sense, he betrayed God. Zedekiah was put on the throne and only a puppet in the hand of Babylon and was willing to dance to the tune of his puppeteer. Even then he was unfaithful to Nebuchadnezzar, and eventually resulted in the latter’s attacking Jerusalem.

Secondly, Zedekiah was a man who would not pray. Instead of praying himself, he sent his men to seek Jeremiah to pray for him. Why did he send to ask Jeremiah to pray on his behalf and not approach God himself?  It was a show. Asking Jeremiah gave the impression that he was trusting God when his heart was far from relying on God. At this point, verses 4-5 said that Jerusalem had a brief reprieve from the siege of Nebuchadnezzar because of news of the approaching army of  Egypt.

Zedekiah was essentially living a life of hypocrisy. His action and his belief were not congruent. He only did what he did for show. Here’s a lesson for us from his life. We must not be like him living a hypocritical life. We must let our actions reflect our trust in God. Jesus reminds us not to practice our religion to be seen by men and not truly to please God. WE are to live a yeast-free life.   

Jeremiah 36:27-32 - The indestructible Word of God.

The Written Word of God, the Bible is the greatest treasure in the world, then and now. It is God’s Word which He Himself by His Holy Spirit inspired faithful men like Jeremiah and many others to write. It is His legacy to mankind, especially to us His worshippers. Year after year, decade after decade, and century after century His Written Word stood, and it will stand forever. This is the promise of God which Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth shall pass away but My Word will not pass away.” This has proven to be true. Even in the process of being written and compiled, attempts had been made to eradicate and prevent it from reaching its final form that we hold in our hands today. But it has survived countless attempts by ungodly despots who tried to eliminate and wipe it from the face of the earth. The Word of God remains indestructible because God is its preserver.

In earlier verses of Jeremiah 36, we learned that Jeremiah instructed by God dictated the messages God had given through him to Baruch, who had them recorded on a scroll. They were 23 years of God’s messages given through Jeremiah before the siege of Jerusalem. It was then read to the people, then to Jehoiakim’s officials, and eventually to the king himself. We were also told when it was read to the king, he used the written scroll as fuel to stoke the fire to warm himself. But God’s inspired words cannot be eradicated. In Jeremiah 36:27-32 God instructs it to be rewritten thus preventing His words from extermination. 

After the king had burned the first copy, God instructed Jeremiah to produce another copy but this time with additional material. So Jeremiah gave another scroll to Baruch and had him record all that he had dictated to him earlier plus God’s prescribed judgment on Jehoiakim, his family, and his people. God told Jehoiakim that he “…shall have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night.” God also said that He would punish him and his descendants and his servants for their iniquity, and would bring on them and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the men of Judah all the calamity that He had declared to do to them.

From these verses, we see firstly the certainty of God’s word. God always says what He means and means what He says. Secondly, the Word of God is indestructible. It had stood attempts to eradicate it, but it survived them all. If God took the trouble to preserve His Word for us indicate to us how much He wants us to know His Word and thus, His will. Shouldn’t we, therefore, take the time and make all efforts to understand His heart through His Word? Let’s be good workmen of God that rightly handle the Word of truth.  And be sure to do it diligently.      

 

Jeremiah 35:20-26 – Don’t defy the Word of God

When Micaiah heard all the prophecies that Jeremiah had Baruch recorded and read to the people, he quickly made his way to the Chamber of the Scribe in the palace. Jeremiah 36:13 said that there, he declared what he heard to some officials of the king. And the officials heard them, they at once knew that those messages would not sit well with the king, yet it was their duty to inform him. So they quickly advised Baruch and Jeremiah to be hidden in a secret place before they report to the king.

Jeremiah 36:20 then said that they deposited the scroll in the chamber of Elishama, the scribe before reporting to the king. The king then despatched Jehudi to get the scroll for him.  At this point the king while it was autumn, the king was in his winter palace and sitting by a fireplace warming himself. He had Jehudi read the scroll of Jeremiah’s prophecies to him and the officials standing by him. Verse 23 said that after every three or four columns had been read to him he would cut off that portion of the scroll and throw it as fuel into the fire that was warming him. The king and everyone with him remained untouched by the Word read to them. Verse 26 underscored that “Yet the king and all his servants who heard all these words were not afraid, nor did they rend their garments.” In other words, they were nonchalant and did not repent even though the message described the impending judgment of God. Even though the king was urged not to burn the scroll by some concerned officials, he would not listen and go ahead and defiantly burn it. The King even ordered the arrest of Jeremiah and Baruch as the official had anticipated. 

The reason Jehoiakim disregarded and destroyed the scroll is the same way people treat the message of God. They doubt the reality of what God has said. Anyone who adopts such a stun does so at his or her own peril. Going against the Word of God is as good as going against Him. Wisdom dictates that we must not act like Jehoiakim and those who defied God’s Word. Instead, we need to pay attention to what God is saying and not doubt Him. These verses show us how not to approach the Word of God. We must not come to it nonchalantly. To do so indicates that we doubt the reality of His Word. 

This is how we must approach the word of God? Firstly, trust and believe that through it, God is communicating with us. Secondly, stay confident in what God has said. Thirdly, be obedient and act on what God has made known. Let us not harden our hearts to God’s Word!  

Jeremiah 36:9-19 – Our attitude matters when we hear God’s Word.

Nine months after Baruch first recorded Jeremiah’s prophecies of 23 years on a scroll, it was read to the people. Jeremiah 36:9 gave us the precise moment and place where Baruch read the recorded messages. He read it to the people on the ninth month in the fifth year of Jehoiakim's reign in the house of the Lord, “in the chamber of Gemariah… in the upper court, at the entry of the New Gate of the Lord’s house.”

On a day of fast, Baruch read the recorded words. Jeremiah 36:11-19 tells us whom the words were read to, how they received the word, and how different key personnel responded or reacted on hearing the word. The first time it was read to all the people, we are not told how they responded. They were probably too busy with the rituals that they missed the seriousness of the message and did not respond to the Word as they should. There are postures that we must take when we come to listen to God’s word if we are to be impacted by it.  We must come to read the word of God, whether in our personal time or in church, or in public meetings, always come with a reverent attitude, an earnest heart, and an inquisitive mind. When we come with such anticipation, we will be enabled to hear and discern what God wants to say to us.  

One person that was highlighted in verse 11 was Micaiah, the son of Gemariah. He was specially mentioned because he came with the posture to receive the Word. Verse 11 said that he “had heard all the words of the Lord.'  In other words, he heard everything in its entirety.  Verse 12 said that when he had heard the word, he quickly went to the other officials in the king’s chamber and declared them. The way he responded to what he had heard gives us an indication that his interest in what God was saying. If we are to discern what God is saying to us, we must come to His word with an attitude like Macaiah. The next time we come to read or hear the Word of God, remember to come to it with an attentive and receptive heart.

Then some would hear the Word of God with the fear of others’ opinions. When the officials in the king’s chamber heard the word, they were frightened and so they threatened to report Baruch to the king.  They knew that the recorded messages  would not be palatable to the king’s ear. They wanted to know precisely how the recorded roll came about. So Baruch told them “He (Jeremiah) dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink on the book.”  They immediately told him and Jeremiah to hide themselves in a secret place and not make it known to others. They knew that when the king had heard the word, he would go into a tirade.

More important than discussing how others receive the Word, we must consider how we, each of us personally will approach the Word of God. Will we be like the fourth kind of hearers in Jesus’ parable on the Sower? We come to listen with a heart that is receptive and ready to obey and do God’s will. If we come with attitudes like the first three kinds of listeners in that same parable, the Word of God will not take root, find a place in our hearts, and make an impact in our lives. Each time we come to hear from God, come prepared with our attitudes adjusted and the soil of our hearts well-plowed, pliable, and receptive to His Word.