1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he took him bound in chains along with all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. 2 The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God pronounced this disaster against this place. 3 The Lord has brought it about, and has done as he said. Because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey his voice, this thing has come upon you. 4 Now, behold, I release you today from the chains on your hands. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well, but if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, do not come. See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good and right to go. 5 If you remain, then return to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon appointed governor of the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever you think it right to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go. 6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.
REFLECTION:
Although Nebuzaradan, the captain of Babylon’s guard, did not know God, he admitted that Babylon’s victory was given by God. Some people acknowledge the existence of God and know that He performs miracles, but they are unwilling to personally accept Him, know Him, and experience God’s salvation, because doing so will have to pay a great price, giving up the way of life they have been accustomed to and the values that gain them great benefits before. Jeremiah can choose where he reside at will. In Babylon, he can enjoy a comfortable life and have a certain amount of power; in Judah, he will continue to suffer. He may be loved by the Babylonians in Babylon, but he will be spurned by his exiled compatriots; in Judah it means living a life of poverty and loneliness, but it can show that he is not a perfunctory traitor. In the end Jeremiah chose to return to Judah and live in Mizpah. Mizpah is located a few kilometers north of Jerusalem. This place was not severely damaged during the war. So after the fall of Jerusalem, many remnants of Judah sought refuge here. Jeremiah chose to continue to serve these survivors, but also to serve God and experience God’s deeper edification. This past event warns us that knowing God is not only having knowledge about God and acknowledging His power, but also confessing sins and repenting, changing the old self-centered lifestyles and values, and throwing into God’s embrace without hesitation. Establish an intimate and deep relationship with God, and be constantly edified by God throughout our life.
PRAYER:
Ask God to enlighten you so that you can understand at what stage your knowledge of God stays? Is it just cognition in the mind, or you have established an intimate relationship with God and follow His guidance in everything? Pray that God will enable you to see where you are still imperceptibly influenced by the world’s values, and give you the strength to overcome your old self in those areas and renew your life.
1In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city. 3 Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and sat in the middle gate: Nergal-sar-ezer of Samgar, Nebu-sar-sekim the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, with all the rest of the officers of the king of Babylon. 4 When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled, going out of the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate between the two walls; and they went toward the Arabah. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, at Riblah, in the land of Hamath; and he passed sentence on him. 6 The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes, and the king of Babylon slaughtered all the nobles of Judah. 7 He put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. 8 The Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the house of the people, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried into exile to Babylon the rest of the people who were left in the city, those who had deserted to him, and the people who remained. 10 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, left in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.
REFLECTION:
Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, was the last king of Judah. He ruled Judah for eleven years from 597 to 586 BC. The king of Judah before him were his two elder brothers, Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim, and his nephew, Jehoiachin. When Jehoiachin was taken into captivity in Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar made Mattaniah, who was only 21 years old, king of Judah and renamed him Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:17), which means “The Lord is my righteousness” . However, Zedekiah’s life’s deeds are contrary to his name. Zedekiah was unwilling to be the puppet king, and because of his failure to resist Babylon, he fled at the end. As a result, Nebuchadnezzar captured him, killed his sons in front of him, gouge out his eyes, and took him to Babylon. Soon, Zedekiah died in Babylon, ending a sad and deplorable life. We should take the tragic fall of Zedekiah’s kingdom and his death as a lesson, rely on God in everything, live out God’s justice, and manifest God’s glory. Otherwise, God’s discipline may not be delayed. In the newly conquered places, Babylon used the method of combining grace and power to rule the people, taking all the wealthy and powerful away, leaving only the poor in place to win the gratitude of the remnants. This was Babylon’s trick to win over people’s hearts, but God used this to protect the remnants of Judah and make them realize that God is still looking after them in the tragic fate of subjugation.
PRAYER:
Pray for God to give you more vigilance, take history and people as a mirror. In your life, try to take God’s will as the standard for your actions; you should understand that while you are looking at the predecessors, the future generations are also looking at you; ask God for help for you to have a beautiful testimony in this life, set a godly example to your descendants, and inspire them to return to God. It is the blessings that God has given you to pass on from generation to generation.
1Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people: 2“Thus says the Lord: He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans shall live. He shall have his life as a prize of war, and live. 3Thus says the Lord: This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and be taken.” 4Then the officials said to the king, “Let this man be put to death, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.” 5King Zedekiah said, “Behold, he is in your hands, for the king can do nothing against you.” 6So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.
REFLECTION:
Zedekiah, king of Judah, did not have his own opinion. He listened to everyone’s opinions, and his administration was chaotic. He not only obeyed Jeremiah’s request and transferred Jeremiah from the dungeon cells to the court of the guard (37:21), but also allowed everyone to kill Jeremiah, and he finally saved Jeremiah’s life (v16). Jeremiah was very unpopular at the time. His remarks kept hitting the morale of the army and the people. It was very frustrating at first but in fact what he conveyed were divine warnings and good advice. The leaders of Judah threw Jeremiah into prison, trying to put him to death. The “prison” is actually a cistern, an underground hole used to collect rainwater. The bottom of the cistern was dark and damp, with thick mud. Jeremiah faithfully preached God’s message, but he was persecuted and framed time after time by the leaders of Judah. For 40 years he has served God faithfully, but he has not been appreciated, loved or supported by anyone. Instead, he has been beaten, intimidated, and thrown into jail until he is expelled. Only the Gentile Babylonians still have a little respect for him. God never promised His servants to be free from oppression, and even loyal servants are not immune. However, God promised that He would be with them and give them the strength to face the difficulties and dangers. When you serve God, you sometimes seem to be trapped in a thick mud. You must remember that you are serving God, not pleasing people. God is with you and will lead and build your life. Zedekiah is difficult to choose between public opinion and God’s will. Reflect in your daily life, is it the opinion of others or the will of God that has more influence on you?
PRAYER:
Pray for God to give you a pair of sharp ears so that you can distinguish the voice of God among the voices of the world, and a pair of bright eyes that can focus on the holiness and glory of God in filthy and dark places; pray that God will strengthen your heart so that you will not be shaken by the vanity of the world, even if it seems so attractive to people.
