A Settled Word
7/31/26 Bible Thought (Jeremiah 37-38)
Main Idea: God’s Word is settled and must be submitted to.
A Look at the Text:
Today’s text makes another chronological jump. We are fast-forwarding back to the time of Zedekiah once more, the last king of Judah. Chronologically, the first wave of captives had been taken to Babylon during the reign of Jehoiachin (Coniah). Now, Zedekiah was appointed to rule Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
As we have seen previously, Jeremiah faithfully spoke the messages he received from the Lord, and the people never listened. The king, his officials, and the people of the land wouldn’t heed the prophet’s words (Jer. 37:1-2).
In spite of this, the king still requested that the prophet pray for him (Jer. 37:3). But God’s Word was fixed. Even though the Egyptians caused a temporary scare and the Babylonians withdrew, they would be coming back. They would destroy Jerusalem, no matter how weak or wounded they might be (Jer. 37:9-10).
In the midst of the break in war, Jeremiah went to leave the city and was unjustly called a traitor.
As a result, he was beaten and imprisoned (Jer. 37:15). The king summoned him from the dungeons, and he remained a prisoner, but amongst the court of the guard (Jer. 37:21).
There, Jeremiah advocated that the people of Judah surrender (Jer. 38:1-3). Those who would surrender to Nebuchadnezzar would be spared, but those who refused would be conquered.
In response, once again the officials were furious because Jeremiah’s message from the Lord was discouraging the soldiers (Jer. 38:4). So the king turned Jeremiah over to the officials, who cast him into a muddy cistern (Jer. 38:6).
Jeremiah was later rescued and sought by the king for a message from the Lord. Once again, Jeremiah advocated for them to surrender (Jer. 38:17-18). God was with the Babylonians. If the forces of Jerusalem would simply surrender, then the city and the people would be spared as they were in the days of Jehoiachin and the first wave of captives.
But if they refused, the city would be destroyed.
Bringing it Home:
Knowing that God’s Word is irrevocable, we ought to submit to it.
Again and again people sought Jeremiah to hear what God was saying, but interestingly God’s message wasn’t changing. Whether Jeremiah was in the dungeon, the cistern, or amongst the king’s court, the message was the same. God had spoken. His decree was final. They could submit to Babylon and, as such, submit to God’s word through the prophet, or they could deny it, and it would cost them the city.
Thus it is even today. Because God is unchanging, His Word is unchanging. He doesn’t vacillate between different opinions. God’s Word is settled and sure. We can’t expect Him to update it to suit our fancy if we don’t like what He is saying.
It’s God’s way or the highway. There is no option C. We cannot make our own path and expect God to cater to us. Instead, we must humbly submit to His decrees, even if at times we don’t like what He says. Then, we must also faithfully represent Him as Jeremiah once did. People may change, but God does not.
Challenge:
Do I stand by God’s settled Word?