The Prophet Jeremiah
Monday, July 29 Jeremiah 37:1-21
“What have I donethat I should be imprisoned?”
Judahsued for peace with king Nebuchadnezzar in 597BC, and king Jehoiachin wasdeported to Babylon. His uncle Zedekiahwas placed on the throne of Judah by the Babylonians. He would remain king until the finaldestruction of Jerusalem in 586BC. In588BC, an Egyptian army is moving toward Judah, threatening the Babylonian armywhich is once again laying siege to Jerusalem. This leads to a temporary departure of the Babylonians. During this time, Jeremiah receives arevelation from the Lord: Babylon will return and destroy the city.
When Jeremiah tries to leave Jerusalem to visit his tribal homeland, heis arrested, flogged and imprisoned, having been charged with attempting todefect to the Babylonians. Later, KingZedekiah sends for Jeremiah. Havingearlier requested that Jeremiah pray to God for Jerusalem (verse 3), he nowasks Jeremiah if he has a word from the Lord. After Jeremiah gives him God’s revelation, he asks why he is beingmistreated for speaking what God has given him to say. The implied point is that he has told thetruth and is being persecuted for it.
We pray, Lord, for those imprisoned forspeaking your truth. Amen.
Tuesday, July 30 Jeremiah 38:1-13
“They lowered himby ropes into an empty cistern”
TheJudean officials are angry with Jeremiah because his words about Babyloniansupremacy are discouraging, weakening the resolve of the people and of the relativelyfew Judean fighting men still left to defend the city. These officials have much autonomy in dealingwith people considered to be traitors, as Zedekiah concedes in verse 5. The officials lower Jeremiah into a cisternthat has mud but no water, not only trapping him but putting him in a placewhere it’s hard to move or to rest.
One of the palace officials named Ebed-Melech courageously approachesZedekiah to overturn the order consigning Jeremiah to a slow and painfuldeath. He secures an agreement from theking and goes with thirty men to pull the weakened prophet from the muddycistern. Jeremiah is freed from thecistern, but he is still kept under confinement with Zedekiah’s guards. The actions of Ebed-Melech later receive acommendation of God and the promise of personal deliverance when theBabylonians finally take the city (see 39:15-18).
May I, Lord, like Ebed-Melech act withcourage on my convictions. Amen.
Wednesday, July 31 Jeremiah 38:14-28
“King Zedekiah sentfor Jeremiah”
AlthoughJeremiah is imprisoned under royal guard for his unwanted prophecies, KingZedekiah is not through with the prophet. As in earlier cases, the king seeks spiritual advice from Jeremiah. Initially, Jeremiah seeks assurance that hewill not be killed, and the king swears not to hand the prophet over to thosewho want to take his life. We learn fromthe text that Zedekiah is as worried about his personal safety and future as heis about the city and the state. Jeremiah sets before the king the alternatives of surrendering andtrusting the Lord for his safety or holding out and seeing the Babylonians destroyJerusalem.
Zedekiah asks Jeremiah not to reveal their conversation. This is another indication of the king’sdivided mind and his vacillation with respect to listening to the prophet. One gains the impression from all this thatboth Jeremiah and Zedekiah are the subject of rumor and conspiracy, and thatZedekiah has precious few people whom he can trust. The chapter concludes with the comment thatJeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the Babylonians took thecity.
After all is saidand done, Lord, all who trust you will be safe. Amen.
Thursday, August 1 Jeremiah 39:1-18
“The king of Babylon pronounced judgment on Zedekiah”
The chapterbegins with the fall of Jerusalem in 586BC but quickly shifts to a descriptionof Zedekiah’s fate, which is essentially the same as that of the city andpeople. He attempts to escape theconsequences of Jerusalem’s fall by fleeing to the Jordan Valley, but is caughtby the Babylonian army with gruesome results. His sons (and potential heirs) are slain in his presence along withother Judean nobles. The Judean king isthen blinded so that the last thing he sees is the death of family andfriends. He is then bound in fetterslike other Judean exiles and taken to Babylon. This is the last we know of King Zedekiah.
Nebuchadnezzarhimself orders that Jeremiah be released from confinement. Reasons for this release are not cited, but perhapsNebuchadnezzar has heard secondhand that a Judean prophet proclaimed hissupremacy. Moreover, the Babyloniansturn him over to Gedaliah of the family of Shaphan, whose members had beensupportive of Jeremiah. We learn in thenext chapter that Nebuchadnezzar appoints Gedaliah as governor of Judah.
Those who turnaway from you, Lord, will not escape judgment. Amen.
Friday, August 2 Jeremiah 40:1-6
“Come to Babylon,or stay here”
Nebuzaradan, aBabylonian official, addresses Jeremiah, stating that God has given Judah andJerusalem into the hands of Babylon in order to judge them. This may sound strange to modern readers, butmany people in antiquity affirmed the power of a local deity in its sphere ofinfluence. There is no reason to suspectsarcasm or insincerity on the part of Nebuzaradan.
Jeremiah is alsogiven a choice whether to go to Babylon or remain in the land withGedaliah. From the point of view ofpersonal security, it would likely be better for Jeremiah to accompanyNebuchadnezzar to Babylon, but he chooses to remain with the remnant in theland. In this choice the prophet signalsa commitment to the land and to renewal, just like his symbolic purchase ofproperty during the siege of Jerusalem. So Jeremiah becomes a member of the remnant band associated withGedaliah, seemingly knowing nothing about the plot against the governor (seetomorrow’s passage). That Jeremiah isgiven provisions and money by the Babylonians is recognition on their part thatthe prophet predicted their success.
Even those who don’t worship you, Lord, canrecognize your power. Amen.
Saturday, August 3 Jeremiah 40:7-16
“The Babyloniansmean you no harm”
Remnantsof Judeans begin to gather around Gedaliah at Mitzpah, about five miles northof Jerusalem. Included in the group areIshmael and Johanan, two people whose actions will affect the fortunes of Judahand the prophet Jeremiah. Johanan is amember of the Judean army and also seemingly well-connected to the remainingofficials in Judah. Ishmael is relatedto the royal family of Judah. Johanandiscovers (we don’t know how) that Baalis, king of the Ammonites, has concocteda plot with Ishmael to assassinate Gedaliah. Johanan reveals this to the governor, but Gedaliah does not believe thereport.
When theBabylonian army first marched into the area, a number of Judeans had fled theirhomes to take up residence in surrounding territories. Now that the main elements of the Babylonianarmy have gone back to Babylon, many of these Judeans return to see whatremains of their former property. Gedaliah’scomment to them – “Live in the towns you have taken over” – indicates that thecontrol of land has now passed to them and to others who remain.
Protectus, Lord, from those who would do your people harm. Amen.