Daily Devotions
Jeremiah
"But afterward they changed their minds"
Text: Jeremiah 34:11
A SHORT-LIVED COVENANT
Covenants were the means by which God revealed Himself and His commitment to His people. Human covenants were meant to reflect a similar commitment. But the Zedekiah covenant with Jerusalem did not last very long.
“Now when all the princes and all the people,
who had entered into the covenant,
heard that everyone should set free his male and female slaves,
that no one should keep them in bondage anymore,
they obeyed and let them go.
But afterward they changed their minds
and made the male and female slaves return, whom they had set free,
and brought them into subjection as male and female slaves.”
Jeremiah 34:10-11
1. “Now when all the princes and all the people, who had entered into the covenant,
heard that everyone should set free his male and female slaves,
that no one should keep them in bondage anymore, they obeyed and let them go”
a) The Covenant entered into by:
i) Zedekiah
ii) The princes
iii) The people
b) Initial feelings:
i) That the freeing of Hebrew slaves was a good and right thing to do.
ii) All parties agreed to free their fellow brethren from bondage to freedom.
2. “But afterward they changed their minds and made the male and female slaves return,
whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection as male and female slaves”
a) A change of mind.
i) The princes
ii) The people
b) They recaptured their former slaves.
c) The former slaves were brought back into slavery once again.
3. What were some of their reasons for doing this?
a) For economic reasons:
i) To have a slave is to have free labour.
ii) To hire labourers was costly.
b) Because of human evil sinfulness.
i) There was little regard for God.
ii) There was even lesser regard for fellow-human beings.
iii) There was strong personal and selfish desire.