Truth Always Brings Persecution
Chapter 37
Zedekiah hopes for Jeremiah’s support
1. Now King Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
2. But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land gave heed to the words of the LORD which He spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.
3. And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "Pray now to the LORD our God for us."
4. Now Jeremiah was coming and going among the people, for they had not yet put him in prison.
5. Then Pharaoh's army came up from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they departed from Jerusalem.
6. Then the word of the LORD came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
7. "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Thus you shall say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: "Behold, Pharaoh's army which has come up to help you will return to Egypt, to their own land.
8. And the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city, and take it and burn it with fire." '
9. Thus says the LORD: 'Do not deceive yourselves, saying, "The Chaldeans will surely depart from us," for they will not depart.
10. For though you had defeated the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained only wounded men among them, they would rise up, every man in his tent, and burn the city with fire.' "
We have sometimes referred to the son of Jehoiakim as Jehoiachin, whereas Jeremiah usually gives his other name, Jeconiah, and shortens it to Coniah. He follows the word of the Lord, Who in chapter 22:24, dropped the prefix “Je” from his name, by way of reproach, for the Je signified Jah or Jehovah. The entire name meant the Lord will establish, but Jeremiah saw nothing of God´s establishment in the life or reign of Jeconiah. He and the Lord, both, called him Coniah.
In 2 Chronicles 36:9, it states that Jehoiachin or Jeconiah became king at eight years of age, while 2 Kings 24:8 said that he was 18. Some think that the writer of the Chronicles made a mistake, concerning his age. Others think that his father took him as a boy at eight years of age to join in the kingdom, in order to prepare him for his future reign. I would prefer to believe that opinion, as the reason for the discrepancy in these two accounts, rather than easily conclude that there is a mistake in the writing. What we know for sure, is that he reigned by himself for only three months. By the time that he was 18, he had ample time to develop evil tendencies in his life. By that age, he had wives (2 K.24:15) and the chronicles of the kings show that he had offspring (1 Chr.3:16).
I am trying to avoid, as much as possible, the chronology of this book, because it is extremely complicated. I am trying to concentrate on the content of the messages and prophecies. However, at times, it becomes necessary to refer to the different kings, during which reign Jeremiah prophesied. After the interjection of chapters 35 and 36 from the account of the earlier reign of Jehoiakim, chapter 37 continues from chapter 34 in the time of the reign of Zedekiah. Nebuchadnezzar took Jeconiah away to Babylon after three months and ten days, replaced him with his uncle, Mattaniah, and changed his name to Zedekiah (1). At 21 years of age, he is the third son of Josiah to reign in Judah and is of the royal line of David. He rebelled against the Babylonian emperor and, in so doing, broke his oath that he made before the true God (2 Ch.36:13), when he swore loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar.
The history in 2 Chronicles 36:12 records “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.” There we have the background for this chapter. The book of Jeremiah records further that neither he, those in his government, nor the common people paid attention to His word (2).
Twice, King Zedekiah sends two men to Jeremiah, asking that he inquire of the Lord concerning the Babylonian threat. This is actually the first time and he sends Jehucal and Zephaniah (3). Soon afterwards he sends Pashur and, again, Zephaniah in chapter 21. Zephaniah is identified as the son of Maaseiah, the priest. When Jerusalem and King Zedekiah fell to Nebuchadnezzar, Zephaniah was the second ranking priest in the land, and he, along with the chief priest, Seraiah, and others, were put to death (Jer.52:27).
As the book progresses, we will see a degree of respect in Zedekiah for the prophet and the word of the Lord. It is not enough to “give heed,” but at least, he desires prayer from Jeremiah. He is not as fanatically opposed to His word, as we observed in the last chapter from Jehoiakim.
This chapter concerns Jeremiah´s imprisonment, but in verse 4, it declares that he is still free. The Chaldeans were besieging Jerusalem, but break the siege, when they receive news that Pharaoh and the Egyptians were approaching (5). Jeremiah receives a word from the Lord, in reply to the king´s request. A prophet speaks upon hearing from God, not before or afterwards (6).
The word from the Lord shows that relief from the siege was not permanent. The Egyptian assistance to Israel was by no means whole-hearted and the army returned to Egypt (7). There is no permanent escape from the righteous judgment of God, except through timely repentance. Nebuchadnezzar carried the Lord’s disciplinary sword, so the Babylonian army returned to Jerusalem. Fire will burn throughout its precincts (8).
The devil understands the effectiveness of a lie and it is the tool that trademarks his kingdom. Jesus taught, “There is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (Jn.8:44). The Bible sees the ease and false comfort that deception brings and therefore gives ample warning. Jesus also foretold that there will be a deluge of deception, as we approach the end of time. “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying ‘I am” (Lk.21:8...He is not in the Greek). Paul warned that Christianity will not cover the continued practice of sin: “Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, or covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Co.6:9). All this advice was given to ward off deception.
The apostle covered all the bases in a general statement: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Gal.6:7). Sin is not only attractive, but also is deceptive. A veteran Christian, like the writer of Hebrews, knows that it feigns legitimacy and reasonableness. I am impressed with the extreme measures that he advises the Christian to take, in order to overcome its lies: “Exhort one another DAILY… lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:13). God’s truth will never be popular, but it is the only freedom from the deception of sin: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn.8:31,32).
I declared a divine principle earlier, when I mentioned that there is no escape from God’s righteous judgment, except through repentance. In verse 10, the Lord emphatically confirms the principle. He states hypothetically, that even if Judah would defeat the Chaldeans, He will not fail to execute His judgment. If the enemy soldiers were slaughtered and only wounded remained, “they would rise up, every man in his tent, and burn the city with fire.” He takes the point to that extreme, to show that His sentence will prevail, without fail.
Jeremiah Imprisoned
11. And it happened, when the army of the Chaldeans left the siege of Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army,
12. that Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin to claim his property there among the people.
13. And when he was in the Gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard was there whose name was Irijah the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "You are defecting to the Chaldeans!"
14. Then Jeremiah said, "False! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans." But he did not listen to him. So Irijah seized Jeremiah and brought him to the princes.
15. Therefore the princes were angry with Jeremiah, and they struck him and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe. For they had made that the prison.
16. When Jeremiah entered the dungeon and the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days,
17. then Zedekiah the king sent and took him out. The king asked him secretly in his house, and said, "Is there any word from the LORD?" And Jeremiah said, "There is." Then he said, "You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon!"
18. Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, "What offense have I committed against you, against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?
19. Where now are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, 'The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land?'
20. Therefore please hear now, O my lord the king. Please, let my petition be accepted before you, and do not make me return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there."
21. Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah to the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread from the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
Due to Jeremiah’s unyielding position, his chief enemies, like the Pharisees in Jesus’ time, waited for opportunity to arrest him. The chance came, when Jeremiah took advantage of the short withdrawal of the Chaldean siege (11) and went to his native, priestly city of Anathoth. He perhaps thought that there was nothing more that he could do in Jerusalem. His city lay to the north of Jerusalem in Benjamin territory. Because of the siege, food was in short supply, and Jeremiah was not the only one, who was looking to replenish his supplies. He intended to go to his property in Anathoth, perhaps that, which he purchased from a relative, as we learned in an earlier chapter (12).
We already learned in chapter 11 (verses 19-23) that Jeremiah had enemies in Anathoth, so he must take care, going in that direction with others of that city. In verse 13, he is confronted by a soldier, a captain of the guard, named Irijah, at the Benjamin Gate in Jerusalem, exiting towards his city. We know something of Irijah’s family. His grandfather, Hananiah, was a false prophet, who predicted that the Babylonian yoke would be removed after only two years (ch.28:11). He died at the hand of the Lord two months later (28:17).
The captain accused Jeremiah of an escape to defect to the Chaldeans, not a reasonable charge, because their army was nowhere to be found in the area. Jeremiah was going out the Benjamin Gate towards Anathoth, and I imagine that Babylonians would be heading south to meet the Egyptians. Of course, Jeremiah denied the charge (14). Truth was not, for which the captain is looking, but any occasion, which would serve to imprison the prophet. Jeremiah was accused of defecting to the Babylonians, but Jesus, let me remind you, was accused of serving Beelzebub (Lk.11:15) and He informed His disciples that they would receive similar accusations. “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!” (Mt.10:25). It continues to be a tactic of enemies, against those who simply and humbly will serve the Lord, to accuse them of joining with the enemy.
Jeremiah’s denial is irrelevant to Irijah, since he has found a reason, however false, to arrest the prophet. He brings him before the princes, that is, the judges. These are not the same noblemen, friends of Jeremiah, of the last chapter or of chapter 26:16. Time has gone by, since they played their role in the story, but these are dangerous men. Even the king fears them, as we will see in the next chapter.
The princes angrily beat Jeremiah and threw him into prison. The house of a man named Jonathan, a high-ranking scribe or secretary (15), was adequate for the purpose, and they turned it, or part of it, into a prison. Jeremiah was there for a long time (16). We see a measure of sincerity in King Zedekiah, as he took him out of prison and counselled with him in his house. It’s a secret meeting and the king asked for a word from the Lord. It may be that wicked officials in the kingdom are controlling Zedekiah and are part of the reason that he does not follow the Lord’s word. He is too weak, as a king, to overcome them, but he does hold a certain esteem for God’s prophet. We remember that Pilate wanted to free Jesus, but it was not politically feasible (Jn.19:12).
To yield to mob influence or to powerful men, is not enough reason to stand against Almighty God. Zedekiah is hoping for a more hopeful word from heaven for himself and his people, but according to the terms upon which he stands, God’s judgment and sentence are not diminished. Jeremiah says, “Yes, there is a word from the Lord. You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon!” (17).
As God’s mouthpiece, Jeremiah’s imprisonment is one piece of evidence against the godlessness of the land. Back in chapter 26:16, in the reign of Jehoiakim, the princes and elders defended the prophet and told how Micah spoke of coming disaster in the time of King Hezekiah. In 26:19, they asked, “Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah ever put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and seek the Lord’s favor? And the Lord relented concerning the doom which He had pronounced against them. But we are doing great evil against ourselves.” One man, in particular, “Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death” (26:24). Where is there one man now in Zedekiah's time?
There is no greater offense to God than the injustice shown to His servants. Paul told the Thessalonians (2 Th.1:6), “It is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you.” Jeremiah testifies of the injustice of having flogged him and put him into prison (18). The false prophets, who prophesied peace, have already been disproven, as Nebuchadnezzar has carried captives to Babylon, including the former king, Jeconiah. It seems that the more evidence that is stacked against the false prophets and princes, the more stubbornly they harden themselves against the word of the Lord (19).
Jeremiah petitions the king that he would, at least, undo the wrong that had been done to him (20). Zedekiah moves in the typical fashion that marks his compromising character. He does enough for the prophet to lighten his load, but not enough to anger the princes. Jeremiah should have been released and made, like Joseph, a counsellor in the kingdom, but he only lets the prophet out of the prison and into the court. He rations him with a piece of bread a day. How brave and generous! (21)
I think of Gamaliel, who very prudently and shrewdly argued before the Jewish council to spare the apostles’ life… we have to give him some credit for that. But then, he sits with the rest, and observes while they are beaten, probably with 39 stripes. He is hardly staunchly committed to the purposes of God! A staunch defender of the righteousness of God, with a heart that burned with a zeal for justice, would have stood between the apostles and their tormentors, saying, “If you are going to beat these men, you will have to beat me first!”
A political mindset like Zedekiah and Gamaliel’s will store up the wrath of God against the day of judgment, which is soon to come. We will cover later the story of how the Lord’s wrath fell upon King Zedekiah. At this point, we will only briefly refer to the day, when the king’s sons were killed before his eyes, his eyes were removed and he was taken away to Babylon for the rest of his life.
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