Judgment Comes

Proposition: What was the judgement?

I. Zedekiah’s sons were killed

II. Zedekiah was blinded and bound

III. The city was burned with fire

Introduction

Read Jeremiah 39

The judgement on Zedekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem had come.  Jeremiah had warned Zedekiah and everyone else for years that this was coming.  He tried to get them to surrender to Nebuchadnezzar.  Some of the people did surrender, but many of them didn’t.  Jeremiah told Zedekiah several different times that Nebuchadnezzar was going to take the city and that he should surrender to him.

Jeremiah 21:1-10

Jeremiah 34:1-5

Jeremiah 32:1-5

Jeremiah 38:21-23

I. Zedekiah’s sons were killed (Why were his sons killed?)

A. Jeremiah 39:4-7

B. Zedekiah didn’t listen to God’s prophet Jeremiah

1. Jeremiah 38:15-17

2. Jeremiah told him that his house would live.  His wives and his children.

3. Zedekiah was only 32 when his sons were killed.  (II Kings 24:18).  His sons couldn’t have been very old.  Most likely they would have been 12 years and younger.  Imagine having to watch your little sons killed.  They would be screaming in terror begging you for help, but you were powerless to help them.  All you could do was stand there and watch.  And then you were blinded for the rest of your life. The last thing you saw were your sons being killed.

4. While Zedekiah watched this he was probably thinking to himself.  If only I would have listened to Jeremiah my sons would still be alive.

5. He and his princes despised what Jeremiah said.

6. I Thessalonians 5:20

7. I Thessalonians 4:1-8

8. Don’t despise the word of God.

9. When the preacher preaches the word of God don’t despise what he says listen to him.  It may save the lives of your children.

10. Jeremiah 41:10, His daughters were not killed.  They were left behind in Jerusalem.  His daughters were returned along with everyone else when Ishmael was defeated.  How would you like for your daughters to be at the mercy of a ruthless murderer like Ishmael who killed over 70 men.

C. He feared man more than he feared God

1. Jeremiah 38:1-6

2. Jeremiah 38:19

3. Jeremiah 38:24-27

4. Zedekiah didn’t want to do what would anger his princes.

5. His sons died because he feared them more than he feared God.

6. God’s command was to surrender and go over to the Chaldeans.  That was the only option for saving the city, they temple, and the lives in his household.  The other option was for him to continue in his rebellion and let the city and the temple be burned and broken down.  His wives and children given over to angry Chaldeans instead of merciful Chaldeans.

7. Zedekiah lost everything because fear man instead of God

8. He even lost his wives.

9. Jeremiah 38:22-23

D. We must serve the Lord

1. Joshua 24:15

2. Serving the Lord is the way to go.  Serving man will get you into trouble.  Joshua wasn’t going to serve idols.  It didn’t matter to him what the people were doing or wanted.  He was going to do what was right.

3. It is the father’s responsibility to protect his children.  The best way to protect them is to serve the Lord.

4. Zedekiah didn’t serve the Lord and it left him helpless.  If he would have believed Jeremiah he probably would have never married and had children.  God told Jeremiah not to marry because of the calamity that was coming. (Jeremiah 16)

5. Don’t fear anyone else more than you fear God.  Don’t fear your wife more than you fear God.  Don’t fear your boss more than you fear God.  Don’t fear the preacher more than you fear God.

6. Your duty is to fear God and keep his commandments

7. Ecclesiastes 12:13

II. He was blinded and bound (Why was he blinded and bound?)

A. He chose to be blind to the truth, and he chose to be a captive of a lie.

1. Jeremiah told him over and over to surrender to Nebuchadnezzar.  Jeremiah told him that if he would surrender he would save the lives of his household, and the city wouldn’t be burned with fire.

2. Zedekiah must not have believed Jeremiah or he was too proud to admit that Jeremiah was right.  Either way he chose to ignore the truth.

3. If we ignore the truth God will turn us over to believe a lie.

a. Jeremiah 27:12-15

b. Zedekiah chose to listen to false prophets instead of God.

c. II Thessalonians 2:10-12, Zedekiah didn’t love the truth.  He wanted to listen to the prophecies that were popular with the people and what the people liked.

d. Jeremiah’s prophecies were not popular.  People hated him for what he said.  He was beaten for what he said.  He was locked in prison for what he said.

e. Zedekiah didn’t want an unpopular doctrine so he believed a lie and was blind to the truth.  He was bound by sin.  He did evil in the sight of God.

f. So God let him be blind for the rest of his life and he stayed in prison until the day of his death.

g. Jeremiah 52:11

h. If the doctrine preached is not popular as long as it is the truth we must believe it and obey it.

1) Doctrine is important.  Some think doctrine doesn’t matter.  They think as long as you believe in Jesus that is all that matters.

2) Immersion in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins is important.  It is the truth.  It was Peter’s answer to those who wanted to know what they should do.  The sinner’s prayer for salvation is a lie.  It is a doctrine of man.

3) The doctrine of one church is not popular.  Ephesians 4:4 says there is one body.  Ephesians 1:23 says, the church is his body.

4) People don’t like to hear that, sometimes they get mad if you tell them this.  They say you are too exclusive.  Christianity is exclusive.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father, but through me.”  That is excludes a lot of people.

5) One man asked me why I wasn’t a part of the ministerial alliance.  He answered his own question.  He said, “Is it because they are all wrong and you are right?”  I said, “That would be the biggest reason.”

6) Popularity is a dangerous way to decide what decision to make.  Zedekiah paid heavily for his decision.

B. He was rebellious

1. II Chronicles 36:11-13

2. He rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.  Zedekiah swore by God that he would be loyal to Nebuchadnezzar.  Zedekiah lied. 

3. Matthew 5:33-37, if we give our word we are to keep it. Don’t break covenants or contracts.  You promised to stay married to your husband or wife.  You are to stay married.  If you signed a contract to buy your house make your payments.  Pay your phone bill, electric bill, and gas bill.  You agreed to use their services for a price.  You are to keep your end of the agreement.

4. Don’t rebel against your boss.  When they give you a command do it.  Be subject to those in authority over you.

5. God hates rebellion

6. Proverbs 17:11,  Nebuchadnezzar was a cruel messenger.

III. The city was burned with fire (Why was the city burned with fire?)

A. Zedekiah wouldn’t surrender.

1. Jeremiah 38:17-23

2. Zedekiah should have known that it was best to surrender.  Nebuchadnezzar had already been to Jerusalem twice.  He removed Jehoiakim.  He removed Jehoiachin. What made Zedekiah think he was different than his brother and his nephew I don’t know, but he should have known he was fighting against a superior force.

3. Luke 14:31-32

4. Surrendering is a wise choice when you have little chance to win.  Only fools fight a fight they can’t win. 

5. When I was a kid we were teasing my grandpa’s bees.  We would go bang on the hive and when the bees came out we would run.  It was fun until my youngest brother decided to join us.  He wasn’t quite as fast as the rest of us and the bees got him.  He ran for the house.  It was one of the few times I remember my grandpa being angry.  He likes his bees, but he also knew it was foolish to bother a hive full of bees.  He made us promise to never pick a fight we couldn’t win.  That is good advice.

6. Picking a fight with God is sure way to lose.  That is what Zedekiah did.

7. Jeremiah 21:1-7

8. Jeremiah needed to surrender to the Lord.

B. We must surrender to the Lord.

1. Repent of our sin.

2. Luke 13:1-5

3. Zedekiah waited too long to repent.  The opportunity to surrender was over.

4. Someday we will stand before God. 

5. II Corinthians 5:10

6. If we surrender while we are here on earth.  We will be all right.  He will say, “Well done good and faithful servant.  Enter into the joy of your master.”  If we continue in our rebellion God will be a cruel messenger who will say, “Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 22:13)

Conclusion

Someday we all will be judged.  We have been warned of this coming judgment.  We have plenty of opportunity to be ready for the judgment.  We can either be like Jeremiah and Ebed Melech and put our trust in God his word, or we can be like Zedekiah and his princes who trusted themselves and their swords. Jeremiah and Ebed Melech didn’t have judgment passed on them.  Jeremiah was set free and given a gift.  Ebed melech was kept safe from the men who he was afraid of, and he was given his life because he put his trust in the Lord.

Don’t put of being ready for the judgment day.  We don’t know when that day will be.  Surrender before it is too late.