Article March 13, 1920 Issue

"Is there any word from the Lord"

MARGARET TROILI CAMPBELL

In the thirty-seventh chapter of Jeremiah the story is told that Zedekiah, king of Judah, sent unto the prophet Jeremiah with the instructions, "Pray now unto the Lord our God for us;" and we read, "But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the Lord, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah."

Zedekiah was in a difficult situation, for the Chaldeans were besieging the city. Jeremiah had been put into prison through the influence of evil counselors. Then the king sent for him and the record states, "The king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the Lord? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon." In the next chapter the story is continued and we read that the king again sent for the prophet, who said, "If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house;" but Zedekiah had a weak excuse. He pleaded fear of "the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me." Jeremiah assured him, "They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee." Zedekiah could only say, "Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die."

In the meantime, the prophet had suffered most ignominious imprisonment, for the princes had prevailed on the king to allow them to put him to death, and they had sunk Jeremiah into the mire of the dungeon in the prison. One of the eunuchs of the king's household interceded for him and was allowed by the king to draw Jeremiah out of the mire. The prophet was then allowed to stay in the courtyard of the prison, but at no time did the king fully release him. And what was the fate of Zedekiah? The king of Babylon came and besieged the city, put Zedekiah in chains, put out his eyes, and carried him to Babylon.

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