THE four men whose names are given in the first verse, little thought that they would be singled out fur mention in the Word of God as concerned in a plan to bring about the death of the prophet. Had their thoughts risen above the level of this world it might have entered their minds that every idle (unprofitable) word that men shall speak they shall give account for in the day of judgment (Matt. 12:3636But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. (Matthew 12:36)).
Chapter 21:9 gives the same language as verse 2 in our chapter; it was of the mercy of God that this way of safety was made known, and from verse 19 we know that some of the people wisely heeded it and went over to the Babylonian army encamped around the city walls. But the princes—heads, chief men, or captains are meant—were as far from God as their king, and deceived by Satan to their own ruin. It was not a question about what Jeremiah had said but the mighty God had spoken; His word will stand forever.
Zedekiah was again quite willing to have the prophet illtreated, or even, as it seems, put to death, and he was now cast into an empty cistern, a prison worse than the first place of confinement (chapter 37:15, 16), his offense being that lie told the truth. But, as God was with Joseph (Gen. 89:21), so was He with Jeremiah; He moved Ebed-melech, a Cushite or Ethiopian—not an Israelite but a believing (see chapter 39:18) stranger, who in some way had become a member of the Judean king’s household—to appeal to Zedekiah to spare Jeremiah’s life. The king granted the request and the victim of his fellowmen’s hatred was drawn out of the cistern, though still kept under guard.
Again did the king seek the prophet (verse 14); altogether a dupe of Satan, he yet knew where the truth was to be learned. The occasion was the last meeting, as far as we know, between the two men. Zedekiah wished to save his life, to keep his honors as the king of Judah; he clung to what was slipping front his grasp, and he had nothing but what this poor world has to give. Pitiable, indeed, is the case of the man of the world facing the loss of the glittering, but empty show in winch he has lived. How much better off than himself, was the king’s prisoner who knew and trusted the true God!
Zedekiah could not say, like Elijah in an earlier day, “As the Lord of hosts liveth before Whom I stand” (1 Kings 18:1515And Elijah said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him to day. (1 Kings 18:15)), but, “As the Lord liveth that made us this soul” (verse 16). He thus owned as Creator, Him he would not accept as his God. Is it not in the same way that men speak of God today: “the Creator”, say they, as of some one with whom they have nothing to do, nor are they concerned about His will as to themselves.
Verse 17: O, the mercy of our God! Even at this late hour in Zedekiah’s course He would spare him, his family and the city. Would Zedekiah accept the only way of escape from the prospect that the next chapter brought to him in dread reality? He appears to have entered the class included at the beginning, of Rev. 21:88But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)—the fearful and unbelieving. He feared the consequence before his fellow men of taking the path of safety which God held out before him; he clung to the present, fading away before his eyes, rather than trust his soul with God. “I am afraid,” said he, “of the Jews”—those that had already gone over to the besiegers; “they will mock me.” There is One whom Zedekiah should have feared;—Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (see Matt. 10:2828And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)).
Again the prophet speaks “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.” There is no answer; Jeremiah remains in the court of the prison (or guard) until Jerusalem is taken; the king, on his part, rejected the mercy of God, and remained within the city until it was too late to escape the punishment the judgment of God meted out to him.
Part of verse 22 may be obscure to some readers. The word “women” which the translators have added in italics, should he omitted, “those” referring to the Babylonian princes. These princes would tell Zedekiah the real truth, that his familiar friends had occasioned his downfall and deserted him.
ML-03/17/1935