Jeremiah 21 ~ escape with his life

Palace of Nebuchadnezzar, Iraq

Jeremiah 21 (New International Version)

- Audio Link ~ Jeremiah 21

¹ The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said: ² "Inquire now of the LORD for us because Nebuchadnezzar " [ Nebuchadrezzar or Nebuchadnezzar] king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the LORD will perform wonders for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us."

³ But Jeremiah answered them, "Tell Zedekiah, ⁴ 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians [Chaldeans] who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city. ⁵ I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in anger and fury and great wrath. ⁶ I will strike down those who live in this city—both men and animals—and they will die of a terrible plague. ⁷ After that, declares the LORD, I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague, sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.'

⁸ "Furthermore, tell the people, 'This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. ⁹ Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; he will escape with his life. ¹⁰ I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the LORD. It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.'

¹¹ "Moreover, say to the royal house of Judah, 'Hear the word of the LORD; ¹² O house of David, this is what the LORD says:
" 'Administer justice every morning;
rescue from the hand of his oppressor
the one who has been robbed,
or my wrath will break out and burn like fire
because of the evil you have done—
burn with no one to quench it.

¹³ I am against you, Jerusalem,
you who live above this valley
on the rocky plateau,
declares the LORD—
you who say, "Who can come against us?
Who can enter our refuge?"

¹⁴ I will punish you as your deeds deserve,
declares the LORD.
I will kindle a fire in your forests
that will consume everything around you.' "

(Click the Red Play Button - Map of Empire Histories)

People who do not know the Scriptures say the God of the Old Testament was violent. It took decades and millenniums of abuse before God's great mercy turned aside.

There were 3 invasions of Judea by the Babylonians, this is the 3rd. When God's Word was followed (rarely), peace was obtained. It is historically ~ Astonishing ~ the Assyrian Empire did not wallop the smaller nation of Israel - next door. God protected Israel for following His Word. The Lord told His children, His Word, which is His Law should be followed to obtain His mercy.

It is often said history is written by the victors, this is an unusual history. Well, people who do not want to understand, God is God, would say Scripture was written after the events to match some sibilance of history. We know the fate of Jeremiah, who spoke for the Lord; he was saved! Jeremiah was given freedom & allowed to choose where he would live - it was a promise to him from God. Jeremiah should not be a hero to the captives. The remaining children of Israel were swept to Babylon. The enduring Word of God - His Scriptures - were kept with the victims. When the children of Israel returned from Babylon, freed, they returned with the remaining Scriptures. This history honors those who followed the Lord, it does not honor the ones who kept this history.




Psalm 137

1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.

2 There on the poplars
we hung our harps,

3 for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill .

6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
my highest joy.

7 Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
"Tear it down," they cried,
"tear it down to its foundations!"

8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is he who repays you
for what you have done to us-

9 he who seizes your infants
and dashes them against the rocks.

The people returning from exile with Psalm 137:8-9 returned from exile hailing God's instructions and Jeremiah as the victors. On one hand they didn't like being captured and they repented for the wrong they'd done to the Lord. It wasn't just politically correct to honor Jeremiah, Psalm 137:8-9 demonstrates they were not politically correct. So, the Biblical history is not just honoring what the Babylonian captors wanted them to record.

This would be a good time to point out, with 3 invasions, the true King Jehoachin, did follow Jeremiah's Word from the Lord and lived with Nebuchadnezzar - at the King's table in peace. Zedekiah was a puppet king, actually the Davidic line's (Jehoachin's) uncle, who tried to throw off Nebuchadnezzar's own puppet appointment.

God's will is accomplished by those who work for it and by those who work against it. Jesus knew He wanted to work His Father's will. Jesus, did as Jeremiah said, He submitted to the authorities. Jesus was sacrificed on Golgotha, outside the city. John 19:19,20

Hebrews 13:12
And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.

Father God, Your way is holiness. Only in Your grace, can we hope. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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