After the curse of Jeconiah, we have the last king under whom Jeremiah prophesied. The account of Zedekiah (who was 21 years old when he began to reign) can be found in 2 Kings 24:18-25:1-7 and 2 Chronicles 36:11-21. Details of what Zedekiah did can also be found in Jeremiah 27-28, 32, 34, 37-39, and a summary is recapped in Jeremiah 52. The line of the Messiah was through Jeconiah aka Jehoiachin. Zedekiah’s line was later purged as his own sons were murdered right in front of him. It was because Zedekiah eventually rebelled in contrast to the warnings sent to him by Jeremiah. It’s believed that Apries (also called Hophra) of Egypt influenced Zedekiah to revolt against Babylon (Zedekiel 17:15-18).
Judah had fallen under Babylonian control. If Pharaoh Necho II made Jehoiakim king over Jehoahaz, we have Zedekiah. I consider Zedekiah to be Josiah’s biggest failure as a father. After his nephew Jehoiachin was deported to Babylon, he was made king. Like his brothers, he received a name change. Zedekiah was originally born as Mattaniah like Jehoiakim was Eliakim. Strangely, a pagan king like Nebuchadnezzar would use the name Zedekiah, which means “righteousness of the LORD” to suit Mattaniah’s name. Neither name fit Zedekiah. Mattania means gift of the LORD. This king was one incredibly obstinate one. Jeremiah’s whole life was characterized as a weeping prophet because of Josiah’s lack of righteous heirs. Zedekiah ruled for 11 years but did foolishly like his brothers and nephew before him.
Jeremiah mentions Zedekiah but doesn’t get so much focus until Jeremiah 37-39. I think it would be best to focus on Jeremiah sometime later. After all, I want to get a grip on what it means to do expository preaching. Now, I’d like to focus first on Jeremiah 27. Jeremiah 27 has the prophecy set during the time of Zedekiah. The KJV uses Jehoiakim in the introduction but it seems that it was a scribal error. The Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible writes the following:
The prophecy that follows was accoridng ot his reading given in the fourth year of Jehoakim, 15 years before it was published in the reign of Zedekiah to whom it refers; it was thus lng deposited in the prophet’s bosom, in order that by it that he might be supported under trials in his prophetic career in the interim [Calvin]/ But “Zedekiah” may be the true reading. So the Syriac and Arabic Versions. Jeremiah 27:3, Jeremiah 27:12, Jeremiah 28:1, confirm this; also, one of Kennicott’s manuscripts. The English Version reading may have originated from Jeremiah 26:1. “Son of Josiah” applies to Zedekiah as trulyt o “Jehoiakim” or “Eliakim”. The fourth year may, in general sense here, as Jeremiah 28:1, be called “the beginning of his reign”, as it lasted 11 years (2 Kings 24:18). It was not longer after the fourt year of his reign that he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 51:59; Jeremiah 52:3; 2 Kings 24:20), in violation of an oath before God (2 Chronicles 36:13).
God’s warning not to rebel against Babylon
Jeremiah 27 focuses more on the prophecy and the warning sent to Zedekiah. God has ordained that at a specific time, nations will serve under Babylon from Jeremiah 27:6-7 stating this:
6 Now I have given all these lands into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. 7 All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grnadson, until the time of the land comes. They many nations and great kings hall make him their slave.
As history shows, King Nebuchadnezzar’s empire fell under his grandson, King Belshazzar, son of King Nabonidus. Belshazzar ruled as co-regent. I remember reading the book Why I Believe by the late D. James Kennedy. It also discussed the archaeological findings related to Belshazzar and the prayers to the Babylonian moon god. The prophecy was that the nations were to serve Babylon. If it’s God’s will, you ought to accept it. God had a reason to let a pagan king rise to power. Jeremiah is tasked to warn the people not to believe the false prophets who say, “You will not serve the king of Babylon.” That was later shown in Jeremiah 28 when Hananiah, the false prophet came and became popular. Jeremiah’s time was so wicked that condemnation of the shepherds (translated as pastors in the KJV), priests, and prophets of that day were condemned. Jeremiah was among a few who still kept his calling from God faithfully.
I think I might expound on this topic some other day. At this point, I think a bird’s eye view of the prophecy and Hananiah is enough for now.
Zedekiah’s mistreatment of Jeremiah
We read more of what Zedekiah did in Jeremiah than in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. It would be interesting that we get to read the 10th to 11th year of Zedekiah’s reign in Jeremiah. Jeremiah bought a field during a siege in Jeremiah 32. Jeremiah had been locked up because the king refused to believe him. Instead, the king would choose to listen to the false prophets. Isn’t it amazing after Jeremiah accurately predicted the death of Hananiah the false prophet, that the people still refused to believe him? In psychology, we call that cognitive dissonance where facts don’t matter. Facts never mattered for the stiff-necked people, only their personal feelings The land never rested either and I believe that’s why 70 years of exile was done. The land needed to comply with God’s Sabbath years (2 Chronicles 36:21)!
Jeremiah had warned Zedekiah that the latter would not escape the hands of the Chaldeans, but meet the king of Babylon, eye to eye (Jeremiah 32:4). It was also there that Zedekiah lost his sons and his eyes. Jeremiah 32 focuses more on the field during the siege than Zedekiah. I guess I’m going to better expound on it when I’m going to be reading Jeremiah. Right now, I’m simply jumping back and forth, for extra reference In Jeremiah 34, it’s also prophesied that Zedekiah would die in Babylon. There’s so much treachery here not just on Zedekiah but also for the citizens of Judah. For some reason, Jeremiah makes a back-and-forth narrative instead of a purely chronological one. I think I’ll be returning to this topic when I’m reading Jeremiah. Right now, after 2 Chronicles, it might be time to go for Ezra then it may be some time before I’ll go back to Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 37-38 focuses on Jeremiah’s affliction yet again. One of the famous stories is Jeremiah was cast into the cistern. Jeremiah’s only offense was to warn the king of impending judgment. Sadly, being a prophet in the Old Testament was no easy job. It’s said that Manasseh had Isaiah sawn in half, while inside a log. The record of prophets slain is no small number. Ahab and Jezebel did a vicious campaign as both of them were pagans. Jeremiah had warned Zedekiah repeatedly but the latter wouldn’t listen Jeremiah was cast into prison where he was falsely accused of deserting for the Chaldeans. Jeremiah had every right to ask what wrong did he dod that he should go to jail. Jeremiah was handed over to the guard. Surely, this proved Zedekiah was a spineless king.
I really see a parallelism between Pontius Pilate and Zedekiah. Jeremiah can be seen as a type of Messiah. Pilate was known to carve into peer pressure. So was Zedekoiah when he said in Jeremiah 38:5 that he can do nothing. This was a clear spineless evasion of courage. Unlike his father, Zedekiah was rejecting God’s Word! Jeremiah was cast into the cistern of Malciah, the king’s son. It’s a sham that Malciah also refused to walk in the ways of his paternal grandfather Josiah. It’s a pain when loving grandparents have to deal with wayward grandchildren too. The well had no water but only mud. Without God’s help, Jeremiah would’ve perished of thirst, hunger, hypothermia, or suffocation if he sank too low. Psalm 69 can come to mind here.
Fortunately, an Ethiopian eunuch named Ebedmelech came into the picture. Can you imagine a descendant of Cush carrying out this deed? In the New Testament, we can read an Ethiopian official who became a believer (Acts 8). Ebedmelech took the risk of asking stubborn Zedekiah to rescue Jeremiah. I could really imagine they nervousness Ebedmelech had in asking such a favor. You can imagine that Ebedmelech was risking death. Fortunately, Zedekiah agreed. However, Jeremiah would never back out and still continued to lovingly warn the king
It’s amazing that wicked Zedekiah secretly swore to Jeremiah to protect him. However, Jeremiah did mention in Jeremiah 38:15 that what he was doing was risky. Zedekiah was indeed very stubborn. Jeremiah had told Zedekiah not to rebel against the King of Babylon. Zedekiah was warned that trusted friends can be fickle. Zedekiah begged Jeremiah not to let anyone know about the condemning warning. However, Jeremiah was going to be faithful even to the point of death.
Zedekiah’s dynasty comes to an end
Zedekiah was soon subjected to brutal punishments. Sure, one can see the Assyrians’ cruelty. Egypt and Phoenicia had declined. Now, it was time for Babylon to rise up as the ruler of the known world. Zedekiah foolishly opposed God’s warning and was captured. If there’s one thing worth noting, when God gives a warning, you better listen to it! Meanwhile, when a prophecy is given, it’s bound to be fulfilled. Zedekiah saw his own sons butchered before his very eyes at the order of Nebuchadnezzar.
It would be interesting to Ezekiel 12:13 that he would never see Babylon. It’s because his eyes were put out. I couldn’t imagine what method was used. I could only cringle thinking about his eyes being gouged out by knives, in contrast to the use of a heated blade. Some Bible versions use the word gouge, meaning to cut out. I could imagine the screams and blood there. Zedekiah was later chained and sent to Babylon where he died. Nebuchadnezzar and his commander Nebuzadaran were both very thorough. The Temple of Yahweh was set on fire presumably because it was defiled by hypocrisy. Some people surrendered and those who didn’t. For some reason, the poorest people of the land were left to work at the vineyard and fields.
I would think that the death of Zedekiah’s sons and Zedekiah’s blinding was very thorough. I could imagine this was more prepared than what Confucius said about digging two graves. Nebuchadnezzar had Zedekiah blinded so the person would be too blind to rebel. I could imagine if I were among the captured, I would be too scared to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar with such a brutal sight. The execution of the heirs would make it impossible to set the throne of Zedekiah. Zedekiah would not see Babylon, because he was now blind. Zedekiah would soon die there. Zedekiah lost his sight at merely 32 years old, because of disobedience. I could imagine the panic Zedekiah had as Jerusalem burned and he couldn’t even see it. I could imagine the wails were probably so loud that Zedekiah would’ve begged, in my own imagination, to be executed.
Everything Isaiah warned Hezekiah had happened. The treasury was taken to Babylon, where it stayed for 70 years. Eventually, Belshazzar would use the hollowed objects to worship the false gods. Seraiah was a grandson of Hilkiah the high priest. Fortunately, Seraiah’s sons were spared even if he was executed. I’m led to believe that Zedekiah’s line was so bad it had to be put away. It would be like the House of Ahab where not one descendant can be traced today. Nebuchadnezzar then placed Gedaliah to be governor of Judah during the exile. It’s a terrible price to pay for not listening ot the Word of God!
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