Reading: Jeremiah 26-28
I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. For I have not sent them, saith the Lord, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you (Jer. 27:12-15).
Often, what God would have us do is not what we want to do. There are times when it might not even seem sensible, and other times when our fallible human reasoning will tell us it’s the absolutely wrong action. Such would undoubtedly have been the case when Jeremiah brought God’s proclamation to Zedekiah and the neighboring kingdoms' representatives gathered to discuss the growing Babylonian threat. I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him (Jer. 27:5-7).
Yielding to Babylon was the last thing any of those men desired to do. They had come together to discuss alliance strategies, not surrender. All of their various ‘holy’ men were telling them the same thing, ye shall not serve the king of Babylon. Jeremiah’s words flew in the face of what they believed reasonable and true. For Zedekiah, Jeremiah’s proclamation was even more troubling. Why would God counsel him to do something that would ruin him professionally, socially, and financially? Had Zedekiah taken Jeremiah’s message and examined it in the light of God’s recorded Word and prophetic record, the truth would have been revealed to him. Instead, he viewed it through the filter of the then-current worldly standards. In that light, Jeremiah’s message fell far short of society’s ‘rational and reasonable’ test. Zedekiah ignored it, choosing instead to believe Hananiah's much more palatable message. Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon (28:2).
Discerning the path God would have us take when faced with a complicated or troublesome situation is rarely easy. It gets even more challenging when we are being inundated on all sides by ‘helpful Christian advice,’ especially when not all advisors agree. Add in societal pressure, and the choices can become overwhelming. In those situations, we need to remember that it doesn’t matter what we feel would be easiest to do, what our friends and family want us to do, or what the world says we should do. It only matters what God is telling us to do. If we examine our options through the filter of His Word and pray with an open heart, He will highlight the way.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths(Prov. 3:5-6).
Thought For TodayGod’s Word is neither optimistic nor pessimistic; it is the truth, and He is the only one we can rely on to tell it.
Christ Portrayed: By Jeremiah, who was falsely accused by the priests and the false prophets (Jer. 26:8-9). Our Lord was also threatened and falsely accused by the religious rulers of His day.
Word Studies: 26:14 meet = right; 27:19 the sea = the bronze laver at which the priests cleansed their hands and feet before entering the Temple; residue = remainder.
Pray For Government Officials: Sen Jon Tester (MT) • Country: Anguilla (16,086) Caribbean • Major Language: English • Religious Freedom • 83.1% Protestant; 5.7% Roman Catholic; 1.7% Other Christian; 5.2% Other; 4.3% None/Unspecified • Prayer Suggestion: Delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart (Ps. 37:4).
Optional Reading: I John 3