We are in a section in the prophecy of Jeremiah where we are learning about having a heart for God. In Jeremiah 20 we saw the terrible treatment of God’s prophet. Jeremiah is mocked, scorned, and verbally abused. His close friends seek revenge on Jeremiah because of his teachings. Jeremiah was arrested, beaten, and put in prison for proclaiming God’s coming judgments. Yet in the face of his deep discouragement, Jeremiah has a fire in his bones that compelled him to continue to work as God’s prophet. The word of God was a fire in his bones that he could not shut even if he tried. But for more than a decade, Jeremiah has been preaching to the people only to receive rejection and scorn as their response. In fact, it is possible that at this point Jeremiah had been preaching God’s word to the nation for about 40 years. For decades no one has listened to Jeremiah.
But suddenly King Zedekiah wants to talk to Jeremiah. King Zedekiah reigned over the nation of Judah from 597-586 BC. Zedekiah will be the last king to reign over God’s people in Judah. But the reason the king wants to speak with Jeremiah is not because he has had a change of heart. The reason the king wants to talk to Jeremiah is not because there has been a spiritual renewal in the land. Rather, when we look at Jeremiah 21:2 we find out that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon is attacking them. Babylon is the unstoppable world power at the time who had already attacked Judah in 605 BC. We know that there are three successful wars that Nebuchadnezzar waged against Judah in 605 BC, 597 BC, and 586 BC. So now the king wants to talk to Jeremiah. Before we look at God’s answer to the final king of the nation, it is important to understand Judah’s recent history. That recent history is recorded for us in Jeremiah 22. Open your copies of God’s word to Jeremiah 22. We will come back to chapter 21 shortly. But we need to begin in chapter 22 to understand where we are and this information will lead us to grasping how we can have a heart for God.
Failed Kings (Jeremiah 22:1-30)
God’s messages to his kings was very simple. Do justice and righteousness (Jeremiah 22:2). Save the robbed from the hand of the oppressor. Do not do wrong or violence to the stranger, orphan, or widow. Do not shed innocent blood. If the kings would obey, then they would sit on David’s throne and be blessed by God (Jeremiah 22:4). But if the kings did not obey, then desolation would come and the city would be wiped out (Jeremiah 22:5-7). No one will wonder why this happened for the answer will be clear to all who ask. Judgment will come because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God (Jeremiah 22:9). The rest of Jeremiah 22 sets forward the failed kings who were told the way they should go. In Jeremiah 22:10 the message is given to not weep for King Josiah because he will not return. You may remember that King Josiah, the last good king of Judah, goes to war against the king of Egypt and dies in battle. In fact, we are told that Jeremiah utters a lament for King Josiah for the people (cf. 2 Chronicles 35:25).
Jehoahaz/Shallum (Jeremiah 22:11-12).
After Josiah’s death, Jehoahaz is appointed as king over Judah. But after three months, Egypt deposes him and exiles him to Egypt (cf. 2 Chronicles 36:1-3).
Jehoakim (Jeremiah 22:13-23).
Egypt appoints Jehoahaz’ brother, Jehoakim, to be king over Judah. He reigned for 11 years and did what was evil before the Lord. The message to Jehoakim was a reminder about the reign of Josiah, his father. Look at Jeremiah 22:13-16. Jehoakim was building great houses for himself in his pride. But God reminds Jehoakim that his father was rich and blessed because he did justice and righteousness. His father did right and that is why his reign went well. But his failure leads to his removal as king after reigning 11 years (cf. 2 Chronicles 36:5). No one will care for his as his body will be dumped and buried as if it were a burial of donkey (cf. Jeremiah 22:19). Recently one of our former presidents, Jimmy Carter, passed away. Can you imagine this kind of treatment for the former leader of our nation? But this is the outcome for Jehoakim who ruled Judah for 11 years.
Jehoachin/Coniah (Jeremiah 22:24-30).
Then Jehoakim’s son, Jehoachin, is made king. But he is only going to reign for three months and ten days because he did what was evil before the Lord (cf. 2 Chronicles 36:9). The prophecy against Jehoachin is that he will not have success either but will be exiled to Babylon also. None of his children will sit on the throne either.
No Help (Jeremiah 21:1-7)
Now Zedekiah is on the throne of Judah and he is the brother of Jehoachin. This brings us back to Jeremiah 21 where we see Zedekiah under attack from the king of Babylon. Now he is asking for Jeremiah to come to him so that he can inquire of the Lord. Now one of the kings of Judah is interested in what God has to say because the nation is in trouble. Go back to Jeremiah 21:2. King Zedekiah asks for Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord. Notice what he is hoping for from God. “Perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.” Maybe God will work one of his miracles for us like he did in the past. Zedekiah might be thinking about the wonderful miracles of the exodus. But he probably has in mind what happened in the days of King Hezekiah about 120 years earlier. During Hezekiah’s reign, the nation of Assyria was the world power and they had Jerusalem surrounded. But Hezekiah was a good king who humbled himself and prayed to the Lord for God’s deliverance and God responded by saving the people and the city. Zedekiah is hoping that the Lord will do the same wondrous work again against the Babylonians.
Before we look at God’s answer to this inquiry, I want us to think about how we can act just like Zedekiah. Please think about how we can live our lives in disregard for God’s ways and God’s commands and then somehow hope that God is going to rescue us even though we are not listening to him. I want us to think about how we can choose not to want to spend time in God’s word or listen to him only suddenly care about what God says once difficulty or tragedy strikes us. No one has been interested in listening to Jeremiah. No one wants to listen to his teachings. No one wants him preaching. They are punishing Jeremiah for delivering the lessons he is giving. But now that they are in trouble, now the king wants Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord. Now people are suddenly interested in what God has to say. Now the people are suddenly hopeful that God will do good toward them in the face of impending disaster.
So what will God do? Look at verse 4. God says he will turn back the weapons of war that are in the hands of Judah. God is not going to turn back the Babylonians. God will make Judah fail against the Babylonians. Look at verse 5. God is the one who is making war with Judah. He is fighting against them. Friends, you cannot fight against God and win. You can fight against God but you are never going to win. God is going to fight against his people because they have abandoned the covenant of the Lord (cf. Jeremiah 22:9). God will not help them even though that was their hope. Zedekiah and the people of the city will be given into Nebuchadnezzar’s hand.
The Way of Life and the Way of Death (Jeremiah 21:8-14)
But there is hope in the face of God’s wrath for the people’s sinning. Look at verse 8. God proclaims that he is setting before the people the way of life and the way of death. The way of death is for anyone who stays in the city of Jerusalem. Anyone who stays in the city is going to die. But the way of life is for anyone who goes out of the city and surrenders the king of Babylon. If you will surrender, then you will keep your life. God’s wrath is set against the city. The people who want to survive need to come out from the city and surrender to the king. Whoever does not come out from the city and surrender will not survive what is coming.
This declaration is not the first time God has offered the way of life and the way of death. In Deuteronomy 30 Moses proclaimed that God had given the people of Israel the way of life and the way of death. Deuteronomy 27-29 proclaim the blessings for obeying the covenant and curses for disobeying the covenant. Then listen to what Moses proclaimed in chapter 30.
15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” (Deuteronomy 30:15-20 ESV)
The way of life is to listen to and obey the commands of the Lord. If you will listen, then God will be with you and bless you. If your heart turns away from the Lord, then you will perish. So Moses exhorts the people: “Therefore choose life!” Choose life by loving the Lord and obeying his voice. Isn’t choosing life the obvious choice? Choose life and choose the path to receive God’s blessings. In Jeremiah’s day, the choice is obvious. Choose life! Go out from the city and surrender to the king and you will live. Do not be stubborn, staying in the city hoping for a miracle. Those who stay in the city are choosing death.
The Way of Life and the Way of Death Today
Friends, the same choice has been put before today. The same choice is given to us. We have two paths placed before us. Both paths are clearly marked for us. One way is the way of life and one way is the way of death. Listen to what Jesus said:
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14 ESV)
Jesus put before us the way of life and the way of death. Now listen to what Jesus said. The way that leads to death and destruction is easy. The way that leads to life is hard and few find it. So what is this way? Listen again to Jesus:
1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:1-6 ESV)
Jesus said that he was going to prepare a place for his disciples and they know the way to where he is going. Thomas is not sure about that. He asks how they can know the way. Look at Jesus’ answer in verse 6. Jesus said that the way is him. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” The way of life is set before us and it is Jesus. But few will find it because it means leaving the world and surrendering to Jesus as our King and Lord. The way of death is to stay in the city, staying in the world living how we always have been living. The way of life is the way of repentance and coming to Jesus.
Now the lesson theme is about having a heart for God. What does this have to do with having a heart for God? Everything! By God’s grace he has set before us the way of life. He did not need to do this. He did not have to do this. But God wants to have a relationship with you. God loves you and set the path to life by offering his only Son. As Moses said to his people in his day, so God says to us today. So choose life by loving the Lord your God and obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and your length of days (cf. Deuteronomy 30:19-20). We will develop a heart for God when we realize that everything God has said and done is so that we can have life. We will have a heart for God when we see that every law and every command is so that we do not need to perish. We will have a heart for God when we see that God does not want anyone to perish but for all to come to repentance (cf. 2 Peter 3:9). Choose life. Choose Jesus. Choose Jesus by holding fast to him by loving him and obeying his words.