INTRODUCTION TO INCIDENTS DURING THE REIGN OF...

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INTRODUCTION TO INCIDENTS DURING THE REIGN OF ZEDEKIAH

THE LORD RESPONDS TO ZEDEKIAH’S HOPE

FOR HELP

JEREMIAH IS CHARGED WITH DESERTING, ARRESTED, AND IMPRISONED

JEREMIAH 37:1-21

Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Street, Nashville, TN., 37216, U.S.A., John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor.

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Introduction to Incidents During the Reign of Zedekiah

The Lord Responds to Zedekiah’s Hope for Help

Jeremiah is Charged with Deserting, Arrested,

and Imprisoned

Text: Jeremiah 37:1-21, 1. Zedekiah son of Josiah succeeded Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim as king. He was elevated to the throne of the land of Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. 2. Neither he nor the officials who served him nor the people of Judah paid any attention to what the Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah. 3. King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to the prophet Jeremiah. He told them to say, “Please pray to the Lord our God on our behalf.” 4. (Now Jeremiah had not yet been put in prison. So he was still free to come and go among the people as he pleased. 5. At that time the Babylonian forces had temporarily given up their siege against Jerusalem. They had had it under siege, but withdrew when they heard that the army of Pharaoh had set out from Egypt.) 6. The Lord gave the prophet Jeremiah a message for them. He told him to tell them, 7. “The Lord God of Israel says, ‘Give a message to the king of Judah who sent you to ask me to help him. Tell




him, “The army of Pharaoh that was on its way to help you will go back home to Egypt. 8. Then the Babylonian forces will return. They will attack the city and will capture it and burn it down. 9. Moreover, I, the Lord, warn you not to deceive yourselves into thinking that the Babylonian forces will go away and leave you alone. For they will not go away. 10. For even if you were to defeat all the Babylonian forces fighting against you so badly that only wounded men were left lying in their tents, they would get up and burn this city down.”’” 11. The following events also occurred while the Babylonian forces had temporarily withdrawn from Jerusalem because the army of Pharaoh was coming. 12. Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the territory of Benjamin. He wanted to make sure he got his share of the property that was being divided up among his family there. 13. But he only got as far as the Benjamin Gate. There an officer in charge of the guards named Irijah, who was the son of Shelemiah and the grandson of Hananiah, stopped him. He seized Jeremiah and said, “You are deserting to the Babylonians!” 14. Jeremiah answered, “That’s a lie! I am not deserting to the Babylonians.” But Irijah would not listen to him. Irijah put Jeremiah under arrest and took him to the officials. 15. The officials were very angry at Jeremiah. They had him flogged and put in prison in the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary, which they had converted into a place for confining prisoners. 16. So Jeremiah was put in prison in a cell in the dungeon in Jonathan’s house. He was kept there for a long time.




17. Then King Zedekiah had him brought to the palace. There he questioned him privately and asked him, “Is there any message from the Lord?” Jeremiah answered, “Yes, there is.” Then he announced, “You will be handed over to the king of Babylon.” 18. Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “What crime have I committed against you, or the officials who serve you, or the people of Judah? What have I done to make you people throw me into prison? 19. Where now are the prophets who prophesied to you that the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land? 20. But now please listen, your royal Majesty, and grant my plea for mercy. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary. If you do, I will die there.” 21. Then King Zedekiah ordered that Jeremiah be committed to the courtyard of the guardhouse. He also ordered that a loaf of bread be given to him every day from the baker’s street until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah was kept in the courtyard of the guardhouse. (NET) Introduction: I. The last kings/rulers of Judah during whose reigns/governances Jeremiah was active in the prophetic ministry were: . . .

A. Josiah was the sixteenth king of Judah. He was a good king. His three (3) decades in office were characterized by peace, prosperity and religious reform. B. Jehoahaz, the seventeenth (17th) king of Judah, was a son of Josiah who ruled Judah for three (3) months in 609 B.C. He was removed from office by Pharaoh Necho whose




influence in the area was dominant at that time. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary) C. Jehoiakim, the eighteenth (18th) king of Judah, was an evil king of Judah. He was a son of good King Josiah. He reigned in Jerusalem for eleven (11) years. His reign covered 609-598 B.C. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary). D. Jehoiachin (Jeconiah, Coniah), the nineteenth (19th) king of Judah, was a wicked king of Judah who reigned only three (3) months (598 B.C.). When Jerusalem surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar, Jehoiachin was exiled to Babylon in 597 B.C. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary) E. Zedekiah (Mattaniah) was the last king of Judah who reigned 597-586 B.C. Zedekiah was a son of Josiah. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary) Zedekiah was no better than his two immediate predecessors, Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin.

1. Jeremiah 37:1-2, Zedekiah son of Josiah succeeded Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim as king. He was elevated to the throne of the land of Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Neither he nor the officials who served him nor the people of Judah paid any attention to what the Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah. (NET)

F. Gedaliah was appointed governor of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. He governed Judah from Mizpah. After only two or three months in office, he was assassinated by Jewish nationalists. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary) Gedaliah was the son of Ahikom (the friend and




protector of Jeremiah) and grandson of Shaphan (the scribe during the reign of Josiah). (Bromiley)

Note: Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim and Zedekiah were sons of Josiah. Jehoiachin was the son of Jehoiakim, grandson of Josiah and nephew of both Jehoahaz and Zedekiah. Gedaliah’s family was rich in government service and friendship to Jeremiah. II. Willis wrote, “Jeremiah 37:1-2 ushers in the longest continuous prose section of the Book of Jeremiah. It begins with events and oracles from the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem (588-586 B.C.), briefly describes the destruction of the city, and then continues into the stories of Jeremiah’s final years in Judea and Egypt.”

A. Willis further wrote that this narrative can be divided into three (3) major parts; viz., . . .

1. Jeremiah 37:1-40:6 concerns Jeremiah’s interactions with King Zedekiah and other leaders in Jerusalem as the city is being conquered by the Babylonians. 2. Jeremiah 40:7-43:7 briefly describes how Jeremiah was forced to move with some Judean refugees from Judea to Egypt. 3. Jeremiah 43:8-44:30 repeatedly warns the refugees in Egypt that they are no safer there than Zedekiah had been in Jerusalem.

B. Coffman wrote, “This chapter and the next record events in the life of Jeremiah during the final days of the siege of Jerusalem in the closing period of the reign of Zedekiah (circa 589 B.C.) which resulted in the destruction of




Jerusalem and the deportation of many of its inhabitants to Babylon.”

Commentary:

Introduction to Incidents During the Reign of Zedekiah

Jeremiah 37:1, Zedekiah son of Josiah succeeded Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim as king. He was elevated to the throne of the land of Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. (NET) I. Zedekiah son of Josiah succeeded Jeconiah* son of Jehoiakim as king.

A. “Net Footnote: Hebrew-Coniah. (See Jeremiah 22:24, The Lord says, “As surely as I am the living God, you, Jeconiah, king of Judah, son of Jehoiakim, will not be the earthly representative of my authority. Indeed, I will take that right away from you. (NET).

1. Jeconiah, Coniah and Jehoiachin are all names of this person.

B. For further information on these kings of Judah, see the Introduction to this lesson. C. The narrative now returns to events in the reign of Zedekiah. (Hamilton)

1. 2 Kings 24:1, 17-20, During Jehoiakim’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked. Jehoiakim was his subject for three years, but then he rebelled against him; The




king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in Jehoiachin’s place. He renamed him Zedekiah. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, as Jehoiakim had done. What follows is a record of what happened to Jerusalem and Judah because of the Lord’s anger; he finally threw them out of his presence. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. (NET) 2. 2 Kings 25:1-7, So King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his whole army and set up camp outside it. They built siege ramps all around it. He arrived on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign. The city remained under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year. By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city was so severe the residents had no food. The enemy broke through the city walls, and all the soldiers tried to escape. They left the city during the night. They went through the gate between the two walls that is near the king’s garden. (The Babylonians were all around the city.) Then they headed for the Jordan Valley. But the Babylonian army chased after the king. They caught up with him in the plains of Jericho, and his entire army deserted him. They captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where he passed sentence on him.




Zedekiah’s sons were executed while Zedekiah was forced to watch. The king of Babylon then had Zedekiah’s eyes put out, bound him in bronze chains, and carried him off to Babylon. (NET)

D. Hamilton further wrote that Jeremiah 37:1-44:30 focuses upon events just prior to the fall of Jerusalem, the fall itself, and its aftermath.

II. Zedekiah was elevated to the throne of the land of Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

A. Zedekiah was made king by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar and was his vassal.

1. Zedekiah reigned 597-586 B.C. (Willis)

B. He was a very evil man!

Jeremiah 37:2, Neither he nor the officials who served him nor the people of Judah paid any attention to what the Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah. (NET) I. Neither he nor the officials who served him nor the people of Judah paid any attention to what the Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah.

A. Zedekiah, his officials and the majority of the citizens of Jerusalem were opposed to Jeremiah and paid no attention to what he said.

1. There were exceptions to this generalization, but overall Jeremiah was very unpopular.




2. For their refusal to hear, listen to what God was saying to them through his prophet Jeremiah, “a calamitous fate awaits them.” (Willis)

Note: Zedekiah reigned eleven (11) years in Jerusalem. The events of Jeremiah 37 and 38 took place toward the end of his reign. Zedekiah swore allegiance to Babylon, but he rebelled against Babylon. This led to the Babylonian attack and the destruction of Jerusalem. (See Coffman.) The Lord Responds to Zedekiah’s Hope for Help

Jeremiah 37:3, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to the prophet Jeremiah. He told them to say, “Please pray to the Lord our God on our behalf.” (NET) I. King Zedekiah sent Jehucal* son of Shelemiah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to the prophet Jeremiah.

A. NET Footnote: One of the officials who later sought to have Jeremiah executed for treason. (Jeremiah 38:1-4, Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah had heard the things that Jeremiah had been telling the people. They had heard him say, “The Lord says, ‘Those who stay in this city will die in battle or of starvation or disease. Those who leave the city and surrender to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives.’” They had also heard him say, “The Lord says, ‘This city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon. They will capture it.’” So these officials said to the king, “This man must




be put to death. For he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in the city as well as all the other people there by these things he is saying. This man is not seeking to help these people but is trying to harm them.” (NET)

1. Hamilton observed that Jehucal was no friend of Jeremiah.

a. Jeremiah 38:1, 4, Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah had heard the things that Jeremiah had been telling the people. They had heard him say, So these officials said to the king, “This man must be put to death. For he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in the city as well as all the other people there by these things he is saying. This man is not seeking to help these people but is trying to harm them.” (NET) b. Jehucal is also called Jucal. (Willis)

B. Jehucal was a messenger sent to the prophet Jeremiah to ask for his prayers when the Babylonians besieged Jerusalem, also called Jucal (Jeremiah 38:1, Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah had heard the things that Jeremiah had been telling the people. (NET) (Bromiley) C. Shelemiah was the father of Jehucal.




D. Zephaniah, not the biblical prophet of this name, was a priest and son of Maaseiah. Zephaniah was the second priest in rank in the days of Jeremiah. On two occasions he was part of delegations sent to consult Jeremiah. (See Jeremiah 29:25, that the Lord God of Israel who rules over all has a message for him. Tell him, ‘On your own initiative you sent a letter to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah and to all the other priests and to all the people in Jerusalem. In your letter you said to Zephaniah; Jeremiah 21:1, The Lord spoke to Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. Zedekiah sent them to Jeremiah to ask. (NET)) After the fall of Babylon, he was taken to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah and put to death. (2 Kings 25:18-21, The captain of the royal guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah, the priest who was second in rank, and the three doorkeepers. From the city he took a eunuch who was in charge of the soldiers, five of the king’s advisers who were discovered in the city, an official army secretary who drafted citizens for military service, and sixty citizens from the people of the land who were discovered in the city. Nebuzaradan, captain of the royal guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. The king of Babylon ordered them to be executed at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. So Judah was deported from its land; Jeremiah 52:24-27, The captain of the royal guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest who was second in rank, and the three doorkeepers. From the city he took an official who was in charge of the soldiers, seven of the king’s advisers who were discovered in the city, an official army secretary




who drafted citizens for military service, and sixty citizens who were discovered in the middle of the city. Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. The king of Babylon ordered them to be executed at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile away from its land. (NET) (Bromiley) Jeremiah 29:24-32, The Lord told Jeremiah, “Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite that the Lord God of Israel who rules over all has a message for him. Tell him, ‘On your own initiative you sent a letter to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah and to all the other priests and to all the people in Jerusalem. In your letter you said to Zephaniah, “The Lord has made you priest in place of Jehoiada. He has put you in charge in the Lord’s temple of controlling any lunatic who pretends to be a prophet. And it is your duty to put any such person in the stocks with an iron collar around his neck. You should have reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth who is pretending to be a prophet among you! For he has even sent a message to us here in Babylon. He wrote and told us, “You will be there a long time. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce.”’” Zephaniah the priest read that letter to the prophet Jeremiah. Then the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. “Send a message to all the exiles in Babylon. Tell them, ‘The Lord has spoken about Shemaiah the Nehelamite. “Shemaiah has spoken to you as a prophet even though I did not send him. He is making you trust in a lie. Because he has done this,” the Lord says, “I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his whole family. There will not be




any of them left to experience the good things that I will do for my people. I, the Lord, affirm it! For he counseled rebellion against the Lord.”’” (NET)) (Willis)

1. Zephaniah treated Jeremiah with respect on occasion. (See Hamilton).

E. Maaseiah was the father of Zephaniah the priest and the ministry of Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 21:1, The Lord spoke to Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah; Jeremiah 29:25, The Lord spoke to Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. (NET)) F. Smith wrote, “In the summer of 587 B.C. the Chaldeans fled the siege of Jerusalem in order to deal with an Egyptian relief column which was marching northward to aid Zedekiah.”

II. He told them to say, “Please pray to the LORD our God on our behalf.”

A. Even though Zedekiah did not believe what Jeremiah preached, he saw Jeremiah as a servant of God and asked for his prayers. (See Hamilton.)

1. Zedekiah wanted a word from God through Jeremiah. 2. Zedekiah was willing to accept what Jeremiah said only if it was what he wanted to hear. 3. The world is full of people like that.




B. Smith suggested Zedekiah may have been asking for prayer for an Egyptian victory or for a permanent end to the Babylonian siege.

1. Jeremiah 37:3-5, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to the prophet Jeremiah. He told them to say, “Please pray to the Lord our God on our behalf.” (Now Jeremiah had not yet been put in prison. So he was still free to come and go among the people as he pleased. At that time the Babylonian forces had temporarily given up their siege against Jerusalem. They had had it under siege, but withdrew when they heard that the army of Pharaoh had set out from Egypt.) (NET)

C. Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah on three (3) occasions; viz., . .

1. Jeremiah 37:3, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to the prophet Jeremiah. He told them to say, “Please pray to the Lord our God on our behalf.” (NET) 2. Jeremiah 37:17, Then King Zedekiah had him brought to the palace. There he questioned him privately and asked him, “Is there any message from the Lord?” Jeremiah answered, “Yes, there is.” Then he announced, “You will be handed over to the king of Babylon.” (NET)




3. Jeremiah 38:14, Some time later Zedekiah sent and had Jeremiah brought to him at the third entrance of the Lord’s temple. The king said to Jeremiah, “I would like to ask you a question. Do not hide anything from me when you answer.” (NET)

D. Willis wrote that Zedekiah “represents those who yearn to ‘hear’ God’s word and yet are not willing to ‘hear’ (obey, J.S.) that word when it comes. He has ‘ears to hear,’ but he does not ‘hear.’ ” E. Coffman concluded Zedekiah may have requested prayer by Jeremiah that Jerusalem would be spared from the Babylonians as it had been spared by miraculous intervention during the reign of Hezekiah in 701 B.C.

1. Hezekiah was righteous. Zedekiah was wicked. 2. Jeremiah had already served notices on Zedekiah and his predecessors that devastation awaited them because of their sinfulness.

F. Circumstances for Jerusalem were extremely serious. King Zedekiah was requesting Divine intervention, an effectual fervent prayer by Jeremiah for deliverance.

1. This is similar to the request Hezekiah made of Isaiah.

a. Isaiah 37:6, Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Don’t be afraid because of the things you have heard—these insults the




king of Assyria’s servants have hurled against me. (NET)

Jeremiah 37:4, (Now Jeremiah had not yet been put in prison. So he was still free to come and go among the people as he pleased. (NET) I. (Now Jeremiah had not yet been put in prison. So he was still free to come and go among the people as he pleased.

A. Clarke wrote, “After the siege was raised, he (Jeremiah) had a measure of liberty; he was not closely confined, as he afterwards was.” B. Jeremiah 38:14, Some time later Zedekiah sent and had Jeremiah brought to him at the third entrance of the Lord’s temple. The king said to Jeremiah, “I would like to ask you a question. Do not hide anything from me when you answer.” (NET)

Jeremiah 37:5, At that time the Babylonian forces had temporarily given up their siege against Jerusalem. They had had it under siege, but withdrew when they heard that the army of Pharaoh had set out from Egypt.) (NET) I. At that time the Babylonian forces had temporarily given up their siege against Jerusalem.

A. NET Footnote: Hebrew – the Chaldeans. (Also in verses 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14). B. Willis wrote, “An amazingly similar situation had developed in the days of Hezekiah (701 B.C.). The




Assyrians had laid siege to Jerusalem, expecting to destroy it as they had all the other cities they had besieged. King Hezekiah had “sent” to Isaiah, asking him to “pray for the remnant” left in Jerusalem. An Egyptian army was marching out at the time to confront the Mesopotamian attackers, who went out to meet the Egyptians and never returned.” The LORD intervened on that occasion and delivered Jerusalem. Zedekiah was hoping for another divine intervention and deliverance.

1. 2 Kings 18:17-37, The king of Assyria sent his commanding general, the chief eunuch, and the chief adviser from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem, along with a large army. They went up and arrived at Jerusalem. They went and stood at the conduit of the upper pool which is located on the road to the field where they wash and dry cloth. They summoned the king, so Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went out to meet them. The chief adviser said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: “What is your source of confidence? Your claim to have a strategy and military strength is just empty talk. In whom are you trusting that you would dare to rebel against me? Now look, you must be trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed staff. If a man leans for support on it, it punctures his hand and wounds him. That is what Pharaoh king of Egypt does to all who trust in him. Perhaps you will tell me, ‘We are trusting in the Lord our God.’ But Hezekiah is the one who




eliminated his high places and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship at this altar in Jerusalem.’ Now make a deal with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, provided you can find enough riders for them. Certainly you will not refuse one of my master’s minor officials and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen. 25 Furthermore it was by the command of the Lord that I marched up against this place to destroy it. The Lord told me, ‘March up against this land and destroy it.’”’” Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the chief adviser, “Speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Judahite dialect in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” But the chief adviser said to them, “My master did not send me to speak these words only to your master and to you. His message is also for the men who sit on the wall, for they will eat their own excrement and drink their own urine along with you.” The chief adviser then stood there and called out loudly in the Judahite dialect, “Listen to the message of the great king, the king of Assyria. This is what the king says: ‘Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you, for he is not able to rescue you from my hand! Don’t let Hezekiah talk you into trusting in the Lord when he says, “The Lord will certainly rescue us; this city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” Don’t listen to Hezekiah!’ For this is what the king of Assyria says, ‘Send me a




token of your submission and surrender to me. Then each of you may eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern, until I come and take you to a land just like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Then you will live and not die. Don’t listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, “The Lord will rescue us.” Have any of the gods of the nations actually rescued his land from the power of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Indeed, did any gods rescue Samaria from my power? Who among all the gods of the lands has rescued their lands from my power? So how can the Lord rescue Jerusalem from my power?’” The people were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered, “Don’t respond to him.” Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and reported to him what the chief adviser had said. (NET) 2. 2 Kings 19:1-37, When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the Lord’s temple. He sent Eliakim the palace supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, clothed in sackcloth, with this message to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz: “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘This is a day of




distress, insults, and humiliation, as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through. Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all these things the chief adviser has spoken on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria, who sent him to taunt the living God. When the Lord your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said. So pray for this remnant that remains.’” When King Hezekiah’s servants came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Don’t be afraid because of the things you have heard—these insults the king of Assyria’s servants have hurled against me. Look, I will take control of his mind; he will receive a report and return to his own land. I will cut him down with a sword in his own land.”’” When the chief adviser heard the king of Assyria had departed from Lachish, he left and went to Libnah, where the king was campaigning. The king heard that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was marching out to fight him. He again sent messengers to Hezekiah, ordering them: “Tell King Hezekiah of Judah this: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust mislead you when he says, “Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” Certainly you have heard how the kings of Assyria have annihilated all lands. Do you really think you will be rescued? Were the nations whom my ancestors destroyed—the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar—rescued by their




gods? Where are the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’” Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to the Lord’s temple and spread it out before the Lord. Hezekiah prayed before the Lord: “Lord God of Israel, who is enthroned on the cherubim! You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the sky and the earth. Pay attention, Lord, and hear! Open your eyes, Lord, and observe! Listen to the message Sennacherib sent and how he taunts the living God! It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands. They have burned the gods of the nations, for they are not really gods, but only the product of human hands manufactured from wood and stone. That is why the Assyrians could destroy them. Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power, so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you, Lord, are the only God.” Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I have heard your prayer concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria. This is what the Lord says about him: “The virgin daughter Zion despises you, she makes fun of you; Daughter Jerusalem shakes her head after you. Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at? At whom have you shouted, and looked so arrogantly? At the Holy One of Israel! Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master, ‘With my many chariots




I climbed up the high mountains, the slopes of Lebanon. I cut down its tall cedars, and its best evergreens. I invaded its most remote regions, its thickest woods. I dug wells and drank water in foreign lands. With the soles of my feet I dried up all the rivers of Egypt.’ Certainly you must have heard! Long ago I worked it out, In ancient times I planned it; and now I am bringing it to pass. The plan is this: Fortified cities will crash into heaps of ruins. Their residents are powerless, they are terrified and ashamed. They are as short-lived as plants in the field, or green vegetation. They are as short-lived as grass on the rooftops when it is scorched by the east wind. I know where you live, and everything you do. Because you rage against me, and the uproar you create has reached my ears; I will put my hook in your nose, and my bridle between your lips, and I will lead you back the way you came.” This will be your confirmation that I have spoken the truth: This year you will eat what grows wild, and next year what grows on its own from that. But in the third year you will plant seed and harvest crops; you will plant vines and consume their produce. Those who remain in Judah will take root in the ground and bear fruit. For a remnant will leave Jerusalem; survivors will come out of Mount Zion. The intense devotion of the sovereign Lord to his people will accomplish this. So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: “He will not enter this city, nor will he shoot an arrow here. He will not attack it with




his shield-carrying warriors, nor will he build siege works against it. He will go back the way he came. He will not enter this city,” says the Lord. I will shield this city and rescue it for the sake of my reputation and because of my promise to David my servant.’” That very night the Lord’s messenger went out and killed 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp. When they got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses. So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and went on his way. He went home and stayed in Nineveh. One day, as he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword. They escaped to the land of Ararat; his son Esarhaddon replaced him as king. (NET) 3. Isaiah 36:1-22, In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria marched up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. The king of Assyria sent his chief adviser from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem, along with a large army. The chief adviser stood at the conduit of the upper pool which is located on the road to the field where they wash and dry cloth. Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went out to meet him. The chief adviser said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: “What is your source of confidence? Your claim to have a




strategy and military strength is just empty talk. In whom are you trusting, that you would dare to rebel against me? Look, you must be trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed staff. If someone leans on it for support, it punctures his hand and wounds him. That is what Pharaoh king of Egypt does to all who trust in him! Perhaps you will tell me, ‘We are trusting in the Lord our God.’ But Hezekiah is the one who eliminated his high places and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship at this altar.’ Now make a deal with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, provided you can find enough riders for them. Certainly you will not refuse one of my master’s minor officials and trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen. Furthermore it was by the com-mand of the Lord that I marched up against this land to destroy it. The Lord told me, ‘March up against this land and destroy it!’”’” Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the chief adviser, “Speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Judahite dialect in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” But the chief adviser said, “My master did not send me to speak these words only to your master and to you. His message is also for the men who sit on the wall, for they will eat their own excrement and drink their own urine along with you!” The chief adviser then stood there and called out loudly in the Judahite dialect, “Listen to the message of the great king, the




king of Assyria. This is what the king says: ‘Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you, for he is not able to rescue you! Don’t let Hezekiah talk you into trusting in the Lord by saying, “The Lord will certainly rescue us; this city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” Don’t listen to Hezekiah!’ For this is what the king of Assyria says, ‘Send me a token of your submission and surrender to me. Then each of you may eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern, until I come and take you to a land just like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. Hezekiah is misleading you when he says, “The Lord will rescue us.” Has any of the gods of the nations rescued his land from the power of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Indeed, did any gods rescue Samaria from my power? Who among all the gods of these lands have rescued their lands from my power? So how can the Lord rescue Jerusalem from my power?’” They were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered, “Don’t respond to him.” Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn in grief and reported to him what the chief adviser had said. (NET) 4. Isaiah 37:1-38, When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and




went to the Lord’s temple. Eliakim the palace supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, clothed in sackcloth, sent this message to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz: “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘This is a day of distress, insults, and humiliation, as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through. Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all these things the chief adviser has spoken on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria, who sent him to taunt the living God. When the Lord your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said. So pray for this remnant that remains.’” When King Hezekiah’s servants came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Don’t be afraid because of the things you have heard—these insults the king of Assyria’s servants have hurled against me. Look, I will take control of his mind; he will receive a report and return to his own land. I will cut him down with a sword in his own land.”’” When the chief adviser heard the king of Assyria had departed from Lachish, he left and went to Libnah, where the king was campaigning. The king heard that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was marching out to fight him. He again sent messengers to Hezekiah, ordering them: “Tell King Hezekiah of Judah this: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust mislead you when he says, “Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” Certainly you have heard how the kings of




Assyria have annihilated all lands. Do you really think you will be rescued? Were the nations whom my predecessors destroyed—the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar—rescued by their gods? Where are the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’” Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to the Lord’s temple and spread it out before the Lord. Hezekiah prayed before the Lord: “O Lord who commands armies, O God of Israel, who is enthroned on the cherubim! You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the sky and the earth. Pay attention, Lord, and hear! Open your eyes, Lord, and observe! Listen to this entire message Sennacherib sent and how he taunts the living God! It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the nations and their lands. They have burned the gods of the nations, for they are not really gods, but only the product of human hands manufactured from wood and stone. That is why the Assyrians could destroy them. Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power, so all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.” Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Because you prayed to me concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria, this is what the Lord says about him: “The virgin daughter Zion despises you—she makes fun of you;




daughter Jerusalem shakes her head after you. Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at? At whom have you shouted and looked so arrogantly? At the Holy One of Israel! Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master, ‘With my many chariots I climbed up the high mountains, the slopes of Lebanon. I cut down its tall cedars and its best evergreens. I invaded its most remote regions, its thickest woods. I dug wells and drank water. With the soles of my feet I dried up all the rivers of Egypt.’ Certainly you must have heard! Long ago I worked it out, in ancient times I planned it, and now I am bringing it to pass. The plan is this: Fortified cities will crash into heaps of ruins. Their residents are powerless; they are terrified and ashamed. They are as short-lived as plants in the field or green vegetation. They are as short-lived as grass on the rooftops when it is scorched by the east wind. I know where you live and everything you do and how you rage against me. Because you rage against me and the uproar you create has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose, and my bridle between your lips, and I will lead you back the way you came.” “This will be your reminder that I have spoken the truth: This year you will eat what grows wild, and next year what grows on its own. But the year after that you will plant seed and harvest crops; you will plant vines and consume their produce. Those who remain in Judah will take root in the ground and bear fruit. “For a




remnant will leave Jerusalem; survivors will come out of Mount Zion. The intense devotion of the Lord who commands armies will accomplish this. So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city, nor will he shoot an arrow here. He will not attack it with his shielded warriors, nor will he build siege works against it. He will go back the way he came—he will not enter this city,’ says the Lord. I will shield this city and rescue it for the sake of my reputation and because of my promise to David my servant.”’” The Lord’s messenger went out and killed 185,000 troops in the Assyrian camp. When they got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses! So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and went on his way. He went home and stayed in Nineveh. One day, as he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword. They ran away to the land of Ararat; his son Esarhaddon replaced him as king. (NET)

II. They had had it under siege, but withdrew when they heard that the army of Pharoah” had set out from Egypt.)

A. “NET Footnote: This is Pharaoh-Hophra (589-570 B.C.); see Jeremiah 44:30, I, the Lord, promise that I will hand Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt over to his enemies who are seeking to kill him. I will do that just as surely as I handed King Zedekiah of Judah over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, his enemy who was seeking to kill him.’” (NET)




1. The Egyptians’ goal was to relieve Jerusalem from the Babylonian threat.

B. Coffman observed that opinions vary as to whether the Babylonians defeated the Egyptians or whether the Egyptians withdrew without a battle. Coffman favored the second view, but stated that either way, the result was an unqualified disaster from Zedekiah and Jerusalem. C. Pharaoh-Hophra or Apries, the son of Pharaoh-Necho, was now in the first year of his reign. (See Clarke and Coffman.)

Jeremiah 37:6, The Lord gave the prophet Jeremiah a message for them. He told him to tell them, . . . (NET) I. The LORD gave the prophet Jeremiah a message for them, . . .

A. On this occasion, Jeremiah did not go into the presence of the king, but rather sent a response by the king’s messengers. B. Jeremiah spoke God’s truth to the king and paupers alike even at the risk of his life and freedom.

Jeremiah 37:7, “The Lord God of Israel says, ‘Give a message to the king of Judah who sent you to ask me to help him. Tell him, “The army of Pharaoh that was on its way to help you will go back home to Egypt. (NET) I. “The LORD God of Israel says, ‘Give a message to the king of Judah who sent you to ask me to help him.

A. God told Jeremiah what to say and Jeremiah faithfully and accurately delivered the message.




II. Tell him, “The army of Pharaoh that was on its way to help you will go back home to Egypt.

A. The answer God gave Zedekiah was not the answer he desired. God said the Egyptians would be defeated and the Babylonian siege would be resumed. (Smith)

Jeremiah 37:8, Then the Babylonian forces will return. They will attack the city and will capture it and burn it down. (NET) I. Then the Babylonian forces will return. They will attack the city and will capture it and burn it down.

A. Hamilton wrote that perhaps Zedekiah was asking Jeremiah to pray the Babylonians would not return to resume the siege of Jerusalem, but this was not to be.

1. Whether or not Jeremiah did in fact pray as requested is not certain, but God did answer through Jeremiah Zedekiah’s question. 2. The answer was that the Babylonians would return, attack the city, capture and burn it.

Jeremiah 37:9, Moreover, I, the Lord, warn you not to deceive yourselves into thinking that the Babylonian forces will go away and leave you alone. For they will not go away. (NET) I. Moreover, I, the LORD, warn you not to deceive yourselves into thinking that the Babylonian forces will go away and leave you alone.




A. Zedekiah and the leaders in Jerusalem were self-deceived when they denied all evidence to the contrary and held tenaciously to the belief the city would be spared, that God would not permit the temple or the city to be destroyed.

II. For they will not go away.

A. This is clear and unequivocal! Zedekiah and his officials as well as the majority of Jerusalem’s population simply did not believe it!

Jeremiah 37:10, For even if you were to defeat all the Babylonian forces fighting against you so badly that only wounded men were left lying in their tents, they would get up and burn this city down.”’” (NET) I. For even if you were to defeat all the Babylonian forces fighting against you so badly that only wounded men were left lying in their tents, they would get up and burn this city down.”’”

A. The destruction of Jerusalem was now inevitable, irreversible. B. Smith wrote, “Even if every Chaldean soldier were wounded, the Chaldeans would still have enough strength to capture and burn the city.”

1. Jeremiah 37:6-10, The Lord gave the prophet Jeremiah a message for them. He told him to tell them, “The Lord God of Israel says, ‘Give a message to the king of Judah who sent you to ask me to help him. Tell him, “The army of Pharaoh that was on its way to help you will go back home to Egypt. Then the Babylonian forces will return. They will attack the city and




will capture it and burn it down. Moreover, I, the Lord, warn you not to deceive yourselves into thinking that the Babylonian forces will go away and leave you alone. For they will not go away. For even if you were to defeat all the Babylonian forces fighting against you so badly that only wounded men were left lying in their tents, they would get up and burn this city down.”’” (NET) 2. Jerusalem’s destruction was a certainty!

C. The Pulpit Commentary states that “wounded men” hardly brings out the force of the Hebrew which indicates paucity in number and “wounded” means “pieced through.”

1. Even if only a few mortally wounded soldiers remained, they would still be able to destroy Jerusalem. 2. The destruction of Jerusalem was inevitable.

Jeremiah is Charged with Deserting, Arrested, and Imprisoned

Jeremiah 37:11. The following events also occurred while the Babylonian forces had temporarily withdrawn from Jerusalem because the army of Pharaoh was coming. (NET) I. The following events also occurred while the Babylonian forces had temporarily withdrawn from Jerusalem because the army of Pharaoh was coming.




II. Jeremiah had previously been imprisoned, was out of prison at the moment, free to come and go as he wished, but very soon he would be re-arrested and subjected to harsh treatment during the last nine (9) months of the siege, Smith wrote. Jeremiah 37:12, Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the territory of Benjamin. He wanted to make sure he got his share of the property that was being divided up among his family there. (NET) I. Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the territory of Benjamin.

A. Jeremiah was a native of Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin, only a short distance from Jerusalem. (See Coffman.)

II. He wanted to make sure he got his share of the property that was being divided up among his family there.

A. It certainly is not sinful to take every right and legal means to protect what is ours. B. This personal property business may have included taking charge of the land purchased from Hanamel. (See Smith.)

1. Jeremiah 32:6-15, So now, Jeremiah said, “The Lord told me, ‘Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, will come to you soon. He will say to you, “Buy my field at Anathoth because you are entitled as my closest relative to buy it.”’ Now it happened just as the Lord had said! My cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guardhouse. He said to me, ‘Buy my field which is at Anathoth in the




territory of the tribe of Benjamin. Buy it for yourself since you are entitled as my closest relative to take possession of it for yourself.’ When this happened, I recognized that the Lord had indeed spoken to me. So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel. I weighed out seven ounces of silver and gave it to him to pay for it. I signed the deed of purchase, sealed it, and had some men serve as witnesses to the purchase. I weighed out the silver for him on a scale. There were two copies of the deed of purchase. One was sealed and contained the order of transfer and the conditions of purchase. The other was left unsealed. I took both copies of the deed of purchase and gave them to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah. I gave them to him in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, the witnesses who had signed the deed of purchase, and all the Judeans who were housed in the courtyard of the guardhouse. In the presence of all these people I instructed Baruch, ‘The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, “Take these documents, both the sealed copy of the deed of purchase and the unsealed copy. Put them in a clay jar so that they may be preserved for a long time to come.”’ For the Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, “Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”’ (NET)

C. Drummelow via Coffman suggested that during the lull in the siege people would naturally rush into the countryside to get supplies, to attend to essential business and to refresh




themselves from the confinement imposed by the Babylonians. D. Jeremiah wanted to visit Anathoth that he might divide the inheritance which he had there among his family. He could not attend (leave the city) to personal business before the siege was lifted. (See Clarke.)

Jeremiah 37:13, But he only got as far as the Benjamin Gate. There an officer in charge of the guards named Irijah, who was the son of Shelemiah and the grandson of Hananiah, stopped him. He seized Jeremiah and said, “You are deserting to the Babylonians!” (NET) I. But he only got as far as the Benjamin Gate.

A. *NET Footnote: A gate in the northern wall of Jerusalem. (See Jeremiah 20:2 When he heard Jeremiah’s prophecy, he had the prophet flogged. Then he put him in the stocks which were at the Upper Gate of Benjamin in the Lord’s temple; Jeremiah 38:7 An Ethiopian, Ebed Melech, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put in the cistern. While the king was holding court at the Benjamin Gate; and Zechariah 14:10 All the land will change and become like the Arabah from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem will be raised up and will stay in its own place from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate and on to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses. (NET)) B. The Benjamin Gate may be the same as the Gate of Ephraim.




1. 2 Kings 14:13, King Jehoash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah, in Beth Shemesh. He attacked Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate—a distance of about six hundred feet. (NET) 2. Nehemiah 8:16, So the people went out and brought these things back and constructed temporary shelters for themselves, each on his roof and in his courtyard and in the courtyards of the temple of God and in the plaza of the Water Gate and the plaza of the Ephraim Gate. (NET)

II. There an officer in charge of the guards named Irijah, who was the son of Shelemiah and the grandson of Hananiah, stopped him.

A. Irijah was a sentry who arrested the prophet Jeremiah while Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonian army. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

1. This scribe cannot resist asking, “How would you like to be remembered through all time for nothing more than arresting Jeremiah, God’s prophet?” 2. “Irijah is otherwise unknown in the Bible,” Hamilton wrote.

B. Shelemiah was the father of Irijah as noted above. Little more is known of this Shelemiah. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)




C. Hananiah was the father of Shelemiah and grandfather of Irijah. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

1. This Hananiah does not appear to be the false prophet of the same name.

a. Jeremiah 28:1, 10, The following events occurred in that same year, early in the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah. To be more precise, it was the fifth month of the fourth year of his reign. The prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, spoke to Jeremiah in the LORD’s temple in the presence of the priests and all the people. The prophet Hananiah then took the yoke off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck and broke it. (NET)

III. He seized Jeremiah and said, “You are deserting to the Babylonians!”

A. It is very difficult to counter the effects of lies told against us because all too often people appear happy to believe the bad things they hear, especially if they don’t like the person being slandered, . . . and they may go to others asking, “Have you heard . . . I never would have believed it.”

1. The serious charge was treason! (Smith)

B. This may have been a logical suspicion because Jeremiah had urged the people of Jerusalem to surrender to the Babylonians. (See Hamilton.)

1. Jeremiah 21:9, Those who stay in this city will die in battle or of starvation or disease.




Those who leave the city and surrender to the Babylonians who are besieging it will live. They will escape with their lives. (NET) 2. Jeremiah 38:2, 19, “The Lord says, ‘Those who stay in this city will die in battle or of starvation or disease. Those who leave the city and surrender to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives.’” Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Babylonians. The Babylonians might hand me over to them and they will torture me.” (NET) 3. Jeremiah 39:11-12, Now King Nebuchad-nezzar of Babylon had issued orders concerning Jeremiah. He had passed them on through Nebuzaradan, the captain of his royal guard, “Find Jeremiah and look out for him. Do not do anything to harm him, but do with him whatever he tells you.” (NET) 4. However, Irijah’s charge had no basis in fact, was altogether false. 5. Trumped up charges against people authorities don’t like or with whose political and/or religious views they disagree continue by the millions even now!

C. This charge was totally false! It had no basis in fact.

1. Coffman quoting Feinburg wrote that this charge by Irijah may have been motivated by his desire for revenge against Jeremiah for predicting the death of his grandfather Hananiah.




a. Jeremiah 28:16, So the Lord says, ‘I will most assuredly remove you from the face of the earth. You will die this very year because you have counseled rebellion against the Lord.’” (NET)

Jeremiah 37:14, Jeremiah answered, “That’s a lie! I am not deserting to the Babylonians.” But Irijah would not listen to him. Irijah put Jeremiah under arrest and took him to the officials. (NET) I. Jeremiah answered, “That’s a lie! I am not deserting to the Babylonians.”

A. The authorities had not listened to God and now they refused to listen to Jeremiah as well. B. Jeremiah was not a deserter nor a traitor!

II. But Irijah would not listen to him.

A. Irijah was not interested in truth and justice! B. Jesus and his followers encountered this same problem; that is, people who would not listen.

1. Matthew 11:15, The one who has ears had better listen! (NET) 2. Matthew 13:15, For the heart of this people has become dull; they are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ (NET)




3. Mark 8:18, Though you have eyes, don’t you see? And though you have ears, can’t you hear? Don’t you remember? (NET) 4. Acts 7:57, But they covered their ears, shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent. (NET) 5. Acts 28:27, For the heart of this people has become dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have closed their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.”’ (NET)

III. Irijah put Jeremiah under arrest and took him to the officials.

A. “The arrest of Jeremiah occurred during the period in which the Babylonian forces had withdrawn from besieging the city” to deal with the approach of the Egyptians, Hamilton wrote. B. Would Jeremiah have been arrested had he prophesied good things about Jerusalem’s fate?

1. Jeremiah well knew that all who live righteously suffer persecution! 2. Remember Micaiah was put in prison for being the only prophet to prophesy the truth regarding Ahab’s impending death.

a. 1 Kings 22:26-28, Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the




king’s son. Say, ‘This is what the king says, “Put this man in prison. Give him only a little bread and water until I safely return.”’” Micaiah said, “If you really do safely return, then the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take note, all you people.” (NET)

Jeremiah 37:15, The officials were very angry at Jeremiah. They had him flogged and put in prison in the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary, which they had converted into a place for confining prisoners. (NET) I. The officials were very angry at Jeremiah.

A. Jeremiah was unjustly charged and imprisoned. He was tortured by flogging by his captors who were interested in venting their anger, not seeing that equal justice under law was fairly administered.

1. Be assured this was not the last time prisoners have been abused.

a. Remember Jesus, John the Baptist, Paul, ad infinitum.

B. These authorities were Jeremiah’s enemies. They were not interested in justice. They vented their hatred toward Jeremiah. (See Smith.) C. Willis noted that “officials” is frequently used to refer to military officials in the book of Jeremiah.

1. Jeremiah 1:18, I, the Lord, hereby promise to make you as strong as a fortified city, an




iron pillar, and a bronze wall. You will be able to stand up against all who live in the land, including the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and all the people of the land. (NET) 2. Jeremiah 2:26, Just as a thief has to suffer dishonor when he is caught, so the people of Israel will suffer dishonor for what they have done. So will their kings and officials, their priests and their prophets. (NET) 3. Jeremiah 4:9, “When this happens,” says the Lord, “the king and his officials will lose their courage. The priests will be struck with horror, and the prophets will be speechless in astonishment.” (NET) 4. Jeremiah 8:1, The Lord says, “When that time comes, the bones of the kings of Judah and its leaders, the bones of the priests and prophets and of all the other people who lived in Jerusalem will be dug up from their graves. (NET) 5. Jeremiah 38:7, 22, An Ethiopian, Ebed Melech, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put in the cistern. While the king was holding court at the Benjamin Gate; All the women who are left in the royal palace of Judah will be led out to the officers of the king of Babylon. They will taunt you saying, ‘Your trusted friends misled you; they have gotten the best of you. Now that your feet are stuck in the mud, they have turned their backs on you.’ (NET)




6. Jeremiah 39:3, 13, Then Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim, who was a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer, who was a high official, and all the other officers of the king of Babylon came and set up quarters in the Middle Gate. So Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, Nebushazban, who was a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer, who was a high official, and all the other officers of the king of Babylon. (NET) 7. Jeremiah 40:7, 8, 13, Now some of the officers of the Judean army and their troops had been hiding in the countryside. They heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam to govern the country. They also heard that he had been put in charge over the men, women, and children from the poorer classes of the land who had not been carried off into exile in Babylon. So all these officers and their troops came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. The officers who came were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite. Johanan and all the officers of the troops that had been hiding in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. (NET)

D. Jeremiah had said wounded Babylonian soldiers could defeat healthy Jewish soldiers. It is easy to see how this would anger the Jewish military.




1. Jeremiah 37:10, For even if you were to defeat all the Babylonian forces fighting against you so badly that only wounded men were left lying in their tents, they would get up and burn this city down.”’”

E. The officials who had previously befriended Jeremiah were evidently not in this group of officials. (See The Pulpit Commentary.)

II. They had him flogged and put in prison in the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary, which they had converted into a place for confining prisoners.

A. Jonathan was a scribe, a secretary of state, in whose house Jeremiah the prophet was imprisoned. (See The Pulpit Commentary.)

1. Jeremiah 38:26, If they do this, tell them, ‘I was pleading with the king not to send me back to die in the dungeon of Jonathan’s house.’” (NET) 2. This scribe, Jonathan, must have been on good terms with the military.

B. Jeremiah was horribly treated, beaten/flogged, put in isolation in a subterranean dungeon and fed barely enough to sustain life . . . “for many days.” (See Smith.) C. Clarke wrote, “In Asiatic countries there is an apartment in the houses of the officers of the law, to confine all the accused brought before them. Jonathan was a scribe or secretary, and had a prison of this kind in his house.”




Jeremiah 37:16, So Jeremiah was put in prison in a cell in the dungeon in Jonathan’s house. He was kept there for a long time. (NET) I. So Jeremiah was put in prison in a cell in the dungeon in Jonathan’s house. He was kept there for a long time.

A. Notice the words “prison,” “cell” and “dungeon.”

1. Coffman explained, “The prison mentioned here was a huge cistern-like excavation beneath the house of Jonathan, with cells excavated into the sides of it, having no light or ventilation. Inmates were expected to die from such treatment; and yet Jeremiah survived it many days.” 2. Clarke explained, “The dungeon was probably a deep pit; and the cabins or cells, niches in the sides, where different malefactors were confined.” 3. The Pulpit Commentary suggests “cells” could have been stocks as in Jeremiah 22:2, Say: ‘Listen, O king of Judah who follows in David’s succession. You, your officials, and your subjects who pass through the gates of this palace must listen to what the Lord says. (NET)

II. He was kept there for a long time.

A. Exactly how long is not stated, but it was for “many days,” an extended period of time.

Jeremiah 37:17, Then King Zedekiah had him brought to the palace. There he questioned him privately and




asked him, “Is there any message from the Lord?” Jeremiah answered, “Yes, there is.” Then he announced, “You will be handed over to the king of Babylon.” (NET) I. Then King Zedekiah had him brought to the palace.

A. This is the second time in this chapter Zedekiah had called for Jeremiah, but this call was after many days of Jeremiah’s imprisonment in Jonathan’s dungeon.

1. This time Jeremiah was personally in the king’s presence. To the first call, Jeremiah responded by sending word to the king.

II. There he questioned him privately and asked him, “Is there any message from the LORD?”

A. Coffman wrote, “Zedekiah’s secrecy was due to his fear of his ministers who hated Jeremiah and who urgently desired to murder him.” B. Zedekiah was asking, “Is there any new word from the LORD or any change in the word previously given the king by Jeremiah?”

1. The simple answer to the question is, “No.” 2. Jerusalem would be destroyed as foretold.

III. Jeremiah answered, “Yes, there is.” Then he announced, “You will be handed over to the king of Babylon.”




A. Jeremiah was a courageous, brave servant of God who spoke the truth always, this time to the king who could order his immediate execution!

1. Jeremiah from his prison deprivations must have left him weak and frail when summoned by the king. 2. Still he spoke the truth to the king who could have had him executed.

B. The Chaldeans returned to Jerusalem and resumed their siege of Jerusalem having dispatched the Egyptians. The walls were in time breeched, the city conquered and burned and the people killed or taken as captives to Babylon.

1. Yes, there was a word from the LORD, but it was not the word for which Zedekiah had hoped. 2. God’s word had not changed since previously delivered by Jeremiah. (Smith)

a. Jeremiah 34:1-7, The Lord spoke to Jeremiah while King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was attacking Jerusalem and the towns around it with a large army. This army consisted of troops from his own army and from the kingdoms and peoples of the lands under his dominion. The Lord God of Israel told Jeremiah to go and give King Zedekiah of Judah a message. He told Jeremiah to tell him, “The Lord says, ‘I am going to hand this city over to the king of Babylon and he will burn it down. You yourself will not escape his clutches, but will certainly be




captured and handed over to him. You must confront the king of Babylon face to face and answer to him personally. Then you must go to Babylon. However, listen to what I, the Lord, promise you, King Zedekiah of Judah. I, the Lord, promise that you will not die in battle or be executed. You will die a peaceful death. They will burn incense at your burial just as they did at the burial of your ancestors, the former kings who preceded you. They will mourn for you, saying, “Poor, poor master!” Indeed, you have my own word on this. I, the Lord, affirm it!’” The prophet Jeremiah told all this to King Zedekiah of Judah in Jerusalem. He did this while the army of the king of Babylon was attacking Jerusalem and the cities of Lachish and Azekah. He was attacking these cities because they were the only fortified cities of Judah which were still holding out. (NET) b. Jeremiah 37:17, Then King Zedekiah had him brought to the palace. There he questioned him privately and asked him, “Is there any message from the Lord?” Jeremiah answered, “Yes, there is.” Then he announced, “You will be handed over to the king of Babylon.” (NET)

3. Jerusalem would be “handed over” to the Babylonians; that is, delivered to their complete control.




a. Jeremiah 32:3-4, For King Zedekiah had confined Jeremiah there after he had reproved him for prophesying as he did. He had asked Jeremiah, “Why do you keep prophesying these things? Why do you keep saying that the Lord says, ‘I will hand this city over to the king of Babylon? I will let him capture it. King Zedekiah of Judah will not escape from the Babylonians. He will certainly be handed over to the king of Babylon. He must answer personally to the king of Babylon and confront him face to face. (NET)

Jeremiah 37:18, Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “What crime have I committed against you, or the officials who serve you, or the people of Judah? What have I done to make you people throw me into prison? (NET) I. Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “What crime have I committed against you, or the officials who serve you, or the people of Judah?

A. Zedekiah did not release innocent Jeremiah, but he did grant Jeremiah’s request to be imprisoned in a less abusive place. B. Jeremiah took advantage of his opportunities to preach God’s truth and to right wrongs. C. Jeremiah here charges Zedekiah as well as his officials with being responsible for his imprisonment. (Coffman)

II. What have I done to make you people throw me into prison?




A. Observe that Zedekiah could not identify so much as one crime, sin or wrongdoing Jeremiah had committed! B. What were the charges, indictments leveled against Jeremiah? None except they didn’t like him and what he was preaching.

1. Jeremiah 37:15, The officials were very angry at Jeremiah. They had him flogged and put in prison in the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary, which they had converted into a place for confining prisoners. (NET)

Jeremiah 37:19, Where now are the prophets who prophesied to you that the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land? (NET) I. Where now are the prophets who prophesied to you that the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land?

A. Coffman wrote, “What a powerful argument is this!” Why should a preacher of truth be in prison and lying prophets be free? B. Where are the false prophets who said the Babylonians would not be able to attack Jerusalem?

1. The city had been besieged and its citizens greatly distressed. 2. Why aren’t these false prophets in prison?

C. Jeremiah had prophesied the Babylonians would attack the city, which they did, and he was in prison. What justice is there in this.




1. Jeremiah also said the Babylonians would be back and the city would be destroyed.

a. This took place just as Jeremiah foretold.

Jeremiah 37:20, But now please listen, your royal Majesty, and grant my plea for mercy. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary. If you do, I will die there.” (NET) I. But now please listen, your royal Majesty,* and grant my pleas for mercy.

A. NET Footnote: Hebrew - my lord, the king. B. Humanly speaking, Jeremiah’s life was dependant on the king’s decision.

1. King Zedekiah was a wicked person who had not looked with favor on Jeremiah. 2. Except for God’s help, Jeremiah’s situation was dire indeed!

a. Understand that dire means terrifying, exciting horror and suffering, dismal, oppressive, and desperately urgent. (Mirriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition)

II. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary.

A. Zedekiah most certainly should have released innocent Jeremiah.




B. Zedekiah did move Jeremiah to a more humane confinement and order that he be provided bread daily as long as it lasted.

1. Bread and water were a big improvement! 2. Things had been really bad!

III. If you do, I will die there.”

A. Jeremiah plead for mercy, a change at least to a less atrocious place of confinement. B. The horrible conditions in the dungeon at Jonathan’s house would surely lead to his death were he to be returned there.

Jeremiah 37:21, Then King Zedekiah ordered that Jeremiah be committed to the courtyard of the guardhouse. He also ordered that a loaf of bread be given to him every day from the baker’s street until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah was kept in the courtyard of the guardhouse. (NET) I. Then King Zedekiah ordered that Jeremiah be committed to the courtyard of the guardhouse.

A. This was a great improvement and, at least for this favor, Zedekiah should be given some minimal degree of credit. B. Clarke wrote that the “courtyard of the guardhouse” was contiguous to the king’s house, where the prisoners could readily see their friends.”




1. Jeremiah 32:2, Now at that time, the armies of the king of Babylon were besieging Jerusalem. The prophet Jeremiah was confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse attached to the royal palace of Judah. (NET)

II. He also ordered that a loaf of bread be given to him every day from the baker’s street until all the bread in the city was gone.

A. Clarke stated the bread came from the public stores; from which he received till all the provisions were spent. B. Coffman suggested the “bakers’ street” was the place the city bakers had their shops as in New York city various businesses are grouped together in respective areas such as the garment district, the floral district, millinery streets, the financial district, etc. C. “Bread and water!” You think you have it bad.

1. 1 Samuel 2:36, Everyone who remains in your house will come to bow before him for a little money and for a scrap of bread. Each will say, ‘Assign me to a priestly task so I can eat a scrap of bread.’” (NET) 2. Proverbs 6:25, Do not lust in your heart for her beauty, and do not let her captivate you with her alluring eyes. (NET)

III. So Jeremiah was kept in the courtyard of the guardhouse.

A. Coffman wrote that it was during this time of imprisonment in the courtyard that Jeremiah 30-33 was




written including “the magnificent prophecy of the New Covenant in chapter 21.”

Conclusion: I. Jerusalem’s destruction was fast approaching!

A. Circumstances were horrendous for saints and sinners alike! B. Because of their long history of wickedness, God would not deliver them. C. Their Egyptian allies could not help. D. They could not help themselves. E. Jeremiah had been arrested on baseless charges, flogged and imprisoned while false prophets walked free. F. The people from king to pauper “heard” only what they wanted to “hear.” G. Wicked men ruled in Jerusalem. H. The people faced starvation and death by disease and the Babylonian sword was soon to strike!

II. That’s what sin will do!

A. Joshua 24:14-24, Now obey the Lord and worship him with integrity and loyalty. Put aside the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt and worship the Lord. If you have no desire to worship the Lord, choose




today whom you will worship, whether it be the gods whom your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family will worship the Lord!” The people responded, “Far be it from us to abandon the Lord so we can worship other gods! For the Lord our God took us and our fathers out of slavery in the land of Egypt and performed these awesome miracles before our very eyes. He continually protected us as we traveled and when we passed through nations. The Lord drove out from before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. So we too will worship the Lord, for he is our God!” Joshua warned the people, “You will not keep worshiping the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God who will not forgive your rebellion or your sins. If you abandon the Lord and worship foreign gods, he will turn against you; he will bring disaster on you and destroy you, though he once treated you well.” The people said to Joshua, “No! We really will worship the Lord!” Joshua said to the people, “Do you agree to be witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to worship the Lord?” They replied, “We are witnesses!” Joshua said, “Now put aside the foreign gods that are among you and submit to the Lord God of Israel.” The people said to Joshua, “We will worship the Lord our God and obey him.” (NET)




Questions

On

Jeremiah 37:1-21

1. The last six rulers of Jerusalem in order were:______________, ________________, _______________, ____________________, __________________, ______________________. 2. Explain how these rulers were related to each other. _________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Describe the character and accomplishments of the sixteenth king of Judah. By what other names was he known? ___________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Describe the character and accomplishments of the seventeenth king of Judah. By what other names is he known? _____________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




5. Describe the character and accomplishments of the eighteenth king of Judah? By what other names is he known? ____________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Describe the character and accomplishments of the nineteenth king of Judah? By what other names is he known? ____________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7. Describe the character and accomplishments of the twentieth king of Judah. By what other names is he known? _____________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 8. Describe the character and accomplishments of the last ruler of Jerusalem? Was he a king? If not, what office did he hold? By what other names is he known? ____________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 9. Explain how, by what process each of these last six rulers of Judah became king, governor. _____________________________




______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 10. What historical events are addressed in the longest prose section of the Book of Jeremiah which begins with Jeremiah 37:1-2? ___________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11. According to Willis, into what three major parts can this extended narrative be divided? ____________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 12. Jeremiah 37:1-44:30 focuses upon ____________________just _______________ to the _______________of _______________, the _______________________ itself, and its ________________. (Hamilton) 13. What did Zedekiah and his officials think of Jeremiah and what he was saying? _________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




14. Who was Jehucal? ___________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 15. Who was Shelemiah? _________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 16. Who was Zephaniah? _________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 17. Who was Maaseiah? _________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 18. What assignment did Zedekiah give Jehucal and the priest Zephaniah? ____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




19. What did Zedekiah want Jeremiah to do? _________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 20. What was happening militarily that may have given Zedekiah hope that Jerusalem would be spared? _______________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 21. Provide here a record of punishments inflicted on Jeremiah because of his service to God before and after Jeremiah 37:4. ____ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 22. When previously had Judah faced a similar situation? Give details of those events. Did Zedekiah hope something similar would now occur? ______________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 23. What happened when the Egyptians and Babylonians met? (See verse 6.) __________________________________________ ______________________________________________________




________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 24. What message did God give Zedekiah through Jeremiah? Did Jeremiah deliver this message in person to Zedekiah? If not, how did this message reach Zedekiah? __________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 25. ________________ ___________________ _____________’s ___________________ to ______________ and ______________ alike even at the ________________ of his __________________ and ___________________. 26. What warning did the LORD give Zedekiah? (See verse 9.) __ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 27. Give examples of how people today are often self-deceived in religious matters? Why do people allow themselves to be self-deceived? _____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




28. Smith wrote, “Even if every ______________________ were ______________________, the ______________________ would still have enough _________________ to _________________ and ___________________ the ___________________.” How did the Jewish military feel about Jeremiah’s speaking in this manner about their ineptitude? _____________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 29. What charges were leveled against Jeremiah? What punishments did he suffer as a result of these charges? _________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 30. Why was Jeremiah in the process of leaving Jerusalem at the time of his arrest? Where did he plan to go? _________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 31. Locate and identify the Benjamin Gate at which Jeremiah was arrested? ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




32. Did Jeremiah receive “equal justice under law?” Did Jeremiah receive “due process” to protect his rights? If not, please explain why not. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 33. Identify Irijah, Shelemiah and Hananiah. For what is Irijah remembered? __________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 34. Irijah was not interested in providing truth and justice. How big a problem is this in today’s court system? ________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 35. Irijah would not listen to Jeremiah. How big a problem is this in today’s world? How good a listener are you? ______________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 36. Would Jeremiah have been arrested had he prophesied good and popular things about Jerusalem? Give examples of Christians




being persecuted in today’s world. _________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 37. Why were the officials angry at Jeremiah? What did this anger lead them to do? What improper things has anger led you to do? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 38. Who were these “officials”? ___________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 39. Why did Jonathan have a prison in his house? What words describe this prison? (See verse 16.) How long was Jeremiah kept there? _______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 40. How did Jeremiah get out of Jonathan’s prison? ____________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 41. What question did Zedekiah ask Jeremiah? What was Jeremiah’s answer? What does Jeremiah’s answer say about his courage and dedication to God? ___________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 42. What questions did Jeremiah ask Zedekiah? What answers did Zedekiah give to these questions? __________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 43. What special, urgent plea did Jeremiah make of Zedekiah? What was Zedekiah’s response to Jeremiah’s plea? What does Zedekiah’s response say about Zedekiah’s character and his attitude toward Jeremiah and Jeremiah’s prophesies? ___________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 44. Jerusalem’s destruction was fast approaching. What were the conditions being faced by the citizens of Jerusalem? ___________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 45. You see what sin will do? Why then don’t you quit sinning? (Seems like a reasonable question to this scribe.) ______________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



INTRODUCTION TO INCIDENTS DURING THE REIGN OF...

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