Last Goodbye

    How often do you know when you say goodbye to someone that it will be the last time you see the person?  Do you know that this is your last encounter with a person?  I have had a few experiences where I don't ever plan on seeing a person again, but you never know.  I don't handle good byes the best.  I treat each one like I will see them again soon, but that has never been promised.  If they are a Christians then I will one day, but if not it is my last goodbye.

    Jeremiah had been arrested and abused.  He has been ignored and picked on all because he followed God.  He understood that time was limited in life and in the beloved Jerusalem.  He did not take things for granted.  He did not want the city to fall, but he knew that it could.  The guards wanted him dead because he was lowering morale.  

    King Zedekiah did not really know how he felt about Jeremiah.  On one hand the prophet was his only connection with God.  On the other hand, he never liked what the prophet said.  In the end, he told the officials to do with him as they liked.  They lowered Jeremiah in cistern.  There was no water inside, only mud.

    No matter how unpopular Jeremiah was, he still had friends.  Ebed-Melech fought for him and managed to save his life.  He risked his own life and gathered 30 men to get Jeremiah out of the cistern before he died.  That took courage.  However, he did not try to escape his imprisonment in the courtyard.  

    King Zedekiah met with Jeremiah one last time in secret.  He wanted to talk.  However Jeremiah didn't want to talk.  He was afraid that the king would execute him when he gave the king the message from God, plus the king never listened to his advice.  Jeremiah was not stupid.  He made the king promise not to harm him before saying anything.  The king agreed and Jeremiah told him how to survive.  

    If the king refused to surrender then it would be his people that would suffer.  He would not survive, but if he did surrender then his line would continue.  The king was afraid.  He feared his people more than he should have been fearing God, so Jeremiah had to coax him a little.  

    When the conversation was over, Jeremiah warned the king not to tell anyone about it or the king would die.  It was a fine line that the king has to walk.  He king honored his word and gave Jeremiah protection.  Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard until the fall of Jerusalem, but he never saw the king again.

Jeremiah 387