Is it Information or Truth That You Want?
July 16, 2020
Commentary
Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah again and met him in secret at the entrance to the temple (vv. 14-16). Zedekiah wanted to ask Jeremiah something, and he told the prophet not to hide anything from him. Jeremiah said, if he did answer with a message the king did not want to hear he had no guarantee that the king would not kill him. Second, any counsel Jeremiah gave was wasted because the king would not listen to him. Zedekiah promised that he would neither kill Jeremiah nor hand him over to people who were seeking his life . But the king made no promise to heed Jeremiah’s message.
Jeremiah’s message remained the same as before (vv. 17-23). If Zedekiah would surrender to the Babylonians his life would be spared, the city would not be burned down, and his family would live. However, if he would not surrender, the city would be handed over to the armies of Babylon who would burn it down; and Zedekiah would not escape from their hands. Zedekiah refused to heed Jeremiah’s advice because of fear. He was afraid of the Jews who had already gone over to the Babylonians because he thought the Babylonians would hand him over to those Jews.
Zedekiah refused to follow Jeremiah’s advice (vv. 24-28). Instead he warned Jeremiah not to let anyone know about their conversation. Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard as a political prisoner till Jerusalem was captured by Nebuchadnezzar. The account goes on to say how King Zedekiah, aware that Jeremiah indeed was a true man of God, sent for him and asked for a word from God. Jeremiah assured him of safety if he would but surrender to the Babylonian army. But the king was afraid. He was too afraid of those around him. So he sent Jeremiah back to the guard.
Application
If I am doing what God wants me to do I don’t ever need to be afraid.
Jeremiah 38:14– 28 (NET)
14 Some time later Zedekiah sent and had Jeremiah brought to him at the third entrance of the Lord’s temple. The king said to Jeremiah, “I would like to ask you a question. Do not hide anything from me when you answer.” 15 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I answer you, you will certainly kill me. If I give you advice, you will not listen to me.” 16 So King Zedekiah made a secret promise to Jeremiah and sealed it with an oath. He promised, “As surely as the Lord lives who has given us life and breath, I promise you this: I will not kill you or hand you over to those men who want to kill you.”
17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “The Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘You must surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon. If you do, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down. Indeed, you and your whole family will be spared. 18 But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be handed over to the Babylonians and they will burn it down. You yourself will not escape from them.’” 19 Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Babylonians. The Babylonians might hand me over to them and they will torture me.” 20 Then Jeremiah answered, “You will not be handed over to them. Please obey the Lord by doing what I have been telling you. Then all will go well with you and your life will be spared. 21 But if you refuse to surrender, the Lord has shown me a vision of what will happen. Here is what I saw: 22 All the women who are left in the royal palace of Judah will be led out to the officers of the king of Babylon. They will taunt you saying: “‘Your trusted friends misled you; they have gotten the best of you. Now that your feet are stuck in the mud, they have turned their backs on you.’
23 “All your wives and your children will be turned over to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from them but will be captured by the king of Babylon. This city will be burned down.”
24 Then Zedekiah told Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about the conversation we have had. If you do, you will die. 25 The officials may hear that I have talked with you. They may come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you. Do not hide anything from us. If you do, we will kill you.’ 26 If they do this, tell them, ‘I was pleading with the king not to send me back to die in the dungeon of Jonathan’s house.’” 27 All the officials did indeed come and question Jeremiah. He told them exactly what the king had instructed him to say. They stopped questioning him any further because no one had actually heard their conversation. 28 So Jeremiah remained confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse until the day Jerusalem was captured. The following events occurred when Jerusalem was captured.