Tuesday after Ki Tisa

Tuesday after Ki Tisa

Weekday Reading

Jeremiah chapter 37 & 38

Jer 37:1 Tzidkiyahu the son of Yoshiyahu reigned as king, instead of Konyahu the son of Yehoiakim, whom Nevukhadnetzar king of Bavel made king in the land of Yehudah.

Jer 37:2 But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did listen to the words of YHWH, which he spoke by the prophet Yirmeyahu.

“Change” just for the sake of changing the government is useless. Unless the “Change” is accompanied by reform and repentance, any “change” will be useless. Re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic was a “change,” but it accomplished nothing.

Jeremiah, continued:

Jer 37:3 Tzidkiyahu the king sent Yehukhal the son of Shelemyahu, and Tzefanyah the son of Ma`aseyah, the Kohen, to the prophet Yirmeyahu, saying, Pray now to YHWH our Elohim for us.

Jer 37:4 Now Yirmeyahu came in and went out among the people; for they had not put him into prison.

Jer 37:5 Par`oh’s army was come forth out of Mitzrayim; and when the Kasdim who were besieging Yerushalayim heard news of them, they broke up from Yerushalayim.

This is a “flashback.”

Jeremiah, continued:

Jer 37:6 Then came the word of YHWH to the prophet Yirmeyahu, saying,

Jer 37:7 Thus says YHWH, the Elohim of Yisra’el, Thus shall you tell the king of Yehudah, who sent you to me to inquire of me: Behold, Par`oh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Mitzrayim into their own land.

Jer 37:8 The Kasdim shall come again, and fight against this city; and they shall take it, and burn it with fire.

As the State of Israel currently has, the ancient Kingdom of Yehudah had a treaty with Egypt. And today, as then, that treaty will turn out to be pointless. Israel simply cannot rely on treaties and agreements with Muslims or anyone else for their security and protection. Attempting to make the world happy will only make Israel less secure and less protected. The world is Israel’s enemy, even the United States, and relying on outside help is a big mistake that the prophets rail against continually – to no avail. Today’s leaders of the State of Israel are making the same stupid mistakes, have the same lack of faith, and are attempting to appease the same world powers – all for nothing. Their treaties and alliances will fail them miserably.

Jeremiah, continued:

Jer 37:9 Thus says YHWH, Don’t deceive yourselves, saying, The Kasdim shall surely depart from us; for they shall not depart.

Jer 37:10 For though you had struck the whole army of the Kasdim who fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yes would they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.

There is no way to avert Elohim’s punishments except repentance, something both Israel and America would do well to remember.

Jeremiah, continued:

Jer 37:11 It happened that, when the army of the Kasdim was broken up from Yerushalayim for fear of Par`oh’s army,

Jer 37:12 then Yirmeyahu went forth out of Yerushalayim to go into the land of Binyamin, to receive his portion there, in the midst of the people.

Jer 37:13 When he was in the gate of Binyamin, a captain of the guard was there, whose name was Yeriyah, the son of Shelemyahu, the son of Chananyah; and he laid hold on Yirmeyahu the prophet, saying, You are falling away to the Kasdim.

Jer 37:14 Then said Yirmeyahu, It is false; I am not falling away to the Kasdim. But he didn’t listen to him; so Yeriyah laid hold on Yirmeyahu, and brought him to the princes.

Jer 37:15 The princes were angry with Yirmeyahu, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Yonatan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.

This is how Jeremiah was first imprisoned – they claimed he was a traitor who was deserting to the enemy, because he had prophesied victory for them. This type of Orwellian reasoning will be employed against Believers in the last days, too. Speaking the truth will be considered treason.

Jeremiah, continued:

Jer 37:16 When Yirmeyahu was come into the dungeon house, and into the cells, and Yirmeyahu had remained there many days;

Jer 37:17 Then Tzidkiyahu the king sent, and fetched him: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from YHWH? Yirmeyahu said, There is. He said also, You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Bavel.

Jer 37:18 Moreover Yirmeyahu said to king Tzidkiyahu, Wherein have I sinned against you, or against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?

Jer 37:19 Where now are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, The king of Bavel shall not come against you, nor against this land?

Jer 37:20 Now please hear, my lord the king: please let my supplication be presented before you, that you not cause me to return to the house of Yonatan the scribe, lest I die there.

Jer 37:21 Then Tzidkiyahu the king commanded, and they committed Yirmeyahu into the court of the guard; and they gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was spent. Thus Yirmeyahu remained in the court of the guard.

This is another one of the King’s actions for which Elohim was merciful toward him. As long as the food lasted, he made sure Elohim’s prophet received some. Of course, when the people were all starving there was nothing futher he could do, but he acted while he could and Elohim counted that for him as a small righteousness.

Jeremiah, continued:

Jer 38:1 Shefatyah the son of Mattan, and Gedalyahu the son of Pashchur, and Yukhal the son of Shelemyahu, and Pashchur the son of Malkiyah, heard the words that Yirmeyahu spoke to all the people, saying,

Jer 38:2 Thus says YHWH, He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he who goes forth to the Kasdim shall live, and his life shall be to him for a prey, and he shall live.

Jer 38:3 Thus says YHWH, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Bavel, and he shall take it.

Jer 38:4 Then the princes said to the king, Let this man, we pray you, be put to death; because he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words to them: for this man doesn’t seek the welfare of this people, but the hurt.

Jer 38:5 Tzidkiyahu the king said, Behold, he is in your hand; for the king is not he who can do anything against you.

Jer 38:6 Then took they Yirmeyahu, and cast him into the dungeon of Malkiyah the king’s son, that was in the court of the guard: and they let down Yirmeyahu with cords. In the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and Yirmeyahu sank in the mire.

Jer 38:7 Now when `Eved-Melekh the Kushite, a eunuch, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Yirmeyahu in the dungeon (the king then sitting in the gate of Binyamin),

Jer 38:8 `Eved-Melekh went forth out of the king’s house, and spoke to the king, saying,

Jer 38:9 My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Yirmeyahu the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is likely to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.

Jer 38:10 Then the king commanded `Eved-Melekh the Kushite, saying, Take from hence thirty men with you, and take up Yirmeyahu the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dies.

Jer 38:11 So `Eved-Melekh took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took there rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Yirmeyahu.

Jer 38:12 `Eved-Melekh the Kushite said to Yirmeyahu, Put now these rags and worn-out garments under your armholes under the cords. Yirmeyahu did so.

Jer 38:13 So they drew up Yirmeyahu with the cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Yirmeyahu remained in the court of the guard.

This king most certainly had the authority to command his court, but he was more afraid of their disapproval than he was of Elohim. Therefore he abrogated his responsibility. As usual, when someone refuses to perform an assignment for Elohim’s Kingdom, Elohim appoints someone else to accomplish that task. But it is no credit to the King, or to us, if we fail in our mission and someone else has to do it.

Jeremiah, continued:

Jer 38:14 Then Tzidkiyahu the king sent, and took Yirmeyahu the prophet to him into the third entry that is in the house of YHWH: and the king said to Yirmeyahu, I will ask you a thing; hide nothing from me.

Jer 38:15 Then Yirmeyahu said to Tzidkiyahu, If I declare it to you, will you not surely put me to death? and if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.

Jer 38:16 So Tzidkiyahu the king swore secretly to Yirmeyahu, saying, As YHWH lives, who made us this being, I will not put you to death, neither will I give you into the hand of these men who seek your life.

Jer 38:17 Then said Yirmeyahu to Tzidkiyahu, Thus says YHWH, Elohim Tzeva’ot, the Elohim of Yisra’el: If you will go forth to the king of Bavel’s princes, then your soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and you shall live, and your house.

Jer 38:18 But if you will not go forth to the king of Bavel’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Kasdim, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape out of their hand.

Often, the fate of many hinges on the obdience of one single person. Measure for measure, that person will be held accountable for the results of their choices.

Jeremiah, continued:

Jer 38:19 Tzidkiyahu the king said to Yirmeyahu, I am afraid of the Judeans who are fallen away to the Kasdim, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

Jer 38:20 But Yirmeyahu said, They shall not deliver you. Obey, I beg you, the voice of YHWH, in that which I speak to you: so it shall be well with you, and your being shall live.

Jer 38:21 But if you refuse to go forth, this is the word that YHWH has shown me:

Jer 38:22 behold, all the women who are left in the king of Yehudah’s house shall be brought forth to the king of Bavel’s princes, and those women shall say, Your familiar friends have set you on, and have prevailed over you: [now that] your feet are sunk in the mire, they are turned away back.

Jer 38:23 They shall bring out all your wives and your children to the Kasdim; and you shall not escape out of their hand, but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Bavel: and you shall cause this city to be burned with fire.

Jer 38:24 Then said Tzidkiyahu to Yirmeyahu, Let no man know of these words, and you shall not die.

Jer 38:25 But if the princes hear that I have talked with you, and they come to you, and tell you, Declare to us now what you have said to the king; don’t hide it from us, and we will not put you to death; also what the king said to you:

Jer 38:26 then you shall tell them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Yonatan’s house, to die there.

Jer 38:27 Then came all the princes to Yirmeyahu, and asked him; and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.

Jer 38:28 So Yirmeyahu abode in the court of the guard until the day that Yerushalayim was taken.

It is permissible to tell a half-truth, or even a flat-out lie, in order to save a life. Abraham told a half-truth when he said Sarah was his sister – Isaac told a flat-out lie when he said Rebecca was his sister. Rahab the harlot told a lie to divert the King of Jericho’s soldiers from finding the Israelites, and so on. These are special circumstances, and is certainly not an endorsement of casual lying for gain or profit. But we must do what we can to save the lives of Elohim’s people – just as the righteous gentiles did during the Holocaust. The Holocaust that is coming will be a million times worse than that, and we must be willing to do anything to help “these brothers of mine,” says Yeshua, when the False Messiah makes Torah and Faith both illegal.