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Zedekiah Fails His Last Chance
203
The military might of Egypt was no more than a broken reed. In-
spiration had declared, “I will strengthen the arms of the king of
Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down; they shall know
that I am the Lord, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of
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Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt.”
Ezekiel
30:25
.
A Vacillating King’s Secret Rendezvous
While the princes were still vainly looking toward Egypt for
help, King Zedekiah was thinking of the prophet of God who had
been put in prison. After many days the king sent for him and asked
him secretly, “‘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!’
“Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, ... ‘Where now are
your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, “The king of Babylon
will not come against you or against this land”? Therefore please
hear now, O my lord the king ... and do not make me return to the
house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.’”
Jeremiah 37:17-20
.
At this Zedekiah commanded that they 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.”
Verse 21
.
The king dared not openly show any faith in Jeremiah. Though
fear drove him to seek information privately, he was too weak to risk
the disapproval of his princes and people by submitting to the will
of God as the prophet had declared it.
Jeremiah continued to advise submission to the Babylonian rule:
“He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and
by pestilence; but he who goes over to the Chaldeans shall live.”
Jeremiah 38:2
.
At last the princes, enraged over the counsels that were contrary
to their policy of resistance, protested vigorously to the king. The
prophet was an enemy to the nation. He should be put to death!