Last King of Judah
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prophets to look for a speedy deliverance, their position in Babylon
would be made very difficult. Any demonstration or insurrection on
their part would awaken the vigilance and severity of the Chaldean
authorities and would lead to a further restriction of their liberties.
Suffering and disaster would result. He desired them to submit quietly
to their fate and make their servitude as pleasant as possible; and His
counsel to them was: “Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant
gardens, and eat the fruit of them; ... and seek the peace of the city
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whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto
the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.”
Verses
5-7
.
Among the false teachers in Babylon were two men who claimed
to be holy, but whose lives were corrupt. Jeremiah had condemned
the evil course of these men and had warned them of their danger.
Angered by reproof, they sought to oppose the work of the true prophet
by stirring up the people to discredit his words and to act contrary
to the counsel of God in the matter of subjecting themselves to the
king of Babylon. The Lord testified through Jeremiah that these false
prophets should be delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and
slain before his eyes. Not long afterward, this prediction was literally
fulfilled.
To the end of time, men will arise to create confusion and rebellion
among those who claim to be representatives of the true God. Those
who prophesy lies will encourage men to look upon sin as a light thing.
When the terrible results of their evil deeds are made manifest, they
will seek, if possible, to make the one who has faithfully warned them,
responsible for their difficulties, even as the Jews charged Jeremiah
with their evil fortunes. But as surely as the words of Jehovah through
His prophet were vindicated anciently, so surely will the certainty of
His messages be established today.
From the first, Jeremiah had followed a consistent course in coun-
seling submission to the Babylonians. This counsel was given not only
to Judah, but to many of the surrounding nations. In the earlier portion
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of Zedekiah’s reign, ambassadors from the rulers of Edom, Moab,
Tyre, and other nations visited the king of Judah to learn whether in
his judgment the time was opportune for a united revolt and whether
he would join them in battling against the king of Babylon. While
these ambassadors were awaiting a response, the word of the Lord