THE WAY OF LIFE AND THE WAY OF DEATH

Jeremiah 21:1-22:9 / Keywords 21:8

Furthermore, tell the people, 'This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.

 

God Rejects Zedekiah’s Request

21:1 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said: 2 “Inquire now of the Lord for us because Nebuchadnezzar[a] king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will perform wonders for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us.”

3 But Jeremiah answered them, “Tell Zedekiah, 4 ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians[b] who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city. 5 I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in furious anger and in great wrath. 6 I will strike down those who live in this city—both man and beast—and they will die of a terrible plague. 7 After that, declares the Lord, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague, sword and famine, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who want to kill them. He will put them to the sword; he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.’

8 “Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives. 10 I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the Lord. It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.’

11 “Moreover, say to the royal house of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord. 12 This is what the Lord says to you, house of David:

“‘Administer justice every morning;

    rescue from the hand of the oppressor

    the one who has been robbed,

or my wrath will break out and burn like fire

    because of the evil you have done—

    burn with no one to quench it.

13 I am against you, Jerusalem,

    you who live above this valley

    on the rocky plateau, declares the Lord—

you who say, “Who can come against us?

    Who can enter our refuge?”

14 I will punish you as your deeds deserve,

    declares the Lord.

I will kindle a fire in your forests

    that will consume everything around you.’”

Judgment Against Wicked Kings

22:1 This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and proclaim this message there: 2 ‘Hear the word of the Lord to you, king of Judah, you who sit on David’s throne—you, your officials and your people who come through these gates. 3 This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. 5 But if you do not obey these commands, declares the Lord, I swear by myself that this palace will become a ruin.’”

6 For this is what the Lord says about the palace of the king of Judah:

“Though you are like Gilead to me,

    like the summit of Lebanon,

I will surely make you like a wasteland,

    like towns not inhabited.

7 I will send destroyers against you,

    each man with his weapons,

and they will cut up your fine cedar beams

    and throw them into the fire.

8 “People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?’ 9 And the answer will be: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and have worshiped and served other gods.’”

Footnotes

a. Jeremiah 21:2 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, of which Nebuchadnezzar is a variant; here and often in Jeremiah and Ezekiel

b. Jeremiah 21:4 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 9

1. Judah was being attacked by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. King Zedekiah had been set up as a vassal king, but he had rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, so Judah was once again attacked by the Babylonian army. So, Zedekiah sent two priests, Pashhur and Zephaniah to the prophet Jeremiah to ask him to inquire of the Lord so that the Babylonians would withdraw.

 

2. The Lord sent back three messages. To Zedekiah, the Lord said He himself would fight against him in full fury and wrath. Many would die of hunger, plague or the sword. The remainder would be taken by Babylon. The Lord was judging them for their grievous sin. To the people, the Lord told them He was setting out two paths for them to follow: one which led to death and one which led to life. Those who surrendered to Babylon would live. Finally, to the house of Judah, the Lord told them to administer justice.

 

3. What is it to administer justice? Rescuing people from oppression, and refraining from violence against foreigners, widows, and orphans is what administering justice means. But they would not do so, for they had forsaken the way of the Lord.

 

Prayer Father, thank you for setting before us the path to life. There is a path that looks easier, but this one leads to death. Help us to choose the harder path, knowing it will lead to life.

One Word Take the way of life