08/03/2017 - THEY SHALL NOT DELIVER YOU

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But Jeremiah said, “They shall not deliver you. Please, obey the voice of the LORD which I speak to you. So it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live. Jeremiah 38:20

Jeremiah prophesied that Judah, the people of God, would be taken to captivity in Babylon.  On hearing this, the princes of Judah were enraged.  In their senseless evaluations, the truth spoken by the man of God only weakened the hands of the soldiers.  They did not know that when something comes with divine permission, only sincere and firm repentance is able to stop it from happening.  It is necessary to be God fearing to prevent it from happening.

They wanted to kill Jeremiah so they through him into the dungeon.  King Zedekiah knew that he was a true prophet, but due to his pride, he refused to mend his way with God and by doing so, free himself  forever  from sin and the Chaldeans.  He could have achieved one of the greatest victories of all times: to defeat the Babylonian empire.  However, as always happens to those who walk in sin, he did not perceive his error.

Convicted by the Holy Spirit, the king ordered the prophet into his presence and asked him to tell the truth.  Jeremiah was extremely sincere and asked the king to hear the voice of the Lord.  Zedekiah feared that the Jews  who had gone over to the king of Babylon would deliver him, but he was answered from Heaven that this would not happen.  The prophet spoke in humbling terms, so that the king would answer to what the Almighty was saying, but the king did not obey the advice. 

Often times, God uses us as real envoys so that someone might stop sinning, abandon the way of evil and return to Him, but that persons insists on erring and refuses to mend his way.  I have seen sad cases such as these, being later confirmed that the sinner preferred the glories of men and the pleasures of the world than to do divine will.  “Why?” is always the question asked when we hear about what happened to some who do not follow the biblical principles.

Zedekiah feared the devil and not the Lord. Thus, he despised the word that said if he accepted the divine offer then all would go well and his soul would live. Foolishly, this king trusted in the false prophecies and, afterwards, when the Chaldeans entered Jerusalem, he fled through the meadows, but he was found and taken to Nebuchadnezzar, in Riblah. Then Nebuchadnezzar, killed Zedekiah´s children right before his eyes; then put out his eyes and bound him with bronze fetters. 

Zedekiah did not understand that it is worth obeying God. Such man had asked Jeremiah to speak him the truth, and thus the prophet did, but, to the king, it was easier to believe in the lie that he was going to be able to stand against the great army of Nebuchadnezzar. Due to this disobedience, not only did he suffer greatly in the presence of the king of Babylon, Zedekiah still had to march to Babylon with bronze chains to his feet.  Be careful not to fall in to the hands of the enemy, because he is merciless!  Return to the Lord now!

What you have learned of the Word has the power to free you from the enemy, but it is necessary to believe in the Lord and obey what you were told.  Therefore do not be fooled by false prophesies or impressions from people.  If you heed the Almighty you will go well and your soul shall live.  Otherwise you will suffer greatly.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares.