Daily Devotions
Jeremiah
"Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison"
Text: Jeremiah 37:21
A PERSONAL PETITION
Since Jeremiah was speaking to King Zedekiah privately, he was able to make a personal petition. He knew who his deadly enemies were. King Zedekiah was weak, but he was not an evil enemy to the prophet.
“‘Therefore please hear now, O my lord the king.
Please, let my petition be accepted before you,
and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.’
Then Zedekiah the king commanded that
they should commit Jeremiah to the court of the prison,
and that they should give him daily a piece of bread from the bakers’ street,
until all the bread in the city was gone.
Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.”
Jeremiah 37:20-21
1. “‘Therefore please hear now, O my lord the king.
Please, let my petition be accepted before you,
and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there'”
a) Jeremiah laid his petition before the king.
b) He hoped that his petition would be granted.
c) He pleaded with the king not to send him back to the house of Jonathan the scribe.
d) The prisons of Judah:
i) They had official prisons with jail cells.
ii) The house of Jonathan the scribe was used as a prison.
e) The prison wardens:
i) Jonathan the scribe was dreaded by Jeremiah.
ii) He knew that if he were to be sent there,
he would perish in the hands of this evil man.
2. “Then Zedekiah the king commanded that
they should commit Jeremiah to the court of the prison,
and that they should give him daily a piece of bread from the bakers’ street,
until all the bread in the city was gone.
Thus, Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison”
a) The king understood what Jeremiah meant.
b) He gave a command:
i) Jeremiah was to be kept in the court of the prison.
ii) He would also be given a piece of bread a day until the supply is gone.
iii) There was a severe shortage of food because of the siege.
c) Thus. Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.