Once again we visit the same story we have read earlier this week but found told 3 more times about the fall of Jerusalem and specifically King Zedekiah. After reading this story over and over there are 2 things that stand out.
1. It did not have to be this way. The King chose death of his family, burning of his home and city and the ultimate destruction of the walls and temple in Jerusalem. Jeremiah had told him this would happen unless he surrendered to the King of Babylon. He chose the path of death and destruction.
2. God told this story over and over so that we could avoid the same thing happening to us. When a culture runs from God’s way the end result will always be death, destruction and captivity. Historians would tell you that we study history so we can learn from it and not repeat it. Every great civilization fell from within as it followed pleasure, self indulgence and godlessness. The further our nation gets from a love for God and holding to the founding Fathers’ original intent we too will see our nation slipping further and further into the great decline. The only hope is to turn back to God and to choose to work hard for the common good not selfish gain.
You may be like me in thinking, I am only one person…but it all starts with one. As we commit ourselves to God and His ways we will be a Jeremiah in a land of Zedekiahs.