May the mumbling commence!
It pays to pay attention to the Lord. It was a hard lesson to learn by the experience of siege and impending exile for the people of Judah in the days of the prophet Jeremiah. King Zedekiah made a half-hearted attempt at paying attention to the Lord. Read from Jeremiah 34:8-17 –
The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom for the slaves. Everyone was to free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Jew in bondage. So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free. But afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again.
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your forefathers when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I said, 'Every seventh year each of you must free any fellow Hebrew who has sold himself to you. After he has served you six years, you must let him go free.' Your fathers, however, did not listen to me or pay attention to me. Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to his countrymen. You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name. But now you have turned around and profaned my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again.
Therefore, this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom for your fellow countrymen. So I now proclaim 'freedom' for you, declares the Lord – 'freedom' to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth.”
Apparently, Israel never followed some of the Law that the Lord gave them through Moses. When they were on the brink of exile, they made a half-hearted attempt only to turn from the wisdom of their actions. Before this passage God had promised safety to Zedekiah and the people. They would have a burial of honor and not fall by the sword. Because of the peoples’ poor judgment in paying attention to the Lord, they were now to suffer the consequences of not paying attention to the Lord.
There were other laws that were ignored by the people of Israel. Read from 2 Chronicles 36:20-21 –
He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.
Every seventh year the fields were to lay fallow. What a concept! Sabbath rest and care for nature! But the land never got its sabbath rests. That would change during the time of exile. And the poor, too, would get what was rightfully theirs – for the Jubilee was never observed. Read from Jeremiah 39:10 – “But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.”
Yes, God rewarded His faithful. Remember Ebed-Melech from yesterday? He got his protection in this violent end to Jerusalem. Read from Jeremiah 39:15-18 –
While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him: "Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Cushite, 'This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be handed over to those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.'"
Yes, the slaves were released. The land had its sabbath rests. The poor got land that they had been deprived of. The wealthy got the sword and famine and plague. Those that survived became servants. Zedekiah was blinded after seeing all his family killed.
God worked His designs without the help of the people He adopted. God had been crying out to Israel, but they would not pay attention. Yes, it pays to pay attention.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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