August 7, 2024 • 21 mins
In this Bible Story, Jeremiah witnesses the downfall of Judah. King Nebuchadnezzar uses the Chaldean army to lay waste to all of Jerusalem. Hundreds of thousands of people are taken captive, and the remaining rulers of Judah are beheaded and trampled. Jeremiah, however, is spared from the Babylonians, and is given a choice to go to Babylon and live comfortably, or remain with his people. This story is inspired by 2 Chronicles 36:15-21 & 2 Kings 25:3-21 & Jeremiah 32, 33, 38, 39, 40:1-6, 52. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is Jeremiah 38:20 from the King James Version.
Episode 159: Jeremiah, still captive in the courthouse of Judah, was praying to God when he received a Word from Him that Hanamel would soon be coming to sell him his land in Anathoth. But this was about more than relieving his uncle of a burden, it was God’s way of showing the people what He would do for them. So Jeremiah continued to preach the Word of God to the people and he continued to receive beatings from them. One day, he was summoned by King Zedekiah to give him the truth of the situation and though he spoke honestly to the King, he did not follow Jeremiah’s advice. Yet even as the gates of the courthouse were being broken down, God protected Jeremiah and gave him mercy.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray. But Jeremiah said, they shall not deliver THEE. Obey.
I beseech THEE the voice of the Lord, which I
speak unto THEE, so it shall be well unto THEE,
and thy soul shall live Jeremiah thirty eight twenty. With
each new breath I take to day, I will give
(00:23):
thanks for the words found in the Bible. As in
the days of Jeremiah, I thank you in advance for
sending people my way, like the Ethiopian eunuch in to
day's reading. When others seek to throw me into a
cistron and try to muddy my character and name, I
(00:44):
thank you that through the clothing of kindness and humility,
you will provide a way for me out of that
muddy pit. When the hands of influence shift around me.
Because I have integrity, I will receive uncommon favor and
uncommon choices regarding the desires of my heart, even in
(01:06):
the midst of my enemies. No matter what may come
my way, I am resting in the finished work God.
I am at peace because I know that I am
a child of God in Jesus' name. Amen, thank you
(01:29):
for praying with me today. Continue listening for an incredible
Bible story brought to you by Bible in a Year
dot com.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
You know your principles, priorities, and practical health care needs
better than anyone else. That's why Christian Healthcare Ministries empowers
you to personalize your health care as an alternative to
health insurance. You can have freedom over your health care
decisions and doctors with affordable programs, and when you join
(01:59):
your surrounded by fellow believers who share the same values.
Learn more by visiting Chministries dot org slash prey.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
God protects Jeremiah and our last story. We learned about
King Zedekiah's stubbornness against the Babylonians. He fought against them
despite Jeremiah's warnings. Jeremiah continued to warn people that fighting
against babylon was a vain attempt, like grasping at air.
Those warnings got Jeremiah beaten and thrown into prison. Now,
(02:44):
Jeremiah remains in the courthouse as a captive and watches
as the Chaldeans and Babylonians pick up our Judah peace
by peace. In this story, we watched the demise of
Judah through the eyes of Jeremiah. The old prophet is beaten,
dripped of wealth, and thrown into mud by his own people.
It would be foreigners and enemies that show him kindness.
(03:07):
Inspired by the Book of Jeremiah.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
Bible in a Year podcast. Thanks for joining us. In
our last episode, we saw a desperate but still prideful
king Zedekiah seeking good news from Jeremiah. He was holding
out hope that Judah could hold off the Babylonian onslaught
and drive them out of the land. But Jeremiah was
(03:34):
not in the business of telling people what they wanted
to hear. He was God's man, God's messenger, even if
the message was one of judgment. He delivered. This cost Jeremiah,
including scorn and beatings from those who opposed him. Still,
devastation was coming from the Chaldeans, and today we'll hear
the things Jeremiah experienced as Judah crumbled. God will call
(03:58):
him to sacrifice his own wealth and freedom for the
sake of others, and through it all the Lord will
be with him, protecting his prophet and using him to
tell a story of ultimate redemption. So let's listen today
to God's word.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
The Prophet Jeremiah had been shut up in the courthouse
of Zedekiah for a long while. During that time, King
Neberconezzar began his second wind of attacks against Judah. The
Chaldeans broke down the walls and burned the city streets,
and Neberconezzar waltzed in without struggle. The land was large
(04:34):
it would take the Babylonian's weeks to reach Jerusalem. There
was a sense of urgency in King Zedekiah as he
rallied more men to fight. He fought against Neberconezzar and
the Chaldeans, despite Jeremiah's warnings. One day Jeremiah was praying
in a solitary part of the courthouse, God whispered to him,
as he once did to Elijah. In that still and
(04:57):
quiet voice, the Lord made his will known to the prophet.
Your uncle Hannamel will visit you in desperation. He will
want to sell you his land in Anathoth. Jeremiah's eyes
widened at the words of the Lord. Anathoth was already
under siege from Babylon. Any land his uncle would want
to sell him would be utterly worthless. It was the
(05:20):
Lord's intention for Jeremiah to use his money to redeem
his uncle and save him in hard times. Sure Enough,
the next day, Hanamel came to visit his nephew at
the court house. He begged Jeremiah to buy the land
off him. He said that he desired for the land
to stay in the family. However, Jeremiah knew it was
because the Babylonians had taken it and the land was
(05:43):
of no use to any one.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Now.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Buying the land would be relieving his uncle of a burden.
Jeremiah knew that the Lord had called him to this,
so he bought the land and gave the deed to
his friend Baruk for safe keeping. The deed would be
an image of future redemption. To own that land would
mean certain Babylonian slavery, so Jeremiah redeemed his uncle so
(06:06):
he could be free. This is what the Lord would
do for his people. He would pay the price of
slavery so that his loved ones might live free. Jeremiah
rejoiced in the Lord, but continued to feel sorrow in
his heart for Judah's fate. Days passed and the siege
of Babylon continued. Jeremiah went to the roof of the
(06:27):
court house. He could see the horrors of the Chaldeans
in the distance. They had destroyed most of the walls
of Jerusalem. Zedekiah and his men had destroyed a few
of the homes to create a makeshift wall to keep
the Chaldeans out. When that didn't work, they stacked on
dead bodies to turn away the enemy. God saw this,
(06:47):
and his heart broke. The blighted wind came in from
the north, and Jeremiah began to sob. The Lord spoke
to him again, saying, I am the Lord who has
made the earth. I will restore this city once again.
I will heal them and reveal my goodness. The Lord's
words touched Jeremiah's heart as he looked upon the ashy
(07:09):
city below. How could God fix this, Jeremiah must have thought,
I will cleanse my people from the guilt of their sins.
I will forgive them and wash them clean. After this destruction,
there shall again be the sound of wedding bells, the
voice of a groom singing over his bride. All shall
(07:30):
be made whole again. God declared. This was another image
of what God would do in his people. Hundreds of
years from then, a new king would arise and walk
the streets of Jerusalem. He would enter and wash the
people white as snow. Jeremiah continued to do his best
to warn the people of Judah. As they passed by
(07:51):
the court house, he told them they had a choice
remain in Judah and be made captives, or flee to
the Chaldeans and be spared. Jeremiah's words were like poisoned
to the men trying to fight. The princes and commanders
marched to the king and said, you cannot let this
man live. His words are quenching the fire of our soldiers.
(08:13):
Every time they hear him speak, they lose more hope
for victory. I agree. King Zedekiah replied, do as you
wish with him. My hands are clean of it. The
king's answer only partially pleased the princes, for they desire
Jeremiah dead, but did not want his blood on their hands.
(08:33):
Jeremiah was praying to the Lord in his room when
he heard the door creak open. He turned around and
saw the princes and some guards with clubs and ropes.
More beatings. Jeremiah had become accustomed to them. By now,
he had come to expect brutality over kindness. The men
beat him and bound him. Jeremiah's bruised and bloody body
(08:55):
was dragged through the courtyard towards an old cistern. It
was deep and no longer flowing with water. However, it
was filled with mud and moss. Jeremiah was let down
into the cistern on ropes. His feet touched the mud below,
and he tried to find steady footing. He sank, the
mud consumed him, and darkness enveloped him. Ebed, the Ethiopian eunuch,
(09:19):
was strolling around the courtyard when he heard the snickering
of passing walkers. It came to his attention that Jeremiah
was tossed into the muddy cistern to rot with no
food or water. He immediately went to the king and said,
this is truly evil. Jeremiah is a man of God
and was left in that well to starve. Give me
(09:39):
permission to fish him out before judgment falls on all
of us. The king gave his passive permission, and immediately
Ebd gathered thirty men to tight clothing together to make
a rope. Ebed brought the makeshift rope and his men
down to the cistern. He peered down to see Jeremiah's
motionless body consumed by the mud. We are going to
(10:00):
rescue you, he shouted. When the rope comes down, tie
it under your arms. Jeremiah was barely conscious. He had
gone days without food or water, and was beginning to
think he would die there in that cistern. He was
pulled out and given a little food to eat and
water to drink. Not much could be spared since Judah
was still in decline. Jeremiah remained in the court house,
(10:23):
recovering from his near death experience in the cistern. He
was quiet of late and filled with contemplation. The prophet
was about to go to sleep when his door opened.
He had been summoned to meet King Zedekiah. Jeremiah was
escorted out of the court house. He walked next to
the guard past the palace. He had thought he would
(10:44):
meet the king in the palace as usual. However, they
were making their way towards the temple. It was late
and the distant sound of war had subsided for the night.
All that remained was the silent crackling of fire in
the moving breeze. Jeremiah saw King Zedekiah sitting at the
steps of the third gate, of the temple. He approached
(11:04):
the king. There was silence for a moment as the
king looked blankly into the distance. There was a crack
in his normally impassive and expressionless face. Zedekiah sighed, I
will ask you this one question, the king said, still
looking blankly into nothing, Hide nothing from me. I only
(11:25):
want the truth. The truth usually gets me beaten or worse,
Jeremiah replied. The king looked at Jeremiah somberly. I swear
you will not be harmed, nor will I deliver you
back into the hands of those who want you dead.
The king paused. He looked like a defeated man, a
weary man. What will come of us, Zedekiah asked. There
(11:50):
were cracks in his voice as he spoke. Jeremiah sat
beside the king, looking into the nothingness next to him.
If you surrender and your life will be spared. The
city won't be burned to the ground. You and your
house shall live, he explained. But if you do not
surrender and you continue fighting, many more will die. This
(12:13):
city will be reduced to ashes. I fear that if
I surrender, I will be given over to the men
who deserted Judah to be with the Chaldeans. They are
not happy with me and will kill me, the king confessed.
Jeremiah shook his head. You won't be given to them.
Heed God's warnings now, and the Lord will deal well
(12:34):
with you. Refuse in all your house will be captive
to Babylon, he said, with a pleading tone. Zedekiah rose
up from the temple steps and began to walk away.
He paused and turned to Jeremiah, saying, do not speak
of our conversation tonight, and I will let you live.
So Jeremiah remained in the courthouse as the city was preached.
(12:58):
Jeremiah woke up to the earth shaking beneath him. The
Chaldeans had taken another side of the wall. The rocks
fell to the floor and shook the earth. Zedekiah had
not listened to the words of Jeremiah and raised his
sword against the Chaldeans. However, he was met with a
force too great to comprehend. Jeremiah watched from a distance
(13:18):
as Zedekiah's army retreated to the palace gardens. One by one,
they were picked off, Spears were driven through their hearts,
and their heads were put on pikes. Tears streamed down
Jeremiah's face as he watched King Zedekiah beg for mercy.
The king was beaten, bound and sent off to Babylon.
(13:39):
Jeremiah sat in his room and waited. He knew it
was only a matter of time before the Babylonian commanders
stormed the court house in search of wealth. The captain
of Babylonian guard, Nebuzaradan, had his men searched the court house.
They took captives, gold, silver, and precious documents. They scoured
every room in closet until it was empty. Jeremiah's door
(14:03):
burst open and he was drug out into the courtyard
before an Abuzaradan. Jeremiah leaned in to receive another beating. However,
he was met with a warmness from the captain. King
Nebukonezzar had heard of Jeremiah. He heard of his warnings
to the people of Judah, and took pity on Jeremiah
for being a messenger of reason. Although Babylon was evil,
(14:25):
there was a glimmer of mercy in their actions towards Jeremiah.
He was given food, water, and a bodyguard to escort
him back to his home. He was also offered a
place beside Nebuzaradan. Jeremiah had a privilege. No one else
in Judah had a choice, a choice to remain with
his people or live in the comforts of Babylon. With
(14:48):
that freedom, he chose to dwell among the remaining inhabitants
of Judah. There he cared for them in his old
age and helped them pursue God despite their suffering. As
Jeremiah looked into the distance, he could see a pillar
of flames where the temple was being burned. Everyone watched
in sorrow as the temple crumpled. Jeremiah's heart swelled with sadness.
(15:10):
He did not turn his eyes from the temple. As
he stared out at the distance, he remembered the image
of God showed him of the potter and clay. The
old pot was broken, so a new one could emerge,
more beautiful. Out of death would come new life. This
was the rhythm of creation, This was the way of
(15:30):
the Lord.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
As we begin today's reading, Jeremiah is confined to Zekiah's
courthouse while the king and his armies try in vain
to hold off the assault of nebkan Azer's forces. But
at last the Chaldeans broke through the walls, and the
Babylonian king entered the land, headed for Jerusalem and King Zetekiah.
Judah was in ruins, cities set ablaze as the Chaldeans
(15:57):
marched through, taking and doing whatever they please. And so
in this context, the Lord spoke one day to Jeremiah.
This time the message was not for Zedekiah or the
people of Judah. It was for Jeremiah himself. God told
him his uncle Hannamel was going to come to him
desperate and try to sell his land to Jeremiah. His
(16:19):
property had no value, as the Babylonians had taken that
part of Judah. This wasn't an investment opportunity for Jeremiah.
It was a sacrifice. Buying the land from Hannamel would
take an enormous burden off the shoulders of his uncle
and rescue him from certain slavery. Jeremiah was faithful to
(16:39):
the Lord's will and bought the land. It was a
redemptive act that gave Hannemel a freedom he had done
nothing to earn and had no hope to attain on
his own. Through Jeremiah's sacrifice, God was showing his people
what he would do for them and for us. Paying
the price for our freedom is act of pure grace.
(17:02):
The battle continued, with Zedekiah and his forces fighting in
futility against Babylon. Jeremiah watched in horror and grief as
his homeland was destroyed, the dead bodies piling up left
and right, and he wept for Judah. God spoke to
him again with words of hope. Listen to God's promise
found in Jeremiah thirty three, verses six through eight. Behold,
(17:27):
I will bring it to health and healing, and I
will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity
and security. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and
the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were
at first. I will cleanse them from all the guilt
of their sin against me, and I will forgive all
the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. This
(17:50):
is a tremendous promise from God's word to all of us,
when we confess our sins turn our hearts to Him
even in the most challenging moments. His faithfulness, his goodness,
all his promises are there to strengthen and help us
and to encourage us and yes, forgive us when we
need forgiveness. God reminds Jeremiah and all of us that
(18:14):
when we faced adverse circumstances, God can use these things
to cleanse us of our sin and our rebellion against Him.
So Jeremiah continued to do what God called him to do,
and today we heard how yet again those who didn't
want to hear of condemnation and judgment sought to take
Jeremiah's life. He was seized and thrown into a cistern,
(18:37):
but at the last moment God sent a man to
rescue him. We then hear an earnest conversation between Jeremiah
and a weary king, Zadekiah. The arrogance and anger of
the king seemed broken, replaced by fear of what would
happen to him. Jeremiah came to him as a caring
shepherd and a wise counselor, urging this man to surrender
(19:00):
as much to God's will as to the Babylonians. But
Zedekiah doesn't listen to the last warning and continues to
flee and fight until one by one his men are killed,
along with his sons slaughtered right before his eyes. Zedekiah's
eyes are gouged out, and he's taken away in captivity
to Babylon. Such a tragic sad ending that could have
(19:22):
been avoided if only Zadekiah had listened to God's warnings.
As for Jeremiah, he obeyed and found mercy in the
side of the Lord, even kindness by the Babylonian commander.
He is given a choice to go to Babylon to
live in comfort, or to stay with his people. Jeremiah
chooses to remain in Judah to serve his people, even
(19:45):
as Jerusalem and God's Temple crumble to the ground. But
this man of God knows that the Lord one day
will make all things new. Because our God is always
faithful to his word and his goodness, mercy is eternal.
Let's pray, Lord God, May we always listen and obey you.
(20:09):
May we always do your will and trust you. And
when we disobey, may we find forgiveness as we confess
our sins. Lord, we thank you for the story of
Jeremiah and this man of God who was faithful to
you all the days of his life. May we also
live in commitment and consecration to You in Jesus' name. Amen.
(20:32):
Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Let me encourage
you to download thepray dot com app and always make
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along with prayer. If you enjoyed this podcast, share it
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(20:53):
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And if you want more resources from me, Jack Graham
as to how you can grow in your Christian life,
then go to Jack Graham dot org. That's Jack Graham
dot org. God bless you.
Let us pray. But Jeremiah said, they shall not deliver THEE. Obey.
I beseech THEE the voice of the Lord, which I
speak unto THEE, so it shall be well unto THEE,
and thy soul shall live Jeremiah thirty eight twenty. With
each new breath I take to day, I will give
(00:23):
thanks for the words found in the Bible. As in
the days of Jeremiah, I thank you in advance for
sending people my way, like the Ethiopian eunuch in to
day's reading. When others seek to throw me into a
cistron and try to muddy my character and name, I
(00:44):
thank you that through the clothing of kindness and humility,
you will provide a way for me out of that
muddy pit. When the hands of influence shift around me.
Because I have integrity, I will receive uncommon favor and
uncommon choices regarding the desires of my heart, even in
(01:06):
the midst of my enemies. No matter what may come
my way, I am resting in the finished work God.
I am at peace because I know that I am
a child of God in Jesus' name. Amen, thank you
(01:29):
for praying with me today. Continue listening for an incredible
Bible story brought to you by Bible in a Year
dot com.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
You know your principles, priorities, and practical health care needs
better than anyone else. That's why Christian Healthcare Ministries empowers
you to personalize your health care as an alternative to
health insurance. You can have freedom over your health care
decisions and doctors with affordable programs, and when you join
(01:59):
your surrounded by fellow believers who share the same values.
Learn more by visiting Chministries dot org slash prey.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
God protects Jeremiah and our last story. We learned about
King Zedekiah's stubbornness against the Babylonians. He fought against them
despite Jeremiah's warnings. Jeremiah continued to warn people that fighting
against babylon was a vain attempt, like grasping at air.
Those warnings got Jeremiah beaten and thrown into prison. Now,
(02:44):
Jeremiah remains in the courthouse as a captive and watches
as the Chaldeans and Babylonians pick up our Judah peace
by peace. In this story, we watched the demise of
Judah through the eyes of Jeremiah. The old prophet is beaten,
dripped of wealth, and thrown into mud by his own people.
It would be foreigners and enemies that show him kindness.
(03:07):
Inspired by the Book of Jeremiah.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
Bible in a Year podcast. Thanks for joining us. In
our last episode, we saw a desperate but still prideful
king Zedekiah seeking good news from Jeremiah. He was holding
out hope that Judah could hold off the Babylonian onslaught
and drive them out of the land. But Jeremiah was
(03:34):
not in the business of telling people what they wanted
to hear. He was God's man, God's messenger, even if
the message was one of judgment. He delivered. This cost Jeremiah,
including scorn and beatings from those who opposed him. Still,
devastation was coming from the Chaldeans, and today we'll hear
the things Jeremiah experienced as Judah crumbled. God will call
(03:58):
him to sacrifice his own wealth and freedom for the
sake of others, and through it all the Lord will
be with him, protecting his prophet and using him to
tell a story of ultimate redemption. So let's listen today
to God's word.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
The Prophet Jeremiah had been shut up in the courthouse
of Zedekiah for a long while. During that time, King
Neberconezzar began his second wind of attacks against Judah. The
Chaldeans broke down the walls and burned the city streets,
and Neberconezzar waltzed in without struggle. The land was large
(04:34):
it would take the Babylonian's weeks to reach Jerusalem. There
was a sense of urgency in King Zedekiah as he
rallied more men to fight. He fought against Neberconezzar and
the Chaldeans, despite Jeremiah's warnings. One day Jeremiah was praying
in a solitary part of the courthouse, God whispered to him,
as he once did to Elijah. In that still and
(04:57):
quiet voice, the Lord made his will known to the prophet.
Your uncle Hannamel will visit you in desperation. He will
want to sell you his land in Anathoth. Jeremiah's eyes
widened at the words of the Lord. Anathoth was already
under siege from Babylon. Any land his uncle would want
to sell him would be utterly worthless. It was the
(05:20):
Lord's intention for Jeremiah to use his money to redeem
his uncle and save him in hard times. Sure Enough,
the next day, Hanamel came to visit his nephew at
the court house. He begged Jeremiah to buy the land
off him. He said that he desired for the land
to stay in the family. However, Jeremiah knew it was
because the Babylonians had taken it and the land was
(05:43):
of no use to any one.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Now.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Buying the land would be relieving his uncle of a burden.
Jeremiah knew that the Lord had called him to this,
so he bought the land and gave the deed to
his friend Baruk for safe keeping. The deed would be
an image of future redemption. To own that land would
mean certain Babylonian slavery, so Jeremiah redeemed his uncle so
(06:06):
he could be free. This is what the Lord would
do for his people. He would pay the price of
slavery so that his loved ones might live free. Jeremiah
rejoiced in the Lord, but continued to feel sorrow in
his heart for Judah's fate. Days passed and the siege
of Babylon continued. Jeremiah went to the roof of the
(06:27):
court house. He could see the horrors of the Chaldeans
in the distance. They had destroyed most of the walls
of Jerusalem. Zedekiah and his men had destroyed a few
of the homes to create a makeshift wall to keep
the Chaldeans out. When that didn't work, they stacked on
dead bodies to turn away the enemy. God saw this,
(06:47):
and his heart broke. The blighted wind came in from
the north, and Jeremiah began to sob. The Lord spoke
to him again, saying, I am the Lord who has
made the earth. I will restore this city once again.
I will heal them and reveal my goodness. The Lord's
words touched Jeremiah's heart as he looked upon the ashy
(07:09):
city below. How could God fix this, Jeremiah must have thought,
I will cleanse my people from the guilt of their sins.
I will forgive them and wash them clean. After this destruction,
there shall again be the sound of wedding bells, the
voice of a groom singing over his bride. All shall
(07:30):
be made whole again. God declared. This was another image
of what God would do in his people. Hundreds of
years from then, a new king would arise and walk
the streets of Jerusalem. He would enter and wash the
people white as snow. Jeremiah continued to do his best
to warn the people of Judah. As they passed by
(07:51):
the court house, he told them they had a choice
remain in Judah and be made captives, or flee to
the Chaldeans and be spared. Jeremiah's words were like poisoned
to the men trying to fight. The princes and commanders
marched to the king and said, you cannot let this
man live. His words are quenching the fire of our soldiers.
(08:13):
Every time they hear him speak, they lose more hope
for victory. I agree. King Zedekiah replied, do as you
wish with him. My hands are clean of it. The
king's answer only partially pleased the princes, for they desire
Jeremiah dead, but did not want his blood on their hands.
(08:33):
Jeremiah was praying to the Lord in his room when
he heard the door creak open. He turned around and
saw the princes and some guards with clubs and ropes.
More beatings. Jeremiah had become accustomed to them. By now,
he had come to expect brutality over kindness. The men
beat him and bound him. Jeremiah's bruised and bloody body
(08:55):
was dragged through the courtyard towards an old cistern. It
was deep and no longer flowing with water. However, it
was filled with mud and moss. Jeremiah was let down
into the cistern on ropes. His feet touched the mud below,
and he tried to find steady footing. He sank, the
mud consumed him, and darkness enveloped him. Ebed, the Ethiopian eunuch,
(09:19):
was strolling around the courtyard when he heard the snickering
of passing walkers. It came to his attention that Jeremiah
was tossed into the muddy cistern to rot with no
food or water. He immediately went to the king and said,
this is truly evil. Jeremiah is a man of God
and was left in that well to starve. Give me
(09:39):
permission to fish him out before judgment falls on all
of us. The king gave his passive permission, and immediately
Ebd gathered thirty men to tight clothing together to make
a rope. Ebed brought the makeshift rope and his men
down to the cistern. He peered down to see Jeremiah's
motionless body consumed by the mud. We are going to
(10:00):
rescue you, he shouted. When the rope comes down, tie
it under your arms. Jeremiah was barely conscious. He had
gone days without food or water, and was beginning to
think he would die there in that cistern. He was
pulled out and given a little food to eat and
water to drink. Not much could be spared since Judah
was still in decline. Jeremiah remained in the court house,
(10:23):
recovering from his near death experience in the cistern. He
was quiet of late and filled with contemplation. The prophet
was about to go to sleep when his door opened.
He had been summoned to meet King Zedekiah. Jeremiah was
escorted out of the court house. He walked next to
the guard past the palace. He had thought he would
(10:44):
meet the king in the palace as usual. However, they
were making their way towards the temple. It was late
and the distant sound of war had subsided for the night.
All that remained was the silent crackling of fire in
the moving breeze. Jeremiah saw King Zedekiah sitting at the
steps of the third gate, of the temple. He approached
(11:04):
the king. There was silence for a moment as the
king looked blankly into the distance. There was a crack
in his normally impassive and expressionless face. Zedekiah sighed, I
will ask you this one question, the king said, still
looking blankly into nothing, Hide nothing from me. I only
(11:25):
want the truth. The truth usually gets me beaten or worse,
Jeremiah replied. The king looked at Jeremiah somberly. I swear
you will not be harmed, nor will I deliver you
back into the hands of those who want you dead.
The king paused. He looked like a defeated man, a
weary man. What will come of us, Zedekiah asked. There
(11:50):
were cracks in his voice as he spoke. Jeremiah sat
beside the king, looking into the nothingness next to him.
If you surrender and your life will be spared. The
city won't be burned to the ground. You and your
house shall live, he explained. But if you do not
surrender and you continue fighting, many more will die. This
(12:13):
city will be reduced to ashes. I fear that if
I surrender, I will be given over to the men
who deserted Judah to be with the Chaldeans. They are
not happy with me and will kill me, the king confessed.
Jeremiah shook his head. You won't be given to them.
Heed God's warnings now, and the Lord will deal well
(12:34):
with you. Refuse in all your house will be captive
to Babylon, he said, with a pleading tone. Zedekiah rose
up from the temple steps and began to walk away.
He paused and turned to Jeremiah, saying, do not speak
of our conversation tonight, and I will let you live.
So Jeremiah remained in the courthouse as the city was preached.
(12:58):
Jeremiah woke up to the earth shaking beneath him. The
Chaldeans had taken another side of the wall. The rocks
fell to the floor and shook the earth. Zedekiah had
not listened to the words of Jeremiah and raised his
sword against the Chaldeans. However, he was met with a
force too great to comprehend. Jeremiah watched from a distance
(13:18):
as Zedekiah's army retreated to the palace gardens. One by one,
they were picked off, Spears were driven through their hearts,
and their heads were put on pikes. Tears streamed down
Jeremiah's face as he watched King Zedekiah beg for mercy.
The king was beaten, bound and sent off to Babylon.
(13:39):
Jeremiah sat in his room and waited. He knew it
was only a matter of time before the Babylonian commanders
stormed the court house in search of wealth. The captain
of Babylonian guard, Nebuzaradan, had his men searched the court house.
They took captives, gold, silver, and precious documents. They scoured
every room in closet until it was empty. Jeremiah's door
(14:03):
burst open and he was drug out into the courtyard
before an Abuzaradan. Jeremiah leaned in to receive another beating. However,
he was met with a warmness from the captain. King
Nebukonezzar had heard of Jeremiah. He heard of his warnings
to the people of Judah, and took pity on Jeremiah
for being a messenger of reason. Although Babylon was evil,
(14:25):
there was a glimmer of mercy in their actions towards Jeremiah.
He was given food, water, and a bodyguard to escort
him back to his home. He was also offered a
place beside Nebuzaradan. Jeremiah had a privilege. No one else
in Judah had a choice, a choice to remain with
his people or live in the comforts of Babylon. With
(14:48):
that freedom, he chose to dwell among the remaining inhabitants
of Judah. There he cared for them in his old
age and helped them pursue God despite their suffering. As
Jeremiah looked into the distance, he could see a pillar
of flames where the temple was being burned. Everyone watched
in sorrow as the temple crumpled. Jeremiah's heart swelled with sadness.
(15:10):
He did not turn his eyes from the temple. As
he stared out at the distance, he remembered the image
of God showed him of the potter and clay. The
old pot was broken, so a new one could emerge,
more beautiful. Out of death would come new life. This
was the rhythm of creation, This was the way of
(15:30):
the Lord.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
As we begin today's reading, Jeremiah is confined to Zekiah's
courthouse while the king and his armies try in vain
to hold off the assault of nebkan Azer's forces. But
at last the Chaldeans broke through the walls, and the
Babylonian king entered the land, headed for Jerusalem and King Zetekiah.
Judah was in ruins, cities set ablaze as the Chaldeans
(15:57):
marched through, taking and doing whatever they please. And so
in this context, the Lord spoke one day to Jeremiah.
This time the message was not for Zedekiah or the
people of Judah. It was for Jeremiah himself. God told
him his uncle Hannamel was going to come to him
desperate and try to sell his land to Jeremiah. His
(16:19):
property had no value, as the Babylonians had taken that
part of Judah. This wasn't an investment opportunity for Jeremiah.
It was a sacrifice. Buying the land from Hannamel would
take an enormous burden off the shoulders of his uncle
and rescue him from certain slavery. Jeremiah was faithful to
(16:39):
the Lord's will and bought the land. It was a
redemptive act that gave Hannemel a freedom he had done
nothing to earn and had no hope to attain on
his own. Through Jeremiah's sacrifice, God was showing his people
what he would do for them and for us. Paying
the price for our freedom is act of pure grace.
(17:02):
The battle continued, with Zedekiah and his forces fighting in
futility against Babylon. Jeremiah watched in horror and grief as
his homeland was destroyed, the dead bodies piling up left
and right, and he wept for Judah. God spoke to
him again with words of hope. Listen to God's promise
found in Jeremiah thirty three, verses six through eight. Behold,
(17:27):
I will bring it to health and healing, and I
will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity
and security. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and
the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were
at first. I will cleanse them from all the guilt
of their sin against me, and I will forgive all
the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. This
(17:50):
is a tremendous promise from God's word to all of us,
when we confess our sins turn our hearts to Him
even in the most challenging moments. His faithfulness, his goodness,
all his promises are there to strengthen and help us
and to encourage us and yes, forgive us when we
need forgiveness. God reminds Jeremiah and all of us that
(18:14):
when we faced adverse circumstances, God can use these things
to cleanse us of our sin and our rebellion against Him.
So Jeremiah continued to do what God called him to do,
and today we heard how yet again those who didn't
want to hear of condemnation and judgment sought to take
Jeremiah's life. He was seized and thrown into a cistern,
(18:37):
but at the last moment God sent a man to
rescue him. We then hear an earnest conversation between Jeremiah
and a weary king, Zadekiah. The arrogance and anger of
the king seemed broken, replaced by fear of what would
happen to him. Jeremiah came to him as a caring
shepherd and a wise counselor, urging this man to surrender
(19:00):
as much to God's will as to the Babylonians. But
Zedekiah doesn't listen to the last warning and continues to
flee and fight until one by one his men are killed,
along with his sons slaughtered right before his eyes. Zedekiah's
eyes are gouged out, and he's taken away in captivity
to Babylon. Such a tragic sad ending that could have
(19:22):
been avoided if only Zadekiah had listened to God's warnings.
As for Jeremiah, he obeyed and found mercy in the
side of the Lord, even kindness by the Babylonian commander.
He is given a choice to go to Babylon to
live in comfort, or to stay with his people. Jeremiah
chooses to remain in Judah to serve his people, even
(19:45):
as Jerusalem and God's Temple crumble to the ground. But
this man of God knows that the Lord one day
will make all things new. Because our God is always
faithful to his word and his goodness, mercy is eternal.
Let's pray, Lord God, May we always listen and obey you.
(20:09):
May we always do your will and trust you. And
when we disobey, may we find forgiveness as we confess
our sins. Lord, we thank you for the story of
Jeremiah and this man of God who was faithful to
you all the days of his life. May we also
live in commitment and consecration to You in Jesus' name. Amen.
(20:32):
Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Let me encourage
you to download thepray dot com app and always make
Bible reading and Bible study a priority in your life
along with prayer. If you enjoyed this podcast, share it
with someone you love. Let someone know because by sharing
(20:53):
this podcast you can truly make a difference in someone's life.
And if you want more resources from me, Jack Graham
as to how you can grow in your Christian life,
then go to Jack Graham dot org. That's Jack Graham
dot org. God bless you.
Host
Jack Graham
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