Read Jeremiah 52:9-11
As the city was being besieged and taken over by the armies of Babylon, King Zedekiah and his army fled through a hole in the wall. He headed for the plains of Jericho, seeking freedom and safety. His soldiers, fearing for their own lives deserted him and fled.
The King was captured and taken to the victor, King Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah. As Zedekiah stood before the victorious King of Babylon, a sentence was pronounced and the verdict immediately carried out. Zedekiah was made to watch his sons be slaughtered before his very eyes. Helpless and totally hopeless he stood motionless as his sons were slain right in front of his eyes. He watched also as the officials of Judah were also slain. Those who served in his court, those on whom he relied and called upon were mercilessly slain before his very eyes.
Immediately after this Zedekiah’s eyes were ‘put out’. From the account it’s not known if the victorious king used his own hands to blind Zedekiah, or if his soldiers used red hot irons. What we do know is that the last vision Zedekiah had was of his family and trusted officials being slain before him. These memories would be eternally burned onto his psyche and as the last thing he saw, would cause unimaginable pain and suffering.
Following this Zedekiah was bound with bronze shackles and forced to trudge to Babylon as a captive, humiliated and defeated. Not only would he be weak from the pain of having his eyes put out but the bronze would have weighed him down somewhat. The caravan would continue to march on, not even slowing down or stopping for any reason. Throughout the city of Babylon he would have been paraded around as a trophy of war, a sign of the might and power of the Babylonian army and ultimately, the Babylonian gods.
The account of Zedekiah closes with him being thrown into prison (more literally, the house of punishment) until the day he died. It’s quite possible that he was forced to labour at the mill in prison until the day of his demise.
Zedekiah refused to humble himself before Lord. He refused to listen to the prophet Jeremiah. And so, God humbled him before a foreign king.
Prayer:
Using today’s Bible passage and notes write down points for
Adoration:
Confession
Thanks
Supplication:
· Pray for the work of Uni Impact (NZ) and Student Life (Aus) as they seek to make converts on campuses around both countries. Pray that God would be preparing students to hear the gospel and to bow the knee to Jesus. Ask Him to provide all their needs in this mission.
· Pray that God would give your church a zeal and passion for mission, a growing passion to reach the lost. Pray that your church would be a missionary church that longs for all men, women and children to be saved.
1. Why do you think Zedekiah suffered what he did?
2. Why does God hate pride? Think through the entire Bible before you give your answer.
3. God used the Babylonians to achieve His own ends. What does this tell you about your Lord?
One on One
I’ve always struggled to understand why the Bible tells us that we have to “consider it all joy” when we fall into various trails… In my experience, trials don’t equal joy. They equal anxiety, stress and worry. That was until I gave birth to my baby daughter.
Since becoming a mum, I ‘ve been overwhelmed by the love that wells up inside me for her… Leaving Mairi to cry herself to sleep was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do since becoming a mum. My heart would break as I heard her wail and all I wanted to do was run into her room, pick her up and cuddle her… However, in leaving her for a short period of time she would then learn to fall asleep on her own, allowing her to begin to grow up and become more independent.
Now, I understand that not all the trials we go through in life are as small as the one I’ve illustrated here. God allows us to go through much more challenging situations. It may even feel as if God has left us when we are going through these difficult times. But God promises that He will “never leave us or forsake us.” Mairi may have felt alone as I left her to cry herself to sleep but I was actually just at the other side of her bedroom door ready to go in and reassure her when I felt it was getting too much for her.
God is our Father and His love for us is even more perfect and complete than my love for Mairi or any other parent’s love for their child. As I learned how to deal with Mairi’s ‘sleeping trail’, I was reminded that in all the trials we face, God is with us. As we trust in Him and remember that He hasn’t left us or forsaken us, then we can grow stronger in our faith, giving us a deeper and closer relationship with our loving Father.
Copied from Haide S Sanchez, ‘God’s Eagles, Athletes and Pilgrims, A Weekly Devotional With Real Stories for Real People’, Author House, Bloomington Illinois.
The Lord often sends trying times into our lives through circumstances, through others and even through natural calamities to teach us and lead us to trust and to rest in Him rather than in the promises of sin. Our trust is meant to be wholly and solely in God and not in God plus something or someone else. How often have we thought something like, ‘I’d be ok if I had a little more money.’ Or perhaps something like, ’As long as I have my health/family etc, I’ll be ok’. These sentiments show that our trust, our faith and our peace resides in something else other than God. Having good health, money and family/friends is not sinful but they should never be the source of our rest, peace and happiness. God alone is to be the source!
In trying times we are to look to God and find our solace, our peace in Him alone. We are to commit ourselves to God knowing that He will do what is best for His name, His glory and our eternal well being. Even though we may walk along rocky and dangerous roads, we can be assured that God works all things for the good of those who love Him.
1. How’s your prayer life?
2. Describe your current thought life?
3. How’s your relationship with your spouse or your parents?
4. Discuss how and if you’ve struggled with sin/temptation this week.
5. How are you worshipping God through work, family and social networks?
For a spirit of endurance through tough times for those in your church who are going through trying times.
that God would reveal more of His character to you as you read and dig into His Word.
1. In your life, what tough times have you had?
2. Can you see the hand of God’s discipline in these times?
3. What did you learn in these times?
4. How has your attitude and heart changed through these times?
5. How can you encourage others who are currently going through a tough time, given all that you’ve been through?
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