Thurs.’s Devo - Trust in God

Read: Jeremiah 37:1-38:28; 1 Timothy 6:1-21; Psalm 89:38-52: Proverbs 25:25-28 The last king of Judah was Zedekiah who was appointed by Nebuchadnezzar. He was one of Josiah’s sons counting him as a legitimate king of Judah in the lineage of David. King Zedekiah sent the two priests, Shelemiah and Zephaniah to ask Jeremiah to pray to God for them. Imagine the priest being asked to go ask the prophet to pray. Jeremiah had not been thrown into prison yet and Pharaoh’s army from Egypt had arrived soouth of the border. They were coming to help Judah so the King of Babylon retreated. God told Jeremiah to tell the king that when Pharaoh returns to Egypt, the king of Babylon will return and capture the city of Jerusalem and burn it to the ground. When the Babylonians left, Jeremiah left Jerusalem also to go and look over the property that he had bought from his relative. He was arrested as he tried to leave the Benjamin Gate. He was accused of defecting to the Babylonian army. They flogged and imprisoned Jeremiah in the dungeon of the house of Jonathan the secretary whose house had been turned into a prison. King Zedekiah secretly had Jeremiah come to his palace to ask him what God was saying. He told him shortly that He would be defeated by the Babylonians. Then he asked him what crime he had committed that he was thrown in prison. He begged not to be sent back to prison and he was instead put in the courtyard prison where he was given a loaf of bread everyday. Three of the officials heard what Jeremiah was saying that whoever stayed in Jerusalem would die but the ones who surrendered to the Babylonians would live. They went to King Zedekiah and told him that Jeremiah’s words were undermining the morale of the soldiers and he needed to die a traitor. The king told them to do whatever they wanted with Jeremiah. They put him in a cistern that was full of mud. An Ethiopian official heard what had happened to Jeremiah and he went to court for him. He pled his case saying he would die if left there. The king had Jeremiah drawn from the cistern and returned to the courtyard of the palace prison where he remained. The king secretly met with Jeremiah to find out what God was saying. Jeremiah told him if he told him he would kill him and if he told him advise he wouldn’t listen. The king promised to listen so Jeremiah told him that if he would surrender to the Babylonians officers, him and his family would live and the city would not be burned down. But if he refused then he would not escape, the city would be handed over and burned. Zedekiah told him he was afraid that if he surrendered, they would turn him over to the Judaean who had defected to them. Jeremiah told him that if he surrendered, God would protect him and it would go well with him. If he didn’t his women would be given to the officers and taunt him with words of his betrayal to them. All his women and children would be led to Babylon and ye would not escape. The city would burn. Zedekiah made Jeremiah promise not to tell anyone what they had talked about. Jeremiah kept his promise. Paul talked about slaves and masters. In todays world it would be employees and employers. Employees should honor their bosses. If they are Christians then their actions and the way they led or worked should show that they honor God. The teachings of Christ cause us to live righteously. Faith, love, perseverance and gentleness is what we fight for; it is our testimony that we are Christ’s followers. We do not trust in the riches of this world but in God. Lord, may we be steadfast and unmovable in our faith in You.