Reading: Jeremiah 37-39, Psalm 23

Failing leadership. Have you ever had a bad boss? Not just a mildly annoying supervisor, but actively bad. Someone who has the position and authority of leadership but has no idea how to use it. I’ve had one or two people I’ve worked for over the years who should never have been given the role they were in. In my more self aware moments, I wonder how often I’ve been that same person. In any event, neither me nor my less functional bosses have been responsible for ruling a kingdom. We weren’t responsible for people’s lives, though we tried to take our responsibilities seriously anyway. Zedekiah was that responsible. In today’s reading we are shown the last few years of Zedekiah’s reign in Jerusalem and told if it’s ignominious end.

Today we do another little time jaunt and get to see the interaction of Jeremiah with king Zedekiah and the members of his court over the last few years leading up to the sack of Jerusalem by Babylon. There is little that is new here as far as Jeremiah’s prophecies are concerned, and the tale ends with the promised invasion and capture of Zedekiah. So, why tell this story here? We are being given insight into the last king of Judah and the condition of the kingdom just prior to it’s collapse. I think this is at least partly to ensure future generations know just how bad the place has gotten.

The story is already known to us, as least in bits and pieces. Jeremiah has had news for Jerusalem. Nobody likes bad news, but the officials of the court really don’t like it, and in a series of plots they attempt to have Jeremiah put to death. Apparently there have been desertions to Babylon from Jerusalem, and they do not want any more of that. They also do not appear to believe that Jeremiah is a true prophet, or they would listen to him. The interesting parts of this story are the king and an apparently random Ethiopian eunuch who saves Jeremiah’s life.

First, the king. Zedekiah doesn’t much like Jeremiah’s news, but he isn’t as audacious as his brother Jehoiakim, who was cutting up and burning Jeremiah’s prophecies in yesterday’s reading. Zedekiah appears to at least kind of believe Jeremiah, but wants to game the events a little bit. He is afraid that if he surrenders he will be given to the other deserters as a kind of prize, and he will end up dead. Jeremiah says don’t worry, just surrender and you’ll be spared. Zedekiah is also afraid of his own court. When they want to put Jeremiah to death, his response is do what seems good to you, for the king can do nothing against you. Not exactly the response one would expect from a monarch. Still, Zedekiah manages to save Jeremiah’s life. Or does he?

Someone else is responsible for Jeremiah’s survival at his lowest moment. He’s literally in a pit filled with mud. The city is about to be invaded, and there is nothing to eat left in Jerusalem. Enter our hero, an Ethiopian household slave. A eunuch. About as far from one of God’s people as you can get. This is the only guy willing to step up and get Jeremiah out of that pit. Revealing his lack of decisiveness, Zedekiah is totally fine with this. He sends our Ethiopian a bunch of help and he gets Jeremiah out of the cistern. He’s even nice about it- he pads the ropes so Jeremiah won’t get too damaged on his way up. Then for all intents and purposes our hero disappears. The rescued Jeremiah is called by Zedekiah, and once again gives exactly the same prophecy: leave Jerusalem and surrender to the king of Babylon. He has as much effect as he has had for the last several decades.

Then it happens. The Babylonians besiege the city, and Zedekiah attempts to escape, but is caught. Jeremiah’s prophecy of that he will not die but be taken to Babylon comes true, though first he is made to watch all his court slaughtered and then his eyes are put out. Not a auspicious end for Zedekiah. Jeremiah though is known to the Babylonians, and they have special orders to keep him safe. Also, the Ethiopian receives a blessing from God for his obedience, and survives the conquest of the city.

Today’s stories, like those from yesterday, are about obedience. Zedekiah was hedging that he could manipulate the situation to avoid the things he feared the most. Jeremiah and the Ethiopian did the right thing in spite of being afraid. This is the natural unfolding of events following their actions. The rest of the book of Jeremiah will be similar- the long unfolding of the consequences of people’s actions, both the people of Israel and the nations around them, ending with Babylon itself. Jeremiah is going to repeat the judgment prophecies of those prophets who came before him, letting all the nations know that the God of Israel is also the God of the world.