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CONSEQUENCES OF DISOBEDIENCE

THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)

DATE: THURSDAY, 31ST AUGUST, 2023 

TOPIC: CONSEQUENCES OF DISOBEDIENCE

TEXT: JEREMIAH 39

1. In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and besieged it.
2. In the year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth [day] of the month, the city was penetrated.
3. Then all the princes of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sarezer, Rabmag, with the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon.
4. So it was, when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, that they fled and went out of the city by night, by way of the king's garden, by the gate between the two walls. And he went out by way of the plain.
5.  But the Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had captured him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him.
6.  Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes in Riblah; the king of Babylon also killed all the nobles of Judah.
7.  Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon.
8.  And the Chaldeans burned the king's house and the houses of the people with fire, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.
9.  Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive to Babylon the remnant of the people who remained in the city and those who defected to him, with the rest of the people who remained.
10.  But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left in the land of Judah the poor people, who had nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.
11.  Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying,
12.  "Take him and look after him, and do him no harm; but do to him just as he says to you."
13.  So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent Nebushasban, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon's chief officers;
14.  then they sent [someone] to take Jeremiah from the court of the prison, and committed him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, that he should take him home. So he dwelt among the people.
15.  Meanwhile the word of the LORD had come to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
14.  "Go and speak to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will bring My words upon this city for adversity and not for good, and they shall be [performed] in that day before you.
17.  "But I will deliver you in that day," says the LORD, "and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you [are] afraid.
18.  "For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me," says the LORD.' "


MESSAGE:  
Toward the later verses of chapter 38, one would assume that Zedekiah had concluded to obey God in secret (Jer. 38:24). Until the 9th and 11th years of his reign, Babylon besieged Judah, and later captured it. The punishment pronounced by king Nebuchadnezzar to Zedekiah revealed God’s wrath upon him because he disobeyed God’s Word. While Zedekiah tried to escape, he was captured in the plain of Jericho and brought to Nebuchadnezzar for punishment. his sons were killed at his presence, his two eyes were removed and the mighty men of Judah were taken to captivity (vv. 4-8). What a shameful consequence of disobedience to God’s Word! Note that God made divine arrangement, even by his enemies, to save His own – Jeremiah the Prophet and Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian (vv. 11-18).
Christians should be careful with God’s Word. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of God. The best way to escape His wrath is to obey Him totally. When God’s word comes to us in a hard way for repentance and restitution, we should not consider what men will say, rather disobey God’s Word. “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9:34; Matt. 16:25)


Prayer: 
Help me O Lord, never to fall into the error of disobedience to Your Word. Amen.

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