May 1929
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
237
I n t e r n a t i o n a l L e s so n C om m e n ta r y By David L. Cooper I
1
carried off into Babylon. He concluded the prophecy, stating that Pashhur and his entire family would go off in captivity into Babylon, and there he and his friends should die and be buried in a foreign land. The sensitive feelings and the compas sionate heart of the prophet were so very much stirred over the calamity that he began, like Job, to bewail the day of his birth and his lot in life. 2. Jeremiah and Zedekiah. Jer. 37:1-10. At this time Zedekiah, unreliable and vacillating, was made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Of course it was by the providence of God that Nebuchadnezzar made him king. Though of the royal line and having had unparalleled advantages, he was un faithful and disobedient to the Word of God which came through Jeremiah the prophet. At times he seemed to have faith, while at others his trust in God was at a low ebb. According to 37:3 he sent Jehucal to Jeremiah, beseeching the latter, “P r a y now unto Jehovah our God for us.” At this time the prophet had his liberty, go ing whithersoever he chose. This, of course, was prior to his being cast into prison. Zedekiah had secret communications with Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and had ob tained the promise of help from him. About this time the Egyptian army ap peared in Palestine, the coming of which caused the Chaldeans to raise the siege of Jerusalem and to retreat northward. The prophet Jeremiah sent a message to the king in which he proclaimed the use lessness and hopelessness of the Egyptian army. He said that it should return to its own land and that the Chaldeans should return, besiege the city and burn it. His warning to Zedekiah was that they should not deceive themselves by vain, floating reports that the Chaldeans had withdrawn from the country. Neither should they conclude that the Chaldean army was weakened, for, said he, “though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remain but wounded men among them, yet would they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.” The sequel to the story shows that King Zedekiah’s faith was very weak and that he failed to trust God. Without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto God (Heb. 11:6). “I f ye will not believe, sure ly ye shall not be established” 1 (Isa. 7:9). 3. Jeremiah and Irijah. Jer. 37:11-21. When the Chaldean army withdrew, Jeremiah, enjoying his liberty, went forth out of Jerusalem into the land of Benja min to receive the portion of his inherit ance. The prophet was under suspicion by the corrupt officials, who misinterpreted his prophecies and who considered that he was playing into the hands of the
June 2, 1929 L ater Experiences of Je rem ia h
Chaldeans. As he was passing out of the gate of Benjamin, Irijah arrested him, declaring “Thou art falling away to the Chaldeans.” To this false charge Jeremiah replied that he was not. Refusing to listen to his straightforward, earnest statement concerning his innocency, this corrupt of ficial brought him to the princes, who be came very indignant at the prophet, smote him, and cast him into the prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe. The corrup tion of the officials, their lack of faith heightened by their guilty outraged con sciences, made them suspicious of this godly, faithful man and caused them to mistreat him. Any treatment, whether it be good or bad, accorded to even the least of God’s children is considered by Him as being done to Him (cf. Matt. 25:31-46). While Jeremiah was in the dungeon the king sent for him and asked him in pri vate if there was any message from God. Though the prophet knew the vacillating nature of the king and the danger he was in, he spoke faithfully the message which God gave him. Thus he said, “Thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” His fearlessness reminds one of the courage of John the Baptist who re buked Herod for his many sins. After delivering this clear and unmis takable message from God to the king, the prophet declared his innocency in the form of questions, the answers to which demanded his acquittal and release from prison. Realizing the danger to his health, he implored the king that he not be re turned to the damp dungeon. The king acceded to his request and granted him to remain in the court of the guard, and gave orders that he should be supplied with food. It is quite evident that the innocency of the prophet impressed the king to such an extent that he granted him this liberty. II. Jeremiah Preserved and Befriended by: 1. Ebed-melech. Jer. 38:1-13. While the prophet was in the more comfortable place of the court of the guard the Word of God came to him and, being faithful to God, he spoke forth the messages of God. He realized the im portance of preaching the Word both “in season and out of season.” He, like Daniel (Dan. 2), knew that God had delivered all of the nations into the hands of Nebu chadnezzar king of Babylon. Thus he urged his fellow citizens to go forth to the Chaldeans in order that they might live, warning them that should they remain in the city they would perish in the disaster. These latest utterances of the prophet again were misinterpreted by the princes as words of treason against the govern ment and were reported to the king. They urged the king that the death sentence should be pronounced upon the prophet and that he should be executed. In re sponse to their new charges against Jere miah, Zedekiah yielded to their prejudices
Golden Text: “Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake” (Matt. 5:11). Lesson Text: Jer. 20:1-6; 37:1-38:28; 43 :l-7. L esson in O utline I. Jeremiah’s Experiences with Officials and False Prophets. 1. Jeremiah and Pashhur. Jer. 20:1-6. 2. Jeremiah and Zedekiah. Jer. 37:1- 10 . 3. Jeremiah and Irijah. Jer. 37:11-21. II. Jeremiah Preserved and Befriended by: 1. Ebed-melech. Jer. 38:1-13. 2. Zedekiah. Jer. 38:14-28. III. Jeremiah Taken into Egypt with the Remnant. Jer. 43 :l-7. — o — THROUGHOUT the history of Israel she constantly persecuted the prophets whom God raised; up for her good. Of all of these prophets none suffered as did Word of God through him. I. Jeremiah’s Experiences with Officials and False Prophets. 1. Jeremiah and Pashhur. Jer. 20:1-6. Jeremiah began his personal ministry in the thirteenth year of King Josiah (Jer. 25:3). This is on the very verge of the collapse of the nation. He had constantly warned the people of the coming catas trophe. Pashhur, the son of Immer the priest, who was chief officer in the tem ple, heard Jeremiah as he spoke the Word of God. Taking offense at the prophet’s utterances he smote him and cast him into the stocks in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in the temple enclosure. On the next day Pashhur took Jeremiah out of the stocks. At this time Jeremiah spoke by the Spirit of God to Pashhur, telling him that his name should be changed, the significance of which name was, "Terror on every side.’’ In connection with his statement relative to Pashhur he spoke again a prophecy concerning the downfall of the nation and of its being carried in to captivity. Furthermore he predicted that all of the wealth of the city, together with the treasures of the kings, would be J e r e m i a h , wh o lived prior to and during the final col lapse of the nation. After this disaster he was by force carried into Egypt against his will and c o n t r a r y to the
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker