Daily Devotions
Jeremiah
"For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up"
Text: Jeremiah 32:3
THE REASON WHY JEREMIAH WAS IMPRISONED
King Zedekiah was not an astute or just ruler. He was petty and he abused his authority as king.
“For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying,
‘Why do you prophesy and say,
‘Thus says the LORD:
‘Behold, I will give this city
into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;
and Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape from the hand of the Chaldeans,
but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon,
and shall speak with him face to face, and see him eye to eye;
then he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon,
and there he shall be until I visit him,’ says the LORD;
‘though you fight with the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed”’?”
Jeremiah 32:3-5
1. “For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying,
‘Why do you prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD:
‘Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it”'”
a) Jeremiah was imprisoned by the order of the king.
b) He was angry with Jeremiah because of what he preached.
c) The message came from the LORD as a warning:
i) God will give the city of Jerusalem to the king of Babylon.
ii) He will certainly capture the city.
2. “And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape from the hand of the Chaldeans,
but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon,
and shall speak with him face to face, and see him eye to eye”
a) The message was even more specific.
b) Zedekiah would not be able to escape from the Chaldeans (Babylonians).
c) He would be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon himself.
i) He will see Nebuchadnezzar face to face, eye to eye.
ii) This would not be an honour to Zedekiah.
iii) This personal encounter was to see him sentenced by Nebuchadnezzar.
3. “‘Then he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there he shall be until I visit him,’ says the LORD; ‘though you fight with the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed’?”
a) Zedekiah would be led to Babylon.
b) He would be there till the LORD Himself visits him.
c) His battle plans against the Chaldeans would not succeed!
4. This message was from Jeremiah to Zedekiah.
a) It was a direct message from the LORD through Jeremiah.
b) Zedekiah took this message very personally.
c) He did not like what Jeremiah had spoken and thus, he jailed the faithful prophet.