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Zedekiah — A Man Unable To Outrun God's Punishment

The sad end of the earthly throne of the house of David was accomplished by the siege and fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar in 587 B.C. The last descendant of David to rule as a king of a physical nation was Zedekiah. He was a young and wicked man (Jeremiah 52:1-2).

For eleven years of national devastation, moral degeneration and increasing affliction of God’s righteous people (epitomized by the suffering of Jeremiah the prophet), this man ruled without much thought of God.

When he did think of God, his thoughts were those of defiance. Like many other defiant individuals, he must have thought that the threatening words of Jeremiah, concerning the destruction of the city and temple, would never be seen in his day.

God’s Punishment Is Certain

Let’s ask ourselves, “How do men arrive at this conclusion?” Many think that a delay in threatened punishment means that no punishment will ever come. But this is short-sighted, for a study of God’s dealings with man always shows that, in the end, God’s proclamations do come to pass, even if they are a long time in coming (cf. 2 Peter 3:1-14).

Are we so presumptuous to actually think that the past favor of God (such as former fellowship and blessings given) will protect us against the punishment of current sins? As we trust in God not to forget past faithfulness, we must also realize that the same Omniscient God knows of our current activities (Proverbs 15:3; cf. Hebrews 4:13). We can plainly see this in Zedekiah’s case:

“For through the anger of the LORD this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence….” (Jeremiah 52:3).

Fellowship With God Is Lost

Fellowship with God was lost. They may have been Jews; they may have been daily in and around the temple; they may have been descendants of David — but they were no longer God’s people. They had become outcasts from God’s presence (cf. Genesis 4:9-16). As a result, we see God’s retribution:

“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it, and built a siege wall all around it” (Jeremiah 52:4).

It took a long time for this event to come, but when it did, it was thorough, protracted, and horrible, because God occasioned it.

Results Of God’s Judgment

We see that the suffering of the people during the eighteen month siege is vividly described in the historical record recorded in Jeremiah 52:6:

“….the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.“

Jeremiah gives us fuller details in his sad lamentation:

“See, O LORD, and consider! To whom have You done this? Should women eat their offspring, The children they have cuddled? Should priest and prophet be slain In the sanctuary of the Lord?” (Lamentations 2:20).

How horrible an end of those who had once been God’s faithful people. Pagans burned the temple, palaces, and houses of the city (Jeremiah 52:12-13); the ornaments in the temple and all its implements were removed to Babylon (Jeremiah 52:17-23); High priests and royal officials were killed (Jeremiah 52:24-27), and the people were deported to a foreign land (Jeremiah 52:28-30). How sad that God had to bring on them such a grim and horrible end.

Zedekiah Flees His Captors

But we ask, “What was the end of Zedekiah?” Did he wait in the palace for the soldiers to come arrest him? Did he perish in the flames while barricaded to resist capture? Did he take a sword and fight with his men? Did he kneel in prayer to God? No, the Scriptures tell us that he basically cut and ran:

“the men of war fled and went out of the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls which was by the king’s garden ….” (Jeremiah 52:7; cf. Jeremiah 39:4).

From Ezekiel’s prophecy, we learn that this was a disgraceful and inglorious break out through a hole in the wall:

“And the prince who is among them will load his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. They will dig a hole through the wall to bring it out. He will cover his face so that he can not see the land with his eyes” (Ezekiel 12:12).

So they ran like thieves, but through Ezekiel, God said they would not get away, “I will also spread My net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare” (Ezekiel 12:13).

Zedekiah Captured

They made it only about 15 miles before the Chaldean army overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon (Jeremiah 52:8-9). Zedekiah’s situation quickly went from bad to worse. Not only were his sons killed “before his eyes” (Jeremiah 52:10), but Nebuchadnezzar “put out the eyes of Zedekiah” and “bound him in bronze fetters, took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death” (Jeremiah 52:11).

Zedekiah’s Life Summarized

Zedekiah was unable to live a life of rebellion and still have a good end. If we might summarize his life in a few words — He was wicked, troubled, besieged, running, caught, blinded, imprisoned — and ultimately — suffered an ignominious death. Surely the words of Jeremiah were fulfilled:

“Write this man down as childless, A man who shall not prosper in his days; For none of his descendants shall prosper, Sitting on the throne of David, And ruling anymore in Judah” (Jeremiah 22:30).

Conclusion:

Brethren and friends, the rebellious life always ends disastrously — we will not prosper in sin. We can no more run from God’s punishment than Jonah could run from His presence (Jonah 1:1-3; Jonah 1:17) — and yet many will try.

Men have always tried to sow the wind without reaping the whirlwind. They try to sow to the flesh and not reap corruption. They keep on trying to live a life of sin, thinking they will not end up in hell — and none will succeed (Hosea 8:7; cf. Gal. 6:7-8).

If we are guilty of sin, we will not be successful in running from God’s punishment. Zedekiah couldn’t run that fast — none of us can run that fast.