Chapter 36—The Last King of Judah
Zedekiah at the beginning of his reign was trusted fully by the king
of Babylon and had as a tried counselor the prophet Jeremiah. By
pursuing an honorable course toward the Babylonians and by paying
heed to the messages from the Lord through Jeremiah, he could have
kept the respect of many in high authority and have had opportunity to
communicate to them a knowledge of the true God. Thus the captive
exiles already in Babylon would have been placed on vantage ground
and granted many liberties; the name of God would have been honored
far and wide; and those that remained in the land of Judah would have
been spared the terrible calamities that finally came upon them.
Through Jeremiah, Zedekiah and all Judah, including those taken
to Babylon, were counseled to submit quietly to the temporary rule of
their conquerors. It was especially important that those in captivity
should seek the peace of the land into which they had been carried.
This, however, was contrary to the inclinations of the human heart; and
[441]
Satan, taking advantage of the circumstances, caused false prophets
to arise among the people, both in Jerusalem and in Babylon, who
declared that the yoke of bondage would soon be broken and the former
prestige of the nation restored.
The heeding of such flattering prophecies would have led to fatal
moves on the part of the king and the exiles, and would have frustrated
the merciful designs of God in their behalf. Lest an insurrection be
incited and great suffering ensue, the Lord commanded Jeremiah to
meet the crisis without delay, by warning the king of Judah of the
sure consequence of rebellion. The captives also were admonished,
by written communications, not to be deluded into believing their
deliverance near. “Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be
in the midst of you, deceive you,” he urged.
Jeremiah 29:8
. In this
connection mention was made of the Lord’s purpose to restore Israel at
the close of the seventy years of captivity foretold by His messengers.
With what tender compassion did God inform His captive people
of His plans for Israel! He knew that should they be persuaded by false
288