Zedekiah: A King Fit for the People From the Prophet Jeremiah Introduction 1. Imagine having your entire existence summed up with these words: “Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD. And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD God of Israel.” 2 Chronicles 36:11-13, NKJV. 2. By all rights, Zedekiah should have never been king. He should really be one of those names in 1 Chronicles that nobody knows. a) What chance does the third son of a king have at the throne? With two brothers, and at least one nephew ahead of you? b) He only became king because a foreign invader needed a puppet on the throne. 3. Contrast him with Jeremiah a) A man who had been preaching and prophesying for thirty years. b) Many of his prophecies had already come to pass. c) And yet, Zedekiah, at twenty-one years old, refused to listen to Jeremiah. 4. That says a lot! 5. In many ways, Zedekiah is the embodiment of all that was wrong in Judah. His character validates God’s decision to destroy Jerusalem and punish His children. 6. While it might be easy to cast reproach, taunt, and curse the wicked King, it is far more profitable to look at his life with the humble attitude that asks, “Is it I? Discussion I. Zedekiah and Jeremiah A. Shortly after Zedekiah became king, Jeremiah was given a vision from God announcing the fate of the new king and his realm. (Jeremiah 24) 1. He saw a vision of two baskets of figs. One had very good figs and the other had very bad figs. 2. God said the good figs represented those who had been carried away captive and the bad figs were the people who had been left in the land. 3. God also said He would give up Zedekiah and those who remained in the land to “sword, famine, and pestilence” until they were consumed. B. It seems likely that around this same time Jeremiah sent a letter to the captives in Babylon telling them to settle in for a long captivity. (Jeremiah 29) 1. He said they should build houses, plant gardens, have families, and even pray for peace in Babylon. 2. He warned them not listen to the false prophets who were saying that the captivity would be over shortly. C. In the fourth year of Zedekiah’s reign, Jeremiah warned Zedekiah and the kings of the surrounding nations not to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar, but to “put their necks under his yoke. (Jeremiah 27) 1. Jeremiah made bonds and yokes for himself and sent them to the kings of the surrounding nations via messengers who had come to visit Zedekiah. a) It is likely that these were ambassadors who had come to discuss a rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar. b) We know for certain that Zedekiah had reached out to Egypt seeking an alliance against Nebuchadnezzar. (Ezekiel 17:11-21) 2. God through Jeremiah assured these kings that He is the true power behind Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest. Therefore, it was senseless to rebel. 3. Jeremiah encouraged the neighboring kings to submit to Nebuchadnezzar. a) If they would do so, they could continue living in their lands. b) If they rebelled, God would punish them with sword, famine, and pestilence until they were consumed from the land. (Jeremiah 27:8) 4. Jeremiah told Zedekiah that he, too, must serve Nebuchadnezzar or die. 5. Jeremiah even spoke to the priests of Judah. a) They must not listen to the prophets who lie saying that the articles of the temple taken by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:13) would be returned. b) Instead, they ought to pray that he won’t come back and take the rest. D. Jeremiah’s prophecy led to open conflict with a false prophet. (Jeremiah 28) 1. Hananiah, claiming to speak for God, confronted Jeremiah in the temple. 2. He said that within two years Judah would no longer serve Nebuchadnezzar and that the vessels of the temple would be returned. 3. Jeremiah said he wished it were true, but Hananiah’s message wasn’t from God. He said the true message from God would be the one that came to pass. 4. Hananiah attacked Jeremiah and broke the yoke he was wearing, and Jeremiah left. 5. Later, at God’s direction, Jeremiah returned saying that even though Hananiah had broken the wooden yoke it would be replaced with one made of iron, and that Hananiah would be dead within a year. 6. Two months later, Hananiah was dead. E. Also in the fourth year of Zedekiah, Jeremiah sent a prophecy to the city of Babylon announcing that it would be destroyed forever. (Jeremiah 51:59-64) F. In spite of all this, Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar quickly answered the rebellion by launching a massive campaign against the tiny kingdom of Judah. (2 Kings 24:20-25:11) 1. This time Nebuchadnezzar brought the full force of his army down upon the rebellious nation. (Jeremiah 34:1) 2. Nebuchadnezzar surrounded Jerusalem and began to systematically conquer the fortified cities of Judah. (Jeremiah 34:7) G. Zedekiah sent messengers to Jeremiah hoping for a miracle. (Jeremiah 21) 1. There would be no divine reprieve for Jerusalem as there had been in the days of Hezekiah. (2 Kings 19:35-36) 2. Instead God announced that any defense of the city would be useless, because He is the one who fights against Jerusalem. (Vss. 4-5) 3. Zedekiah would be delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and the city would be burned. 4. The only hope offered is to individuals who were willing to surrender. (Vs. 9) 5. Zedekiah was seeking divine intervention while actively rebelling against God and foolishly relying on help from Egypt. H. Later during the siege, God sent Jeremiah to Zedekiah warning him that there would be no escape. (Jeremiah 34:1-7) 1. Instead of escaping, Zedekiah would have a face-to-face meeting with Nebuchadnezzar. 2. Jeremiah also told Zedekiah he would not die in battle, but in peace. (Vss. 4-5) I. It seems that during the early days of the siege Zedekiah issued a decree to free all the Hebrew slaves. All the people initially obeyed the decree and then something happened to make them change their minds. (Jeremiah 34:8-22) 1. Maybe this was done in an effort to entreat God’s favor. God did say it was the right thing to do. (Vs. 15) 2. What may have happened to change everyone’s mind was a sudden withdrawal of Nebuchadnezzar’s army. a) The Babylonian army left the siege to fight an Egyptian invasion. (Jeremiah 37:5, 11) b) This was probably the result of an alliance forged by Zedekiah with the Egyptian Pharaoh Hophra. (Ezekiel 17:11-21) 3. Jeremiah rebuked the people for breaking their covenant with the freed slaves. 4. God told them that Nebuchadnezzar would be returning soon to burn the city with fire and remove its inhabitants. J. During this same time, Zedekiah sent messengers to Jeremiah asking the prophet to pray for Judah. (Jeremiah 37:1-10) 1. God had actually forbidden Jeremiah from doing so. (Jeremiah 7:16) 2. Instead, he sent Zedekiah a message of doom. a) Nebuchadnezzar was going to return. b) There was no saving the city. Even if only the wounded were left among the Babylonians, they would rise up and take the city. K. While Nebuchadnezzar’s forces were withdrawn, Jeremiah tried to go claim some property in the land of Benjamin, but was arrested and imprisoned for attempting to defect. (Jeremiah 37:11-15) 1. At some time while in prison, Jeremiah actually bought a piece of land in his hometown of Anathoth from his uncle Hanamel. (Jeremiah 32:1-15) 2. It’s difficult to know the chronology of these two events. a) Did Jeremiah buy the land, and then try to go see it? b) Did Jeremiah try to go see the land first, and later decide to buy it unseen? c) Are the two events even related? 3. The point of the land purchase was to show that the remnant would return. (Jeremiah 32:15, 36-44) 4. For our purposes, it’s interesting to note that it was the princes who had Jeremiah imprisoned, not Zedekiah. (Jeremiah 37:14-15) L. While Jeremiah was in prison, Zedekiah arranged a secret meeting with him to ask if there was any word from God. (Jeremiah 37:16-21) 1. Jeremiah assured him that there was a word from God. 2. It was the same one Zedekiah had been hearing since the beginning. 3. The indecisive king seemed to expect God to be just as fickle as he was. M. A short time after this, Jeremiah’s enemies made a move to silence his preaching for good. (Jeremiah 38:1-13) 1. Jeremiah was preaching the same message to the people that he had proclaimed before Zedekiah. a) The city was doomed. b) The only hope was to defect to the Babylonians. 2. His enemies accused him of treason and petitioned the king to execute him. 3. Zedekiah claimed that he could not stand against the princes and that they should do with him as they pleased.