Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem - 2 Kings 25
Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem 2 Kings 25:1-21
Have you ever been told “I told you so”? I certainly have been. We may not appreciate it being said, but what if it was deserved? You go down a road that you have been advised not to go down. Yet you ignore sound advice and you take that road anyway. I would see it often when I was recruiting, someone would want to work for a particular organisation, because on the outside things looked great, their production figures were good, they had a name in the industry and it looked like an ideal move. But unbeknownst to the candidate, I would know what was going on internally in the organisation. While a particular job was being advertised, I knew that it was a stop gap measure. The role wouldn’t be around in 6 months as the company was restructuring or looking to get a better end of year financial figure to make them attractive to buyers in the market. Their job would likely be lost in the buyout, but the opportunity looks good now, so I’ll take it. I would even offer that advice, but how many people took the job anyway.
This was a similar situation with both ancient Israel and Judah. These kingdoms did not believe that they would ever be taken into captivity. This morning, we read of when the Babylonians finally came and took Jerusalem – the capital of Judah. Verse 1 says, “And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it.” In August 586BC, they destroyed the temple walls, burned the nobles’ houses and destroyed the walls of Jerusalem. The two huge bronze pillars from the temple and the basin and bronze calves, made by king Solomon 400 years earlier, were broken down and taken to Babylon. They were told, by the prophets, time and time again; by Isaiah, Jeramiah, Amos, Zephaniah and others for over 100 years. Yet they didn’t believe it would happen. A very sad case of “I told you so”.
But we have also heard the phrase, and it’s said tongue in cheek, “You asked for it” or you got what you deserved.” Jesus simply put it this way, “You reap what you sow.” Note that it says of this king, Zedekiah, in 2 Kings 24:18, 19, “Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.”
Young and stupid. Being young happens to us all, but being stupid is a choice. He chose to ignore wise counsel to turn back to true worship, to destroy the false gods, to live a life that honoured the ruler of the day. Jeremiah had said, and Zedekiah even agreed, to submit to Nebuchadnezzar and pay tribute.
What happened? The same thing that happens with us every day. Zedekiah made a choice to follow his own counsel and ignore the Lord’s will for his life. Chronicles gives us a bit more info. “He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD. He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel. All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of the LORD that he had made holy in Jerusalem. The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy.” (2 Chronicles 36:12-16) They did what was right in their own eyes, and no-one else’s.
Story of how we do that. Young man with a muslim girlfriend – asked to say at the Nikkah – “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.” I said to this young man, who said he was a Christian; I said in good conscience before God you cannot say that. He justified it by saying it’s only words. We’ll follow Jesus later. If you compromise your faith, it continues.
The officials threw Jeremiah the prophet into prison (a cistern - a well) in the courtyard because he was sick of hearing the news about Babylon coming to take him captive. Then when the Babylonians surrounded the city and lay siege to it, this man had the audacity to ask Jeremiah to pray for him and tell him (again) if the Lord had any word for him. Jeremiah’s response: “King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance of the temple of the LORD. The king said to Jeremiah, "I will ask you a question; hide nothing from me." Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I tell you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me." Then King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, "As the LORD lives, who made our souls, I will not put you to death or deliver you into the hand of these men who seek your life." (Jeremiah 38:14-28)
Zedekiah feared man. He feared the officials and army that he was supposed to rule. Rather than be saved, rather than saving Jerusalem from being burned and destroyed, rather than saving the lives of his children, he chose fear and rebellion and destroyed a legacy and an inheritance for himself and people of Judah.
Let’s not do the same. Are you a spiritual chameleon? Quite a strong Christian on Sunday, but lose the pretence and act like the world around your workmates, school friends, neighbours. Zedekiah was told he would be saved: him, his family and his city…even at that late hour. After years of rebelling against God and the King of Babylon, God was still giving him the option to receive mercy, but he chose the world and the opinion of others.
Be saved from this. We often say be saved from sin, yes! But you know this is how we know - there is evidence that you are in fact saved from sin through the payment of Christ on the Christ, because you honour Jesus in your conversations, not just at church on Sunday, but with your unbelieving workmates, school friends and unsaved family.
Spiritual health check
1. Daily time with God’s word
2. Give thanks for answered prayer and blessing
3. Pray for God’s guidance over the day, work, studies, family
4. Get counsel and pastoral care – cell group mentoring
5. Share Christ and your spiritual gift
We never want to be told, “I told you so” by God. He uses slightly different words “Depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:23) Rather we will hear. “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:23)