The Fear of Zedekiah

In the days of the prophet Jeremiah, the last king of Judah before the third and final Babylonian captivity was Zedekiah the son of Josiah. Zedekiah did not follow the word of the Lord, and ultimately his and the remainder of Judah and Jerusalem’s fate was in his hand for bad because he was disobedient to God’s word by Jeremiah (Jer. 32:1-5; Jer. 34:2). The point I would like to make about him today is that he actually DID BELIEVE that God’s word was with Jeremiah, but he wouldn’t obey it because he feared man more than he feared God (Jer. 38:19:24). Mind you, Zedekiah had a host of prophets that told him what he wanted to hear, who prophesied of peace, prosperity and security (Jer. 6:13,14; Jer. 8:10,11). Nonetheless, when push came to shove, Zedekiah proved that he knew Jeremiah was the ONE prophet who was telling the truth. He called for Jeremiah to be brought to him to tell him the word of the Lord several times, and he sent to him for prayer as well (Jer. 37:17; Jer. 38:14; Jer. 37:3). Yet when he was put in the position of choosing to uphold Jeremiah and do God’s word that was given by Jeremiah, or giving in to the will of those around him, he was not able to trust God and do the right thing (Jer. 38:4,5). The end of this ongoing dilemma was that Jerusalem and God’s temple was burned with fire even as Jeremiah had said would happen, and Zedekiah’s eyes were put out by the king of Babylon’s servants, only AFTER his sons were put to death before his eyes as his last visual memory. He also was taken prisoner into Babylon to live out his life with the regret and memory of his fears, his choices, and the consequences of it all (Jer. 39:5-8). So even though Zedekiah knew that Jeremiah was speaking for God, and that the other prophets were not, it did him no good because he simply did not LOVE the truth, and therefore did not DO the truth. He rather chose to love, or prefer the honor of men and this present life.

While this is one of the more graphic examples in the Bible of this spiritual malady, it certainly is not the only one. In fact this has been a recurring theme among God’s people from ancient times, throughout the Bible, and unto this present day. Jesus addressed it plainly with the religious elite among God’s people in his day: “I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you… How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” (Jn. 5:41,42,44). The scripture plainly tells us that there were many who believed on Jesus, but were afraid to confess him openly for fear of the religious hierarchy, and no doubt of their own friends and families as well (Jn. 12:42). But do we actually even BELIEVE the scriptures, or do we believe that the spiritual principles shown by the scriptures, both for good and for bad; ceased with the scriptures being written? I can tell you my friend that nothing at all has changed at any time. Not ever. All things are exactly as they have always been, and that certainly includes today. Anyone who has received God’s word from heaven as Jeremiah did, and is broadcasting it in unmixed pureness; is as rare in the body of Christ as Jeremiah was in Judah [There was one other prophet who spoke as Jeremiah, but he was killed by a king before Zedekiah - Jer. 26:20-23]. Nonetheless there are some who recognize the truth for what it is when it comes their way, and they recognize that it is unheard of in the body of Christ today. But like Zedekiah, most who recognize the real word of God for what it is, are too worried about what everyone else will think about them, or do about them, if they commit to it wholly. But as Judah and Jerusalem were approaching the end of their kingdom in the time of Jeremiah, so are we approaching the end of this age.

As the things that are written which will finish the age play out, there is one very sobering warning of the scriptures that should be examined and heeded by all who hope to inherit eternal life: “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (II Thess. 2:8-12). But on the other hand, there were a couple of men in Jerusalem who showed open support for Jeremiah, and were a help to him in his work. Things worked out very differently for them, as well as for Jeremiah, as opposed to everyone else who disbelieved the truth; when the end of Jerusalem came (Jer. 38:7-13; Jer. 39:16-18; Jer. 36:4-32; Jer. 45:1-5; Jer. 39:11,12). So the evident conclusion of all these things is even as Peter told us: “For the time is come that judgment must BEGIN AT the house of God: and if it first begin at US, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (I Pet. 4:17-19; I Pet. 2:5; Heb. 3:6; Eph. 2:20-22). It’s certain that judgment is coming my friend, and it is equally as certain that it will begin with God’s own people as Peter stated. The question is, are we willing to suffer the reproach of men in order to be identified with God’s word of truth; and be found on the right side of his judgment, and rewarded accordingly? Amen.