COSTLY REFUSAL

  There are times that a refusal is the best decision, but as I have been reading in Jeremiah, the king, Zedekiah, has been given several opportunities to make the choices that Jeremiah has been suggesting from the Lord.  The choices of surrendering to Babylon and just settling down there and continue their routines, seems so offensive to fearful and stubborn Zedekiah.  He wants to gather his toys and run to Egypt before Babylon sacks Jerusalem.  Jeremiah's choices just may not have made good sense to Zedekiah.  Oh my goodness, how many times do we follow our logic that makes sense only for it to become nonsense?  

Jeremiah has been imprisoned in a cistern, but at the present, he is in the courtyard of the prison guard. Zedekiah sends for Jeremiah again to be sure that God has not changed His mind about settling in Babylon and then returning to Israel and Judah after a long exile in Babylon.  Bad news, Zedekiah, God has not changed His mind, "If you surrender to the officer of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live.  BUT if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be handed over to the Babylonians  and they will burn it down, you yourself will not escape from their hands."  Jeremiah 38:17-18  Even though Jeremiah assures him that if he surrenders, his life will be spared, also his family, and the city, we will see the dust fly when Zedekiah runs.  

Jeremiah 39-40.  When the assault comes, Zedekiah and his family try to escape in the night, but alas, Babylon pursues and takes he and his family captive in shackles to Babylon.  Zedekiah and his family are killed.  Jeremiah is also taken captive, but a Babylonian commander releases Jeremiah from his chains and even gives him choices of where to live and provisions for his stay in Jerusalem or going to Babylon!  Another one of those BUT GOD.  The offer does not make sense, especially when offered by one who is not a God follower and he shows mercy to Jeremiah. 

I surmise that Zedekiah struggled with choices that did not seem logical.  In fact, they seemed most risky.  I wonder how many times I have missed opportunities for grace and blessing trying to think logically and being unwilling to risk?  This event was a costly refusal for Zedekiah, his family, and the city of Jerusalem.  Usually, when confronted with a choice, we often forget that the choice may have some long-term consequences further down the line.  Those consequences may affect more than just me!  Oh, what a tangled ball of knots when we choose disobedience and the time it requires to recover from consequences.  My prayer, "O Father, make it so very obvious what YOU would have me do!"  Forever learning!  In process!  #IHAVETHREESONS.