Daily Devotions
Jeremiah
"If you surely surrender to the king"
Text: Jeremiah 38:17
THE CLEAR ADVICE OF JEREMIAH
Zedekiah was deeply distressed. On the one hand, there were princes who were determined to resist Babylon. On the other hand, Zedekiah knew that Babylon was too strong to resist. He wanted Jeremiah to give him a clear word of advice.
“Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah,
‘Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel:
‘If you surely surrender to the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul shall live;
this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live.
But if you do not surrender to the king of Babylon’s princes,
then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans;
they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand.'”
Jeremiah 38:17-18
1. “Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel:
‘If you surely surrender to the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul shall live;
this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live””
a) Jeremiah presented the first option to king Zedekiah.
b) This word was from the LORD God of Israel.
i) If Zedekiah surrendered to the king of Babylon, he will be spared;
his soul shall live.
ii) The city of Jerusalem may be spared from being gutted by fire.
iii) Zedekiah and his family would be spared.
iv) This may not seem to be a great option at all.
2. “But if you do not surrender to the king of Babylon’s princes,
then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans;
they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand.”
a) The second option was presented as clearly to king Zedekiah.
b) Features of the second option:
i) If Zedekiah refused to surrender to the king of Babylon and his princes,
the city of Jerusalem would be captured.
ii) The Babylonians would burn down the city.
iii) Zedekiah would not be able to escape from the king of Babylon.
iv) He would be taken into custody by the king and his princes.
v) This is an even worse option than the first one.