November 7th, 2015
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Believing the Paradox

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Ever-attentive Father, help me to pay attention to the whisper of Your Spirit as You speak to me through Your Word.

Read JEREMIAH 39:1-18

[1] In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. [2] And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. [3] Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. [4] When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah. [5] But the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. [6] There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah. [7] Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon. [8] The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. [9] Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people. [10] But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields. [11] Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: [12] “Take him and look after him; don’t harm him but do for him whatever he asks.” [13] So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers of the king of Babylon [14] sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard. They turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people. [15] While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him: [16] “Go and tell Ebed-Melek the Cushite, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city-words concerning disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. [17] But I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. [18] I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.'”

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Meditate

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning” (Lam. 3:22-23). This is a wonderful promise to claim.

Think Further

Yesterday we read Jeremiah’s final words to Zedekiah: “Obey the Lord…and your life will be spared” (Jer. 38:20). The possibility of survival remains to the end: God’s offer of life rather than death. This was a real choice. We must not read the Bible as if Zedekiah or anyone else were irrevocably locked into a preordained future. We must not underestimate God by thinking that he offered Zedekiah a false choice because God knew what Zedekiah would do. Since childhood I have struggled to hold together the paradox that an all-knowing God may perceive the future yet still offer us the absolute and unlimited freedom to choose him. Like much which we apprehend by faith, these are two eternal realities which we must believe. I have come to understand that what I deem a paradox is only paradoxical in my small mind, not in the infinite mind of God.

Zedekiah could have chosen otherwise. A history now better known since being so graphically depicted in the TV miniseries “The Bible,” shows us he did not. A shameful surrender was a painful choice, but the shame would have brought the opportunity for life. This is a cameo of the whole Old Testament. No matter how far people go down the path of disloyalty and disobedience, God is always willing to keep the door open a crack.

In these choices we see both possible outcomes of Jeremiah’s prophecy, the chance to submit or not, to live or die. Zedekiah does not submit and dies. Jeremiah submits and lives. Jeremiah was neither a deserter nor a traitor. He “remained among his own people” (14) and lived. So did another good man, Ebed-Melech (18). God’s love exceeds God’s anger. God’s mercy and offer of life are larger than God’s judgment.

Apply

Is there anyone you know who is in a tough spot (i.e. Ebed-Melech)? How can you show kindness to them (i.e. Jeremiah)?

Closing prayer

Thank You, God, for always leaving open the opportunity to choose You and Your way. Help me to know and choose the right path, even when it seems painful.

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