prophets and kings-第71节

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At　this　Zedekiah　commanded　that　they　〃commit　Jeremiah　into　the　court　of　the　prison；　and　that　they　should　give　him　daily　a　piece　of　bread　out　of　the　bakers'　street；　until　all　the　bread　in　the　city　were　spent。　Thus　Jeremiah　remained　in　the　court　of　the　prison。〃　Verse　21。

The　king　dared　not　openly　manifest　any　faith　in　Jeremiah。　Though　his　fear　drove　him　to　seek　information　of　him　privately；　yet　he　was　too　weak　to　brave　the　disapprobation　of　his　princes　and　of　the　people　by　submitting　to　the　will　of　God　as　declared　by　the　prophet。

From　the　court　of　the　prison　Jeremiah　continued　to　advise　submission　to　the　Babylonian　rule。　To　offer　resistance　would　be　to　invite　sure　death。　The　message　of　the　Lord　to　Judah　was：　〃He　that　remaineth　in　this　city　shall　die　by　the　sword；　by　the　famine；　and　by　the　pestilence：　but　he　that　goeth　forth　to　the　Chaldeans　shall　live；　for　he　shall　have　his　life　for　a　prey；　and　shall　live。〃　Plain　and　positive　were　the　words　spoken。　In　the　name　of　the　Lord　the　prophet　boldly　declared；　〃This　city　shall　surely　be　given　into　the　hand　of　the　king　of　Babylon's　army；　which　shall　take　it。〃　Jeremiah　38：2；　3。

At　last　the　princes；　enraged　over　the　repeated　counsels　of　Jeremiah；　which　were　contrary　to　their　set　policy　of　resistance；　made　a　vigorous　protest　before　the　king；　urging

456

that　the　prophet　was　an　enemy　to　the　nation；　and　that　his　words　had　weakened　the　hands　of　the　people　and　brought　misfortune　upon　them；　therefore　he　should　be　put　to　death。

The　cowardly　king　knew　that　the　charges　were　false；　but　in　order　to　propitiate　those　who　occupied　high　and　influential　positions　in　the　nation；　he　feigned　to　believe　their　falsehoods　and　gave　Jeremiah　into　their　hands　to　do　with　him　as　they　pleased。　The　prophet　was　cast　〃into　the　dungeon　of　Malchiah　the　son　of　Hammelech；　that　was　in　the　court　of　the　prison：　and　they　let　down　Jeremiah　with　cords。　And　in　the　dungeon　there　was　no　water；　but　mire：　so　Jeremiah　sunk　in　the　mire。〃　Verse　6。　But　God　raised　up　friends　for　him；　who　besought　the　king　in　his　behalf；　and　had　him　again　removed　to　the　court　of　the　prison。

Once　more　the　king　sent　privately　for　Jeremiah；　and　bade　him　faithfully　relate　the　purpose　of　God　toward　Jerusalem。　In　response；　Jeremiah　inquired；　〃If　I　declare　it　unto　thee；　wilt　thou　not　surely　put　me　to　death？　and　if　I　give　thee　counsel；　wilt　thou　not　hearken　unto　me？〃　The　king　entered　into　a　secret　compact　with　the　prophet。　〃As　the　Lord　liveth；　that　made　us　this　soul；〃　Zedekiah　promised；　〃I　will　not　put　thee　to　death；　neither　will　I　give　thee　into　the　hand　of　these　men　that　seek　thy　life。〃　Verses　15；　16。

There　was　still　opportunity　for　the　king　to　reveal　a　willingness　to　heed　the　warnings　of　Jehovah；　and　thus　to　temper　with　mercy　the　judgments　even　now　falling　on　city　and　nation。　〃If　thou　wilt　assuredly　go　forth　unto　the　king　of　Babylon's　princes；〃　was　the　message　given　the　king；　〃then　thy　soul　shall　live；　and　this　city　shall　not　be　burned　with

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fire；　and　thou　shalt　live；　and　thine　house：　but　if　thou　wilt　not　go　forth　to　the　king　of　Babylon's　princes；　then　shall　this　city　be　given　into　the　hand　of　the　Chaldeans；　and　they　shall　burn　it　with　fire；　and　thou　shalt　not　escape　out　of　their　hand。〃

〃I　am　afraid　of　the　Jews　that　are　fallen　to　the　Chaldeans；〃　the　king　replied；　〃lest　they　deliver　me　into　their　hand；　and　they　mock　me。〃　But　the　prophet　promised；　〃They　shall　not　deliver　thee。〃　And　he　added　the　earnest　entreaty；　〃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。〃　Verses　17…20。

Thus　even　to　the　last　hour；　God　made　plain　His　willingness　to　show　mercy　to　those　who　would　choose　to　submit　to　His　just　requirements。　Had　the　king　chosen　to　obey；　the　lives　of　the　people　might　have　been　spared；　and　the　city　saved　from　conflagration；　but　he　thought　he　had　gone　too　far　to　retrace　his　steps。　He　was　afraid　of　the　Jews；　afraid　of　ridicule；　afraid　for　his　life。　After　years　of　rebellion　against　God；　Zedekiah　thought　it　too　humiliating　to　say　to　his　people；　I　accept　the　word　of　the　Lord；　as　spoken　through　the　prophet　Jeremiah；　I　dare　not　venture　to　war　against　the　enemy　in　the　face　of　all　these　warnings。

With　tears　Jeremiah　entreated　Zedekiah　to　save　himself　and　his　people。　With　anguish　of　spirit　he　assured　him　that　unless　he　should　heed　the　counsel　of　God；　he　could　not　escape　with　his　life；　and　all　his　possessions　would　fall　to　the　Babylonians。　But　the　king　had　started　on　the　wrong　course；　and　he　would　not　retrace　his　steps。　He　decided　to

458

follow　the　counsel　of　the　false　prophets；　and　of　the　men　whom　he　really　despised；　and　who　ridiculed　his　weakness　in　yielding　so　readily　to　their　wishes。　He　sacrificed　the　noble　freedom　of　his　manhood　and　became　a　cringing　slave　to　public　opinion。　With　no　fixed　purpose　to　do　evil；　he　was　also　without　resolution　to　stand　boldly　for　the　right。　Convicted　though　he　was　of　the　value　of　the　counsel　given　by　Jeremiah；　he　had　not　the　moral　stamina　to　obey；　and　as　a　consequence　he　advanced　steadily　in　the　wrong　direction。

The　king　was　even　too　weak　to　be　willing　that　his　courtiers　and　people　should　know　that　he　had　held　a　conference　with　Jeremiah；　so　fully　had　the　fear　of　man　taken　possession　of　his　soul。　If　Zedekiah　had　stood　up　bravely　and　declared　that　he　believed　the　words　of　the　prophet；　already　half　fulfilled；　what　desolation　might　have　been　averted！　He　should　have　said；　I　will　obey　the　Lord；　and　save　the　city　from　utter　ruin。　I　dare　not　disregard　the　commands　of　God　because　of　the　fear　or　favor　of　man。　I　love　the　truth；　I　hate　sin；　and　I　will　follow　the　counsel　of　the　Mighty　One　of　Israel。

Then　the　people　would　have　respected　his　courageous　spirit；　and　those　who　were　wavering　between　faith　and　unbelief　would　have　taken　a　firm　stand　for　the　right。　The　very　fearlessness　and　justice　of　this　course　would　have　inspired　his　subjects　with　admiration　and　loyalty。　He　would　have　had　ample　support；　and　Judah　would　have　been　spared　the　untold　woe　of　carnage　and　famine　and　fire。

The　weakness　of　Zedekiah　was　a　sin　for　which　he　paid　a　fearful　penalty。　The　enemy　swept　down　like　a　resistless　avalanche　and　devastated　the　city。　The　Hebrew　armies

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were　beaten　back　in　confusion。　The　nation　was　conquered。　Zedekiah　was　taken　prisoner；　and　his　sons　were　slain　before　his　eyes。　The　king　was　led　away　from　Jerusalem　a　captive；　his　eyes　were　put　out；　and　after　arriving　in　Babylon　he　perished　miserably。　The　beautiful　temple　that　for　more　than　four　centuries　had　crowned　the　summit　of　Mount　Zion　was　not　spared　by　the　Chaldeans。　〃They　burnt　the　house　of　God；　and　brake　down　the　wall　of　Jerusalem；　and　burnt　all　the　palaces　thereof　with　fire；　and　destroyed　all　the　goodly　vessels　thereof。〃　2　Chronicles　36：19。

At　the　time　of　the　final　overthrow　of　Jerusalem　by　Nebuchadnezzar；　many　had　escaped　the　horrors　of　the　long　siege；　only　to　perish　by　the　sword。　Of　those　who　still　remained；　some；　notably　the　chief　of　the　priests　and　officers。

460

and　the　princes　of　the　realm；　were　taken　to　Babylon　and　there　executed　as　traitors。　Others　were　carried　captive；　to　live　in　servitude　to　Nebuchadnezzar　and　to　his　sons　〃until　the　reign　of　the　kingdom　of　Persia：　to　fulfill　the　word　of　the　Lord　by　the　mouth　of　Jeremiah。〃　Verses　20；　21。

Of　Jeremiah　himself　it　is　recorded：　〃Nebuchadnezzar　king　of　Babylon　gave　charge　concerning　Jeremiah　to　Nebuchadnezzar…adan　the　captain　of　the　guard；　saying；　Take　him；　and　look　well　to　him；　and　do　him　no　harm；　but　do　unto　him　even　as　he　shall　say　unto　thee。〃　Jeremiah　39：11；　12。

Released　from　prison　by　the　Babylonian　officers；　the　prophet　chose　to　cast　in　his　lot　with　the　feeble　remnant；　〃certain　poor　of　the　land〃　left　by　the　Chaldeans　to　be　〃vinedressers　and　husbandmen。〃　Over　these　the　Babylonians　set　Gedaliah　as　governor。　Only　a　few　months　passed　before　the　newly　appointed　governor　was　treacherously　slain。　The　poor　people；　after　passing　through　many　trials；　were　finally　persuaded　by　their　leaders　to　take　refuge　in　the　land　of　Egypt。　Against　this　move；　Jeremiah　lifted　his　voice　in　protest。　〃Go　ye　not　into　Egypt；〃　he　pleaded。　But　the　inspired　counsel　was　not　heeded；　and　〃all　the　remnant　of　Judah；　。　。　。　even　men；　and　women；　and　children；〃　took　flight　into　Egypt。　〃They　obeyed　not　the　voice　of　the　Lord：　thus　came　they　even　to　Tahpanhes。〃　Jeremiah　43：5…7。

The　prophecies　of　doom　pronounced　by　Jeremiah　upon　the　remnant　that　had　rebelled　against　Nebuchadnezzar　by　fleeing　to　Egypt　were　mingled　with　promises　of　pardon　to　those　who　should　repent　of　their　folly　and　stand　ready　to　return。　While　the　Lord　would　not　spare　those　who　turned

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from　His　counsel　to　the　seductive　influences　of　Egyptian　idolatry；　yet　He　would　show　mercy　to　those　who　should　prove　loyal　and　true。　〃A　small　number　that　escape　the　sword　shall　return　out　of　the　land　of　Egypt　into　the　land　of　Judah；〃　He　declared；　〃and　all　the　remnant　of　Judah；　that　are　gone　into　the　land　of　Egypt　to　sojourn　there；　shall　know　whose　words　shall　stand；　Mine；　or　theirs。〃　Jeremiah　4