Wed.’s Devo - Jeremiah’s Last Word

Read: Jeremiah 51:54-52:34; Titus 3:1-15; Psalm 100:1-5; Proverbs 26:18-19 Jeremiah told them to use their spiritual ears and hear the sound of Babylon falling. God was coming to bring just punishment because he always repays in full. Jeremiah saw the walls of Babylon completely leveled to the ground. He put this message on a scroll and gave it to Seraiah, a staff officer who was going to Babylon with King Zedekiah to present their homage to him. He told him when he got to Babylon he was to read it to the captives of Judah there, then wrap it around a stone and throw it into the Euphrates River to be a picture of what would happen to the Babylonian kingdom. They would sink, never to rise again. His word came true 70 years later. This was the last word Jeremiah gave to the people. Chapter 52 is a summary of Zedekiah’s reign, the last king of Judah. He was 21 when he became king and he was a bad king. In the 9th year of his reign Babylon came and built siege ramps around Jerusalem. By the 11th year, the famine had become so severe they had run out of all their food. Zedekiah and his men tried to escape through a broken down section of the wall and were caught on the plains of Jericho. Nebuchadnezzar made Zedekiah watch as he killed all of his sons then his army officers. Then Nebuchadnezzar had Zedekiah’s eyes gouged out and led him in chains to Babylon. The Babylonians came back and burned down the city and took most of the people to Babylon. He left the poorest of the poor in Jerusalem to care for the vineyards and the fields. They took every thing of worth from the Temple and carted it off to Babylon. The chief officer of Babylon’s army took the heads of the Temple and the heads of state and killed them at Riblah. He came back for more captives and ended up taking 4,600 people captive from Judah. Thirty-seven years later, a new king came to the throne named Evil-merodach. He was kind to Jehoiachin and released him from prison, gave him new clothes and allowed him to eat with him for the rest of his life. This shows God’s favor on his people even in exile. In Titus, Paul instructed Titus to tell the people to be model citizens and honor their leaders even if they disagreed with their decisions. They were once sinners themselves so they made bad decisions too. He reminded them of the mercy and grace God had extended towards them. He warned them of having conversations that were senseless and couldn’t change the matter. Paul was sending Titus some helpers to undergird him in his ministry. We all need help. Lord, thank you that even in the worst of times, we can see your grace and your mercy toward your chosen ones. You are a good Father.