S) "10 The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all the princes of Judah in Riblah. 11 Then he blinded the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon and put him in prison until the day of his death."
Jeremiah 52:10-11 (NASB)
O) Either one of these events is horrific by itself, either seeing your children slaughtered, or being physically blinded. But, when you consider the fact that the last thing Zedekiah saw, was the tragic killing of his own children, that brings the trauma to a whole new level. Many times, when someone refers to the last thing a person saw, it's because the person died immediately after seeing the thing. But not here. Zedekiah lives after this. But, the last memory he has through his eyes, the last thing he witnessed, sensing visibly, was the death of his sons, and then he lived afterward. How many times did he see this replay in his mind? It would be hard enough to forget under any circumstance, but at least under other conditions, your eyes would see other things afterward. This is a horrifying penalty. However, it is very important to remember that this tragic end was not the result of an evil conqueror. This was a sovereign move of the LORD against the king of Judah, for the rebellion against his God, and because he refused to listen to the word of the LORD, the prophecy of Jeremiah, calling him to repent and submit to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
A) This was a severe punishment, to be sure. But this came after years and years of a nation's rebellion, and the king was guilty on many levels, for leading the entire nation into idol worship... However, I cannot be tempted into moral relativism. Furthermore, after the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, there is a misguided tendency to think God has changed, somehow. This verse can serve as a warning, about what it actually can cost, to rebel against the LORD and refuse to listen to His warning. God's wrath has not disappeared. However, because of what Jesus did, that wrath is no longer on us, the believers, His children. The wrath, the justified, perfectly righteous judgment, like the one described in the verses above, was taken from me, and put on Jesus Christ (see Romans 5:8-10). So, what was once considered just a horrifying warning, becomes an astounding opportunity to understand the scandalous grace and immeasurable mercy I have received, because of the compassionate nature of my Father God.
P) Father God, I am humbled to know the depths of Your justice and righteousness, as shown by the measure of Your wrath, which reveals the magnitude of Your grace and mercy. I have been guilty, like Zedekiah, but instead of Your wrath being upon me, it was miraculously put on Your Son, my Lord Jesus Christ. Let these truths penetrate my heart, to convict me when I sin, to direct me when I am tempted, so that I am reminded of the stakes at hand. Let Your will be done. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
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