November 25, 2011
Jeremiah 38:19 - "Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I'm afraid of some Jews who have already gone over to the side of the Babylonian army. If the Babylonians hand me over to them, they will treat me badly."
This verse just really took hold of my attention when I read it two days ago... and it didn't let go. I already had two words underlined—"I'm afraid"—with a note written in my margins that said,
Jeremiah was warning Zedekiah (and all the people) over and over again what God was going to do. In Jeremiah 38:2 it says the officers were complaining about what Jeremiah was saying. Surrender—live. Try to fight against God's words and His will—death. (See Jeremiah 24 - The Good Figs and the Bad Figs.) Jeremiah was still imprisoned in the courtyard (Jeremiah 33). The officers accused Jeremiah of undermining the morale of the people. So they threw him in an empty well and he was stuck in the mire until Ebed-Melech rescued him.
Zedekiah summons for him and wants to know once again what the LORD says. Jeremiah tells him again: If you surrender—you will live; Jerusalem will not be lost; and your family will be spared. If you refuse to surrender—Jerusalem will be destroyed; you will be captured; and your family destroyed. (See Jeremiah 52:10,11) And Zedekiah's response is, "I'm afraid" of some Jews who have already gone over (surrendered) to the side of the Babylonian army." What?? Why on earth would it be the fear of facing his own people that made Zedekiah too fearful to surrender to God's will? Why was the fear of his own people greater than the fear of the Babylonians?
Oh, I see what you are saying God. Now I get it. He was king. He was used to having all the power and being in control. He wasn't afraid of an enemy stripping him of his power. No, he was afraid of his own people seeing him stripped of his power. Pride—with a capital "I" in the middle. The KJV says he was afraid of being mocked. He was willing to risk everything, his life, the city of Jerusalem, and even his family, to avoid the humiliation of his people seeing him as Zedekiah (the man) instead of Zedekiah (the King). He could not face the possibility of others seeing the "true" him, so he risked it all, and lost it all.
Oh, this clarifies so much. Light bulb moment. Zedekiah was blinded by pride and blinded by fear. The same thing that blinds people today. Sadly, one reason someone is "afraid" of letting others see them for who they truly are is often because they themselves are afraid to face the truth and deal with who they are. The worst deceit of all is when we deceive ourselves. How sad to not clearly understand who you are in God's eyes, and that He loves you just as you are. The true you. There is rest, peace, and contentment in that knowledge, and it all comes from surrendering your life to His. Without total surrender comes fear, pride, anxiety, restlessness, the need to try and prove you are the best, the need for power and control, revenge, selfishness, and the list goes on and on.
Jeremiah warned them over and over but many did not "get it."
Jeremiah 5:21–22 - "Hear this message, you foolish people who have no sense. They have eyes, but don't really see. They have ears, but they don't really listen. Surely you are afraid of me," says the LORD. "You should shake with fear in my presence. I am the one who made the beaches to be a border for the sea, a border the water cannot go past. The waves may pound the beach, but they can't win over it. They may roar, but they cannot go beyond it."
Isaiah 44:18 - "Those people don't know what they are doing. They don't understand! It is as if their eyes are covered so they can't see. Their minds don't understand."
Proverbs 4:19 - "But the wicked walk around in the dark; they can't even see what makes them stumble."
Addendum: 8/11/15 ~ When I read Jeremiah 38 today, what stuck out to me was that the very thing Zedekiah was afraid of (his own people seeing him stripped of his power) is exactly what Jeremiah told him would happen IF he didn't surrender. "If you refuse to surrender... the LORD has shown me what will happen... your women will make fun of you..." The very thing Zedekiah feared would happen IF he surrendered was guaranteed to happen if he didn't surrender and yet he still could not (and would not) let go of his need to be in control—his pride. He risked everything hoping that somehow everything would work out in his favor. He forged ahead in his stubbornness, following his OWN wishes, his OWN thoughts, his OWN desires, his OWN plans.
What we are afraid of is what controls us. God calls us to surrender ALL. Whatever we refuse to relinquish and surrender becomes the very thing we will have to face, on our own, and without God's help. Oh, how much better it is to surrender ALL and to follow HIS footpath than to insist on going our own way.
The other thing I noticed today is the very last verse of Jeremiah 38. "So Jeremiah stayed under guard in the courtyard of the guard UNTIL the day Jerusalem was captured." What God told Jeremiah was going to happen—happened.
When it is over—it is over. The day will come. "The storm" will end.
Next Entry: Jeremiah 39:1–18
Jeremiah 38:19 - "Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I'm afraid of some Jews who have already gone over to the side of the Babylonian army. If the Babylonians hand me over to them, they will treat me badly."
This verse just really took hold of my attention when I read it two days ago... and it didn't let go. I already had two words underlined—"I'm afraid"—with a note written in my margins that said,
"It was fear that kept the king from surrendering. Fear drives the need for power and control. It is when we finally surrender that we become free from the bondage of fear. To die to self is to gain freedom and life—literally."I got that Zedekiah was afraid. What I totally missed in all the other times I have read this verse is who he was afraid of. I read and re-read the verse. What does this mean God? Zedekiah says he is afraid of the Jews! Why would he be afraid of the Jews? His own people! Why? I don't get this.
Jeremiah was warning Zedekiah (and all the people) over and over again what God was going to do. In Jeremiah 38:2 it says the officers were complaining about what Jeremiah was saying. Surrender—live. Try to fight against God's words and His will—death. (See Jeremiah 24 - The Good Figs and the Bad Figs.) Jeremiah was still imprisoned in the courtyard (Jeremiah 33). The officers accused Jeremiah of undermining the morale of the people. So they threw him in an empty well and he was stuck in the mire until Ebed-Melech rescued him.
Zedekiah summons for him and wants to know once again what the LORD says. Jeremiah tells him again: If you surrender—you will live; Jerusalem will not be lost; and your family will be spared. If you refuse to surrender—Jerusalem will be destroyed; you will be captured; and your family destroyed. (See Jeremiah 52:10,11) And Zedekiah's response is, "I'm afraid" of some Jews who have already gone over (surrendered) to the side of the Babylonian army." What?? Why on earth would it be the fear of facing his own people that made Zedekiah too fearful to surrender to God's will? Why was the fear of his own people greater than the fear of the Babylonians?
Oh, I see what you are saying God. Now I get it. He was king. He was used to having all the power and being in control. He wasn't afraid of an enemy stripping him of his power. No, he was afraid of his own people seeing him stripped of his power. Pride—with a capital "I" in the middle. The KJV says he was afraid of being mocked. He was willing to risk everything, his life, the city of Jerusalem, and even his family, to avoid the humiliation of his people seeing him as Zedekiah (the man) instead of Zedekiah (the King). He could not face the possibility of others seeing the "true" him, so he risked it all, and lost it all.
Oh, this clarifies so much. Light bulb moment. Zedekiah was blinded by pride and blinded by fear. The same thing that blinds people today. Sadly, one reason someone is "afraid" of letting others see them for who they truly are is often because they themselves are afraid to face the truth and deal with who they are. The worst deceit of all is when we deceive ourselves. How sad to not clearly understand who you are in God's eyes, and that He loves you just as you are. The true you. There is rest, peace, and contentment in that knowledge, and it all comes from surrendering your life to His. Without total surrender comes fear, pride, anxiety, restlessness, the need to try and prove you are the best, the need for power and control, revenge, selfishness, and the list goes on and on.
Jeremiah warned them over and over but many did not "get it."
Jeremiah 5:21–22 - "Hear this message, you foolish people who have no sense. They have eyes, but don't really see. They have ears, but they don't really listen. Surely you are afraid of me," says the LORD. "You should shake with fear in my presence. I am the one who made the beaches to be a border for the sea, a border the water cannot go past. The waves may pound the beach, but they can't win over it. They may roar, but they cannot go beyond it."
Isaiah 44:18 - "Those people don't know what they are doing. They don't understand! It is as if their eyes are covered so they can't see. Their minds don't understand."
Proverbs 4:19 - "But the wicked walk around in the dark; they can't even see what makes them stumble."
Addendum: 8/11/15 ~ When I read Jeremiah 38 today, what stuck out to me was that the very thing Zedekiah was afraid of (his own people seeing him stripped of his power) is exactly what Jeremiah told him would happen IF he didn't surrender. "If you refuse to surrender... the LORD has shown me what will happen... your women will make fun of you..." The very thing Zedekiah feared would happen IF he surrendered was guaranteed to happen if he didn't surrender and yet he still could not (and would not) let go of his need to be in control—his pride. He risked everything hoping that somehow everything would work out in his favor. He forged ahead in his stubbornness, following his OWN wishes, his OWN thoughts, his OWN desires, his OWN plans.
What we are afraid of is what controls us. God calls us to surrender ALL. Whatever we refuse to relinquish and surrender becomes the very thing we will have to face, on our own, and without God's help. Oh, how much better it is to surrender ALL and to follow HIS footpath than to insist on going our own way.
The other thing I noticed today is the very last verse of Jeremiah 38. "So Jeremiah stayed under guard in the courtyard of the guard UNTIL the day Jerusalem was captured." What God told Jeremiah was going to happen—happened.
When it is over—it is over. The day will come. "The storm" will end.
Next Entry: Jeremiah 39:1–18
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