SUNDAY, 12 MAY 2024
TEXT:
Jeremiah 37:11-21
11:
After the Babylonian army had withdrawn from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s
army,
12:
Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the territory of Benjamin to get
his share of the property among the people there.
13:
But when he reached the Benjamin Gate, the captain of the guard, whose name was
Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, arrested him and said, “You are
deserting to the Babylonians!”
14:
“That’s not true!” Jeremiah said. “I am not deserting to the Babylonians.” But
Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and brought him
to the officials.
15:
They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten and imprisoned in the house of
Jonathan the secretary, which they had made into a prison.
16:
Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long
time.
17:
Then King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to the palace, where he
asked him privately, “Is there any word from the Lord?” “Yes,” Jeremiah
replied, “you will be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon.”
18:
Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What crime have I committed against you
or your attendants or this people, that you have put me in prison?
19:
Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, ‘The king of Babylon will not
attack you or this land’?
20:
But now, my lord the king, please listen. Let me bring my petition before you:
Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I will die
there.”
21:
King Zedekiah then gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of
the guard and given a loaf of bread from the street of the bakers each day until
all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of
the guard.
(New International Version Holy
Bible)
TOPIC:
JEREMIAH IS IMPRISONED
Zedekiah
was the last king of Judah. He was imposed by king Nebuchadnezzar to replace
King Jehoiakim. He entered into an unholy alliance with Nebuchadnezzar but
later rebelled against him.
Unfortunately,
his successor, Jehoiachin, continued with the same evil reign but lasted only
three months on the throne as Nebuchadnezzar removed him and installed Zedekiah
to carry out the bidding of Judah's foreign master - Babylon.
But
Jeremiah's prophecy clearly showed that he would "be handed over to the
king of Babylon" (vs 17). This meant that King Zedekiah's days were
numbered as he was due for judgment.
Although
Jeremiah was eventually moved from the dungeon - prison, the king ordered him
to be placed under house arrest in the courtyard of the guard where he was
served bread from the street like a common criminal.
Even
if you are suffering because you refused to compromise the truth, don't give
up.
QUESTION:
Have you ever found yourself in the kind of situation Jeremiah was in today's
text?
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, give me the strength and courage not to compromise on righteousness
and truth, no matter the circumstances, in Jesus name. Amen.
Remain
Blessed
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