Jeremiah chapter 38 verses 17-20(NIV)
Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live. But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians and they will burn it down; you yourself will not escape from them.’” King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will ill-treat me.”
“They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the LORD by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared. “
Sometimes God tells us things we don’t want to hear, or asks us to do things we don’t want to do. We have a choice as to whether we obey or not. That’s the difference between King Zedekiah and Jeremiah.
In the last few chapters of Jeremiah we see that Zedekiah came, or sent for Jeremiah in secret. Perhaps each time he hoped for different news. God was very gracious to him and kept giving him opportunity to respond. But the root of Zedekiah’s problem was his fear of the people. Jeremiah, on the other hand, gritted his teeth and endured all the abuse from those who disagreed with him.
It’s a reflection of the choices we too may have to make. Will we be a Jeremiah or a Zedekiah? God will be gracious to us too. May we make the choice to believe God’s word and respond accordingly.
Dear Lord,
May I have Jeremiah’s perseverance in the situations where I may feel Zedekiah’s fear. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.