By Mary Vee
Jeremiah 39, II Kings 25
From Jeremiah's Journal
My name is Jeremiah. I am a prophet, a person sent from God to give messages to the Israelites who still live in Jerusalem.
If only King Zedekiah had listened to me. He asked me to his chambers one last time and said, "I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians. If I surrender, the Babylonian army may turn me over to those Jews and they will mistreat me."
I said, "No they won't. If you obey what God says, those things will not happen to you."
But he didn't.
On the fourth month and the ninth day, famine had become so severe in the city of Jerusalem that no one had even a crumb of food.
No one could go out to the farmland to harvest any crops because the Babylonia army guarded the city.
On this same day, while King Zedekiah reigned, the city wall was broken through by Nebuchadnezzar's army. The high officials of the king of Babylon took seats in the Middle Gate to show they were in charge.
King Zedekiah peeked around a corner and saw them sitting there. He turned to the few loyal men he had left and said, "Quick, get me out of here."
They left the city at night by way of the king's garden and through the gate between the two walls. They crept along the road towards Arabah.
I had warned him that he would not be able to escape the king of Babylon. And so it happened, just as God said. Some Babylonian soldiers saw Zedekiah and his officials escaping and ran after them. The soldiers stopped them in the plains of Jericho.
The soldiers tied King Zedekiah's hands and took him to King Nebuchadnezzar. The king of Babylon didn't even wait a moment before giving Zedekiah his sentence. Nebuchadnezzar killed Zedekiah's sons and his officials right before his eyes. Then he made Zedekiah blind, tied him in bronze chains, and took him to Babylon. Zedekiah was thrown into prison where he stayed until he died.
I wish he had listened to God's message.
The Babylonians broke into the temple and stole the bronze pillars, the movable stands, and the bronze Sea. They also took the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. Then they stole the basins, censers, sprinkling bowls, lamp stands, dishes and bowls used for drink offerings, all those made of gold, silver, and bronze.
On the tenth day of the fifth month, the commander of the Babylonian imperial guard set fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building burned to the ground. The army then broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.
The imperial guard took more captives, but left the very poor--those who owned absolutely nothing. To these people, the guard gave fields and vineyards to care for.
Sadly, 4,600 people from Jerusalem were taken captive to Babylon in all. They became servants to the Babylonians until the kingdom of Persia came to power.
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1. What was King Zedekiah afraid of?
2. What didn't the people have?
3. What did the Babylonian army do?
4. What did Zedekiah decide to do?
5. What happened to King Zedekiah?
6. Did the people obey God?
7. How many prisoners were taken to Babylon?
By Mary Vee
Jeremiah 38
From Jeremiah's Journal
My name is Jeremiah. I am a prophet, a person sent from God to give messages to the Israelites who still live in Jerusalem.
King Zedekiah gave four of his officials, Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal, and Pashhur permission to do whatever they wanted to do to me. These four men were angry--very angry with me.
These men, like many others in the city, had listened to the false prophets who said the city would not be attack and everyone would be safe in a short time. This wasn't true. God said Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon would attack. The only hope of escape was to surrender.
Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal, and Pashhur decided the only way to make me stop telling God's messages was to get rid of me. They took me to Malkijah's cistern. Maklijah was the king's son.
The cistern was in the courtyard of the guard. They tied ropes around me and lowered me down into the deep cistern. My feet didn't touch the bottom, instead they sunk into mud, nasty smelling, thick, ooey, gooey mud. I had no water or food to eat. There was no way for me to escape and I had no idea how long those cruel official would leave me there.
To make matters worse, they left me alone.
Much later, I found out Ebed-Melech, a man from Egypt serving as an official in the royal palace came to my rescue after hearing what Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal, and Pashhur did.
Ebed-Melech ran to King Zedekiah's chamber and said, "My lord the king, your four officials have acted wickedly to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern where he will starve to death."
King Zedekiah said, "Very well. Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."
Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went to a room under the treasury in the palace. He gathered some old rags and worn-out clothes from the room. They hurried to the opening of the cistern and lowered the worn-out clothes and rags. He said to me, "Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes."
How very thoughtful. I had a difficult time moving because of the mud, but managed to do as he said. I called up, "Ready."
The men pulled me out of the cistern. The stench soaked into my clothes and skin. Fortunately, Ebed-Melech helped me to wash away the smell. Now that I think about it, he probably couldn't stand the smell either!
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1. Why did the four mean officials get mad at Jeremiah?
2. Who did the four mean officials go to with their complaint?
3. What did the four mean officials do to Jeremiah?
4. Who went to the king to save Jeremiah?
5. How did he save Jeremiah?
By Mary Vee
Jeremiah 38
From Jeremiah's Journal
My name is Jeremiah. I am a prophet, a person sent from God to give messages to the Israelites who still live in Jerusalem. There aren't many people left living here. Most were taken away as prisoners.
King Zedekiah released me from the dungeon after I reminded him he should not put a messenger of God in such a horrid place. I don't think I could have lived there much longer. It was so very cold, damp, and dark. The air smelled old and I barely had anything to eat or drink.
I was placed under the care of a guard in the Royal court. At least there I had the freedom to warn the people. God said, "Tell the people to surrender to Nebuchadnezzar."
King Zedekiah, disagreed. All his officials disagreed as well. The false prophets told them they did not need to surrender. Everything would be fine in a short time.
I didn't care. God told me to tell the people his message, so I did.
One day Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal, and Pashhur stopped in the court and stood behind a crowd of people, listening to me speak, "Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, or plague. But whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. You will escape with your life. You will live. This city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon who will capture it. This is what the Lord says."
The officials stomped away, in the direction of King Zedekiah's chamber. "We're going to tell the king what you're saying to the people."
I heard from one of the servants what they did inside the king's palace. They barged into the King's chambers and demanded to speak to him. One said, "Jeremiah should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers, the few who we still have left in the city, as well as all the people. He isn't looking out for the people's good. He is trying to ruin them--ruin the whole city!"
King Zedekiah shrugged and drank from his glass. "Go ahead and do with him as you please. I will not oppose whatever you have in mind."
Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal, and Pashhur walked away, thanking the king for his kindness. Once they reached the corridor, they leaped for joy and laughed. "At last, we will be rid of Jeremiah."
No matter what they choose to do to me, God will be in charge.
There is more to this story. Come back next time to see how these men will end up loosing this battle.
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1. Where was Jeremiah held as prisoner?
2. What did Jeremiah tell the people?
3. Who became upset with Jeremiah's words?
4. Why did this make them mad (the answer is in what they said to the king)
5. What did King Zedekiah decide after hearing the complaint of these men?
6. What do you think Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jehucal, and Pashhur will do?
By Mary Vee
Jeremiah 37
From Jeremiah's Journal
My name is Jeremiah. I am a prophet, a person sent from God to give messages to the Israelites who still live in Jerusalem. There aren't many of us.
I've been in a vaulted cell of a dungeon for a long time. A few officials didn't like the messages I told them from God and talked the king into putting me into prison. This has not been the first time, and I have a feeling it won't be the last.
One day, King Zedekiah surprised me by asking his official to bring me to his chambers. The officials let me clean my face and wash up before I went to see him.
The king offered me a chair to sit then asked the guards to leave. We sat alone in the room. He spoke softly to me to make sure no one in the corridor could hear our conversation.
"Is there any word from the Lord?"
I found his question amazing. Here he allowed the officials to throw me in the dungeon for a long time because they did not like the messages from the Lord and now he is asking me to tell him more?
I answered, "Yes. You will be handed over to the king of Babylon."
I took the opportunity to defend myself and said, "What crime have I committed against you or your officials or the people of Judah? Why have you put me in prison so long. Where are your prophets who prophesied to you? You know, the ones who said the king of Babylon would not attack this land? They were wrong weren't they? Just as God said.
"But now, oh king, please listen to my request. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan or I will die there."
King Zedekiah took a drink and set his glass back down. "All right."
He called for the guards. "Jeremiah is not to be returned to Jonathan's house. He is to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given bread from the street of the bakers each day until all the bread in the city is gone."
The guard didn't look very pleased about his orders, but he obeyed. I'm still guarded like a prisoner, but at least I'm not locked in a terrible dungeon.
From this place I saw people who came in and went out of the court. I told every man and woman the message from God. "Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, or plague. But whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. He will escape with his life. He will live. This city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon who will capture it. This is what the Lord says.
Come back next time see what happened.
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1. Where was Jeremiah held as prisoner?
2. Why was he there?
3. Why did the king call Jeremiah to his chambers?
4. What did Jeremiah ask for?
5. Did the king give it to him
By Mary Vee
Jeremiah 37
From Jeremiah's Journal
My name is Jeremiah. I am a prophet, a messenger sent from God to give messages to the Israelites who remain in Jerusalem.
I was set free from prison not long ago then went about the city and the countryside telling the people messages from God.
King Zedekiah sent a priest and a messenger to me. The message said, "Please pray to the Lord our God for us."
Of course I would.
Let me bring you up to date what is happening here. Pharaoh's army had marched out of Egypt to attack King Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army. When the Babylonians heard the news, they stopped attacking Jerusalem and set out to fight the Egyptians.
God gave me a message to reply to King Zedekiah. "Tell the king of Judah, Pharaoh's army, which has marched out to support you, will go back to its own land, to Egypt. Then the Babylonians will return and attack this city. They will capture it and burn it down.
"Don't fool yourselves into thinking the Babylonians will not return. They will! Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian army that is attacking you at this moment and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would come out and burn this city down."
Once the last of the Babylonian army left to attack the Egyptians, just as God said, I left Jerusalem and walked to the land I had purchased. The land was in the territory of Benjamin. When I reached the city gate, though, the captain of the guard arrested me. He yelled at me, "You are deserting to the Babylonians."
I have no idea where he got that idea. "That's not true! I'm not deserting to the Babylonians."
The guard refused to listen and once again, I was arrested and taken to the officials. This time they beat me and threw me in a prison at Jonathan's house. The prison was a dungeon. King Zedekiah left me there for a long time.
It was cold, smelly, dark, had nasty food, and I didn't like it at all. Sigh.
Come back next time see what happened.
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1. Where is Jeremiah and where is he?
2. What army set out to attack the Babylonians?
3. Why did the Babylonian army stop attacking Jerusalem?
4. Once the soldiers left, Jeremiah went to ________
5. What did the captain accuse Jeremiah of?
6. This was not true. But, the captain wouldn't listen to Jeremiah. Instead he took Jeremiah to __________
