13 April | EVERYONE
"Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around." 2 Kings 25:1
Zedekiah had been appointed king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar after Nebuchadnezzar defeated Jehoiachin. Therefore, Zedekiah owed him obedience. He was a vassal king. And moreover, he had received, through Jeremiah, the divine message to submit to the Babylonian king. But Zedekiah preferred to listen to the false prophets who foretold the end of Babylon. He thought that an alliance with Egypt would be valuable, and he had Jeremiah arrested, accusing him of discouraging the people.
The result was catastrophic. Again and again, Zedekiah had called Jeremiah to consult him. And over and over again, Jeremiah had given him the same answer—"Submit to Babylon." But the rebellious king refused to obey. He trusted in his own strength. He believed in Egypt. He was deluded by the message of the false prophets instead of trusting God. Can we learn any lessons for our lives today? What is the drama you are experiencing? Would it not be better to humble yourself before God, even if His ways seem to make no sense to you?
In Zedekiah's case, his heart was hardened, and grace could no longer act. He had to face the consequences of his wrong decisions. In the summer of 586 B.C., after a two-year siege, Babylonian forces dug a hole in the city walls and entered. When Zedekiah heard of this, he took his wife and children and fled.
He toyed with divine grace, hardened himself before God's warnings, fell into the most horrible idolatry, had the prophet imprisoned, and now seeing the consequences of his sin, instead of turning to God and repenting, he ran and hid. But it was of no use. He was taken prisoner and watched as his children were murdered, and later his own eyes were gouged out. Sad end for a man whose name meant "righteousness comes from the Lord"!
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It is worth pondering whether human shortcuts are practical. God's ways may sometimes seem darker and longer, but walking in them guarantees the ultimate victory.