GRACE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP | 恩道堂

During the siege of Jerusalem, Jeremiah warns the people to surrender in order to live. Consequently, those officials who are pro-Egyptian and anti-Babylonians want to kill Jeremiah for treason. Ironically, they accuse Jeremiah of not looking out for the welfare of the people when in reality the opposite is true. They do not care about the people by trying to silence the truth, while Jeremiah obeys God and warns them. For this, Jeremiah is put in a cistern and left there to die by Zedekiah’s officials. Zedekiah is too weak morally and spiritually to intervene. He fears men more than God (Prov. 29:25) and lacks trust in God. The only person who cares about Jeremiah is a foreign eunuch. For his faith in God and care for Jeremiah, God saves the eunuch’s life after the siege (39:18). God is faithful to fulfill His promise to protect Jeremiah’s life.

The faithless and morally weak Zedekiah once again wishes to hear from Jeremiah because he was hoping God would change His mind without their obedience. God repeats the same message of mercy for those who surrender, but death for those who resist the Babylonians. Again, Zedekiah is faithless to trust in God, too afraid of his officials and too weak morally to do what is right for his people. God lovingly warns the Jews, but He is also faithful to fulfill his promise to destroy those who do not surrender. At the end, Jeremiah, a man of faith, is rescued, but faithless Zedekiah is destroyed.

Those who try to preserve themselves while disobeying God will surely forfeit their lives and God’s blessings. But those who are willing to lose their lives in order to obey God will surely gain eternal life, even if they lose their temporal, physical life (Matt 16:25). This is the lesson of this chapter. May you trust in God’s warnings and blessings in the Bible. Sin and disobedience will never result in permanent happiness and safety, but will result in destruction and pain. Whatever comfort, peace and joy that sin may bring are only short-lived. Pray that you will believe in God’s word. If God’s warnings and blessings to His enemies are true, His warnings and blessings to His beloved are even surer.

神拯救耶利米（1-13）。在耶路撒冷被包围的期间，耶利米劝百姓降于巴比伦以得存活。结果，那些亲埃及、反巴比伦的首领起意要以叛国之罪谋害耶利米。他们控告耶利米没有寻求百姓的利益，但事实却是相反的。他们实际上并不关心百姓，因为他们试图掩盖真相；耶利米却是顺服神，尝试向百姓予以警戒。为此，首領将耶利米扔在地牢里，想置他于死地。由于西底家不敬畏神，个性又懦弱，所以不敢干涉。他惧怕人过于敬畏神（箴29:25），同时又不愿信靠神。唯一关心耶利米的人则是一个外邦太监。因着他对神的信靠与对耶利米的关心，当耶路撒冷沦陷后，神拯救了他的性命（39:18）。神是信实的——祂成就了自己必拯救耶利米的应许。神警告西底家（14-28）。那既不信神又昏庸无能的西底家再次希望聆听神藉着耶利米所传的信息，因为他希望神能在百姓不愿顺服的情况下改变祂的心意。神重申了同样的信息：那投降于巴比伦的将得怜悯，反抗者则要灭亡。西底家再次因着对神的不信、对首领的惧怕，以及个人的软弱，仍旧无法为他的百姓做出正确的选择。满有慈爱的神给犹太人警戒，但也必然履行自己的承诺，毁灭悖逆顽固的百姓。最终，坚信神的耶利米被拯救，而不信神的西底家则遭灭亡。