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Jeremiah

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©Bonnie LaBelle

Chapter 39:11-18 (ESV)

Posted on October 19, 2024  - By Chris LaBelle  

Chapter 39:11-18 (ESV) - Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave command concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, saying, “Take him, look after him well, and do him no harm, but deal with him as he tells you.” So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon sent and took Jeremiah from the court of the guard. They entrusted him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, that he should take him home. So he lived among the people.

The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the guard: “Go, and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and not for good, and they shall be accomplished before you on that day. But I will deliver you on that day, declares the LORD, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the LORD.’”

Question to consider: Was Nebuchadnezzar a hero or a villain? Give a reason for your answer.

When things are viewed from a strictly earthly perspective, it can sometimes be difficult to determine the good guys from the bad guys. In this case, Nebuchadnezzar would have definitely been seen as the villain— an evil dictator bent on world domination. 

The city of Jerusalem was known for being the city named for shalom (peace), and kings like Zedekiah and the religious leaders would have been those who sought peace with the surrounding nations, welcoming the worship and customs of different cultures in order to facilitate trade and prosperity. They may even have been seen as more enlightened and evolved than previous generations who strictly adhered to the rules of their tyrannical god which conquered the land of Canaan with the sword and burned up its cities.

However, these things could only be true if the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob didn’t exist. The living God who made heaven and earth would have an opinion about how His city was to address the world and how His people were to worship Him and abide by His commandments.

Nebuchadnezzar may have been a villainous individual, but His conquest of Judah was by the hand of God. While the religious leaders gave the appearance of righteousness, they sacrificed children to Moloch and spoke lies in the name of God. While the king sought peace with the surrounding nations, it was at the expense of the Law of God, and he overlooked the mistreatment of the poor and the LORD’s prophets while he enjoyed a decadent lifestyle.

In the end, Nebuchadnezzar judged those upon whom the LORD pronounced judgment, freed the slaves, and gave the poor their share of the land and vineyards. In today’s passage, Nebuchadnezzar released Jeremiah from bondage, and the LORD spoke through Jeremiah to pronounce salvation and peace to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian because of his faith and trust in the LORD’s command to free Jeremiah from the well.

The city would receive the LORD’s plans for it for "harm and not for good," but this judgment only came after many years of the LORD pleading with the people to turn back to Him. They rejected His mercy and now faced the judgment due them. Even so, this was not the end for Israel. Once the land was purged of sin and given seventy years of rest, the LORD would raise it up again.

Prayer

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for Your word which gives us a proper perspective on the things of this world. Help us to discern good and evil with the wisdom You provide and be Your messengers of truth, life and salvation in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.