S) "14 Then King Zedekiah sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him at the third entrance that is in the house of the Lord; and the king said to Jeremiah, 'I am going to ask you something; do not hide anything from me.'"
Jeremiah 38:14 (NASB)
O) Jeremiah never hid his prophecies. There are verses which suggest that he may have wanted to hold his tongue, but apparently he could not (e.g., Jeremiah 20:9). So, there would have been no reason for Zedekiah to question Jeremiah's integrity, in terms of speaking the truth. Jeremiah had given at least half a dozen different prophecies, all saying the same thing: destruction is nigh. Here, I think Zedekiah had a sense the end was near. This seems to be his last conversation with Zedekiah, as the very next chapter tells of the final exile. Because of his response in v.14, I think Zedekiah must have known what Jeremiah would answer, but he asked anyway. This was a private conversation, the king had apparently arranged that (see v.27). So, we see a man struggling with the truth. He wasn't struggling to hear the truth. He was struggling with accepting the truth.
A) The example Zedekiah left me, is a stark reminder that I do not get infinite opportunities. I have the truth in the Bible. The Holy Spirit convicts me in my heart. My conscience, informed by Scripture, warns me. When I am tempted to disobedience, tempted to sin, there is no grappling to understand what is true. There is grappling with accepting what is true. This struggle can feel very isolating, as it's almost always a hidden struggle in my heart, and other people don't usually know when I am battling temptation. So, how do I make sure my reaction is different than this doomed king? The first, is to recognize that I do not get unlimited tries. Every time I am confronted with the truth, I must treat it as the last chance I have to accept what is right and conform to the truth as God defines it. The second, is to resist the urge to make this a private struggle. Zedekiah was a man moved by fears (see v.19), and it isolated him. Lastly, but sort of tied with the second point, is the necessity to choose wise counsel. This king certainly had advisors, but they were wicked as well, unable to accept the truth of the words of the LORD. The counsel I seek must be rooted in the same desire to conform to Scripture, to allow God's truth to shape our lives. .
P) Father, Your grace opened my eyes to see the truth. You spoke, giving me open ears to hear the love in Your words. You took my heart of stone, and gave me a heart of flesh, so that I could accept the truth of the gospel. I do not want to become deceived again, fooled into sinning when I am tempted to ignore the truth I have already accepted. I do not want to believe the lies. I know the truth. I have heard the truth. I want to walk in the truth. When I am struggling with temptation, Lord, remind me also that I do not have unlimited tries. Help me to treat every warning, every conviction, as if it is the last I will hear. Let me be desperate to conform to Your will, without delay. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
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