"Only Life Changes"

Question:

What historical narrative is the source of Jeremiah 52:1-27?

Answer:

Simple: Our narrative curtails its account of Zedekiah’s reign, bringing into strong relief only the two facts of his following Jehoiakim’s evil ways, and his rebellion against Babylon.

Jeremiah 52:1-27 is a historical appendix that describes the fall of Jerusalem and the captivity of Judah. It is believed that this chapter was not authored by Jeremiah, but perhaps by Baruch. The chapter testifies to the truthfulness and integrity of Jeremiah’s long, faithful work as a prophet of God. Nearly every verse of Jeremiah 52 is a fulfilled prophecy, making it a good way to review the entire book of Jeremiah. The chapter is very similar to (2 Kings 24:18-Zedekiah was 21 years old when he began to rule. He ruled 11 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah.) (2 Kings 25:30 And each day, for as long as Jehoiachin lived, the king gave him enough money to pay for whatever he needed.) and it appears that the following chapter is not the work of this prophet: it is not his style. The chapter begins with an account of the evil reign and rebellion of Zedekiah, who was twenty-one years old when he became king and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He also did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. For because of the anger of the LORD this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, till He finally cast them out from His presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. The chapter goes on to describe how Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem in Zedekiah’s ninth year as king. The city was breached on the ninth day of the fourth month in Zedekiah’s eleventh year. The Babylonians burned down the temple, destroyed the walls of Jerusalem, and took many captives back to Babylon.

Question:
How did Jeremiah himself meet death?
Answer:
Tradition After Jeremiah prophesied that Jerusalem would be handed over to the Babylonian army, the king’s officials, including Pashur the priest, tried to convince King Zedekiah that Jeremiah should be put to death for disheartening the soldiers and the people. Zedekiah allowed them, in Egypt to stone him to death and they cast Jeremiah into a cistern, where he sank down into the mud. Born: c. 650 BC, Anathoth – Died: c. 570 BC, Egypt.

Question:
What effect did this warning have?
Answer:
It reads in Jeremiah 43:2 KJV> Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there:
It reads in Jeremiah 43:7 KJV> So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.

Question:
When neighboring tribes harassed the Hebrews left behind, where did they turn for help?
Answer:
It reads in Jeremiah 42:16-17 KJV> Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.

Question:
How did Jeremiah proclaim his faith that, after the disaster inflicted by the Babylonians, life would be revived in the land of Judah?
Answer:
It reads in Jeremiah 32:14-15 KJV> Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Take this evidence, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days. For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.

Question:
How was Jeremiah’s prophecy fulfilled in the case of King Zedekiah?
Answer:
It reads in Jeremiah 52:10-11 KJV> And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

Question:
What choice was offered to Jeremiah by the Babylonian conquerors?
Answer:
It reads in Jeremiah 40:6 KJV> Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.

Question:
What was Ebed-melech’s reward?
Answer:
It reads in Jeremiah 39:18 KJV> For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.

Question:
Who rescued Jeremiah from this issue?
Answer:
It reads in Jeremiah 38:7-13 KJV> Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; Ebedmelech went forth out of the king’s house, and spake to the king, saying, My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city. Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he dies. So Ebedmelech took the men with him and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah. And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

Question:
What was the Government’s reaction?
Answer:
It reads in Jeremiah 37:21 KJV> Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should 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.
It reads in Jeremiah 38:6 KJV> Then took they Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. In the dungeon, there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.