Daily Manna 26 July
KEY VERSE: “I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.” – (Jeremiah 27:12)
TEXT: Jeremiah 27:12-22
12. I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.
13. Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
14. Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon; for they prophesy a lie unto you.
15. For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.
16. Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD’S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon; for they prophesy a lie unto you.
17. Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live; wherefore should this city be laid waste?
18. But if they be prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.
19. For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city,
20. Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;
21. Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem;
22. They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
Sometimes we are faced with hard truths about life. The outcomes of some situations we encounter depend on the appropriateness or otherwise of our actions at such times.
King Zedekiah in our text was handed a difficult prophecy by Jeremiah. The counsel of God and that of the prophet was explicit; requiring the king to surrender voluntarily to the king of Babylon like Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah had earlier done.
This was the only panacea to Judah and Jerusalem not to be destroyed by the Babylonian army. While Zedekiah pondered on what to do about this prophecy, the false prophets, rebellious priests and proud princes of Judah pressurised him not to listen or obey the words of Prophet Jeremiah. They even conspired to put the prophet to death but for the intervention of few God-fearing princes among them.
We must learn to obey God and His word no matter how difficult it may be. “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25). King Zedekiah halted between opinions and delayed taking the right decision that could have saved his life, that of his people and the city of Jerusalem. Of course, the Babylonians eventually came against Judah and demolished it; they also killed the princes, nobles, the priests, the children of the king in his presence, plucked out the king’s eyes and carried him away into exile where he later died. Obedience to God’s word and counsel saves us from heartaches and regrets.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Obey God’s word and live!
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 30-33
Thanks for reading Today’s Daily Manna – A Hard Truth – by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi.
Don’t forget to Follow Elanhub on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Daily Manna 26th July 2020 Devotional
