Jeremiah 38 & 39 Accepting God's Message.

 

Jeremiah 38 – Accepting God’s Message.

 

Zedekiah was a weak king who was more interested in being popular with his friends than in being right with God. Since he was a doubleminded man, he was “unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8)

 

First, he allowed some of his friends to arrest Jeremiah and put him in a dungeon. Next, he let Ebed-Melech and thirty guards rescue Jeremiah and take him to a safe place. Then, Zedekiah had a private meeting with Jeremiah to ask for help. If the king had accepted God’s message and obeyed it, he would have had the courage to stand up to his unbelieving friends and do right.

 

Jeremiah sank in the mire, but the king was sinking even deeper. His fear and unbelief ruined him. He could have saved himself and his people had he submitted himself to the Lord. Instead, he trusted his friends, and they dragged him down into the mire of disgrace and defeat.

 

Jeremiah 39 – Life for God, Not Self

 

God rewarded Zedekiah for his wickedness. The king thought he could escape, but the enemy caught up with him. The last thing Zedekiah saw was the execution of his own sons, then he was blinded. He walked by sight and ended up in darkness. He lived to serve himself and lost everything. He learned the truth of these words: “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:23.

 

God rewarded Jeremiah for his faithfulness. For forty difficult years, he courageously proclaimed God’s Word, even though the people refused to obey it. If you measure ministry by “results”, Jeremiah was a failure. Given his freedom, he chose to remain with his people and minister to them. He had a shepherd’s heart.

 

God rewarded Ebed-Melech for his kindness. Now we know why this foreigner rescued Jeremiah; he had put his faith in God. It must have been Jeremiah’s witness that won him. An outsider trusted God, but the Jews would not trust Him.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

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J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.