“Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned … But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land gave heed to the words of the LORD which He spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.”—Jeremiah 37:1–2 NKJV
As a king, Zedekiah lived in luxury and was accustomed to power. He claimed he wanted to hear from God, but when Jeremiah delivered His message, Zedekiah would not pay attention, preferring his own ideas. Jeremiah, on the other hand, carefully listened to what God said. Regardless of the reactions of other people, he focused on obeying God and being faithful to his assignments. He was completely committed to serving Him.
Jeremiah could tell Zedekiah was headed in the wrong direction and even begged him, “Please obey the Lord in what I am saying to you, that it may go well with you and you may live” (38:20 NASB). But the king would not change his ways. Zedekiah must have known the kind of life Jeremiah had led – his dedication, his sincerity, and the fact that he really did know and hear from God. But, like many people, Zedekiah did not have that same commitment to God or a willingness to change.
In the end, Jeremiah the prophet, not Zedekiah the king, was proven right. He knew God and received the rewards that can come only from Him. Learn from this lesson. God calls us to serve and obey Him. People can be fickle. They can change their minds, applauding you one minute and condemning you the next. But God never changes. You can depend on Him and on His messages.
Reflection: Compose a prayer dedicating your heart to hearing from God.
