Fads come, and fads go. I remember one from my high school and college days; and perhaps you remember it too. I haven’t heard it mentioned in some time, so maybe it has passed away just as many fads do. But then again, maybe I’m just too old, and not running around in the same circles I was 50 years ago. Among other things it was called, “Finding one’s self.” One of the girls with whom I went to school went to Switzerland to find herself. Earlier, she got herself lost in Europe without ever having left the United States. And I was sure that I saw her in Denver for years before she left. Some of my old acquaintances tried to find themselves in LSD, marijuana and other drugs. One or two others tried world travel – like Viet Nam for example.
In every case they were who they were long before they started looking for themselves. What they really meant was – “Who can I find that I’d like to become?” Some of those people were already miserable with themselves at 17 and 18 years of age. Then in some cases they were wanting to find out how wretched they might become. Usually, when outsiders look at us, they form opinions about who we are – even if we’re not sure. That us because we already are someone – we may be only 14 years of age, but we are someone.
There is a sense in which Jeremiah once had an identity crisis. He had been called of God into the Lord’s ministry, but the poor man wanted out. “Lord, who am I? I don’t like the man I see in the mirror.” God answered his questions, and Jeremiah went on to be one of the Lord’s greatest servants. Generally speaking, we are who we are, but we can always become a better person. But it’s not Jeremiah who concerns us tonight; let’s think about three others. Each played a role in Jeremiah’s life, but were they the men their mothers raised them to be?
By the way, did you know there are more personal names in Jeremiah than in any other prophetical book? There must be a reason for that. There must be lessons in these people for us. Let’s look at three interesting people whom we find in Jeremiah’s life. Perhaps their children or cousins can be found among your circle of acquaintances. Maybe some of these are to be found here in our church service tonight. Two of these men should have been out looking for other selves to become.
First we have Irijah, the bureaucrat.
Jerusalem had fallen to the Babylonians in 606 BC – seven years before these chapters. At that fall, Daniel and the national elite had been taken in chains to Babylon. After that, two sons of king Josiah, Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin had both sat briefly upon Israel’s throne. Now the brother of Josiah, the uncle of Jehoiachin, a man named Zedechiah was king. But once again Babylon was disgusted with the king of Judah and had brought her armies to the gates. She had almost driven Jerusalem to her knees again, but the siege had been lifted. The Chaldeans had to withdraw temporarily to deal with rebellious Egypt. But the respite was only temporary.
For some time, Jeremiah had been preaching that Israel’s woes were part of God’s judgment for sin. That judgment was with the purpose of restoring righteousness to the nation. It was like necessary surgery, required for setting Israel’s heart straight again. Oh, but the people didn’t like that kind of talk – “Divine judgment.” Judah was trying to think in other terms rather than “right” and “wrong.” Rather than “righteous” and “sin” everything was colored in a light shade of grey. “Patriotism” was a much nicer word than “sanctification” and “divine worship.” Loyalty and disloyalty to the country drew more attention than service to God. Love for one’s nation is a demand of society, even if that country, and its leaders, are wicked. But there was Jeremiah, preaching humble submission to the judgment and to the God who sent it. Jeremiah had been telling Judah to surrender to the Babylonians.
During the lull in fighting, Jeremiah was going out of Jerusalem to visit his old home in Anathoth. As he was passing through the city gate, Irijah arrested him on the charge that he was defecting. The story was that Jeremiah was going to run after Babylonians and give aid to the enemy. In reality, Jeremiah was the most loyal man in the city. Far from being a turn-coat, he was a spiritual patriot, suffering more agony than most. He was willing to stay in the city, preaching repentance until the Babylonians silenced him. He was just trying to catch his breath by visiting his old homestead. But the princes of Judah had been looking for an excuse to deal with this troublesome prophet of God. Irijah found it for them – whether there was any truth in the charges or not.
Irijah was the kind of man who escapes responsibility by quoting his job description. He was a bureaucrat, hiding behind all the rules and directives of his human superiors. He refused to weigh anything by any higher principles. And there are plenty of those higher principles. Things like right and wrong; justice and injustice; the Word of God; the heart of Christ. Perhaps Irijah would have said, “It was nothing personal against Jeremiah” whether it was nor not. He was like Adolf Eichmann who was just doing his job, turning on the gas at human incinerators.
Irijah, may have been nominally religious, but in a smorgasbord or sacerdotal sort way. He may have been bowing to a priest who made all his decisions for him. Or as a man in front of salad bar, picking and choosing what doctrines and practices to eat or avoid. Irijah people, attend church, because that is a part of their job description. But actually being a part of the service in spirit and heart-felt involvement is someone else’s job. Sunday morning attendance meets their definition of responsibility. Blending their lackluster voice with a hundred others in singing the songs of Zion fulfills their duty. But when someone like Jeremiah steps over the line of acceptable deportment… When he shows more than mere Baptistic emotionalism… He if displays zeal and character beyond what is generally approved…. When he loves God enough to repeat His pronouncements… When he loves the heathen enough to evangelize them…. When he preaches that judgment must begin at house of God, then it is time for Irijah to step in to save the community from such embarrassment. Irijah was just doing his job. Unfortunately that job was designed by man, and it stood against the will of Lord. He should have been out looking for his better self, rather than for a servant of God to prosecute.
And then we have Zedekiah, the King.
This man is not really a king at all, but a puppet of Babylon – at least initially. He wasn’t elected to his job by the voice of the citizens. He wasn’t next in line to become kind, until the Chaldeans came in and manipulated the lineage and who was living and who was dying. The man had no mind of his own. In some ways he was equivalent to Irijah, doing his job, but in other ways, he was weaker. When the Babylonians took the city, they needed someone from the royal family. And they needed someone who could follow orders.
Essentially, this man had mixed feelings about Jeremiah. They had known each other from the days of Josiah. This vassal king had a kind of respect for Jeremiah – respect for one who was a prophet. Jeremiah had a stature that was immense; he cast a long shadow. But that shadow chilled the wicked and made people shutter. Jeremiah had an integrity that was impressive and courage that wouldn’t quit. The life which the King was leading was held in contempt by that same Jeremiah. Zedekiah was redecorating the palace, while the city was starving. He kept encouraging the national optimism, when he didn’t really believe it himself. He begged the Egyptians to help, but forgot how to beseech the Lord. He disgusted Jeremiah, and the king new it, so every time they met he didn’t know how to behave.
Zedekiah was a throughly weak and vacillating man; a marshmallow. Because of that weakness, the princes convinced him to rebel against Babylon. He reminds us that good intentions are worthless without solid character. After Jeremiah was tossed into the dungeon, Zedekiah brought him out, but secretly, so that his councilors wouldn’t find out. Then when Jeremiah was thrown into the cistern, he did nothing at all – again, out of fear of princes.
Zedekiah was hardly true to himself at all – he was not really the King of Judah. He was a paper clip on any official document sent to him by the people with tiny bits of power. He was guilty of no premeditated evil, nor of any premeditated good. He was one of the most problematic people in Jeremiah’s life.
Zedekiah reminds us of the importance knowing the difference between right and wrong. And he shows us what happens when we don’t act wisely in regard to those differences. Determine upon what principles should we act and then take your stand. It doesn’t have to be in a belligerent and obnoxious fashion. In the current motto of the day, “Just say No!” when “No” needs to be said. And give a resounding “Yes” when that is the order of the day.
King Zedekiah was a man looking for his identity, but he already was who he was.
Contrasting both Zedekiah and Irijah, there was Ebedmeleck.
Ebedmeleck was a foreigner, a black man. As soon as heard that Jeremiah had been cast into the cistern, he started rescue procedures. It was very simply the right thing to do.
Jeremiah was never popular, and never heard much applause. But he had a few friends and he had admirers. There had been Ahikam ben Shaphan, in Jeremiah 26:24. That man stepped in where angels feared to tread and opposed Jeremiah’s arrest. “Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.” Perhaps, a closer friend was Baruck who stood beside him even in prison. When it was necessary to give words to Jeremiah’s work, he even went into the Temple and palace to read Jeremiah’s prophecies to the men in charge. In other words, he risked his life to carry on Jeremiah’s ministry. Another friend was Gedaliah, soon to become governor of Judah after Zedekiah. This man was a warm-hearted soul, but quite naive about the wickedness of men. Ebedmelek was another.
Someone once said, “One friend in a lifetime is a great blessing; three are nearly impossible.” Some people find friends like the prodigal son found them; only in fair weather. Jeremiah had a few which came out best when the weather was threatening.
Being a foreigner, Ebedmeleck had no legal rights. Throughout his life he was fighting against public opinion. So maybe his experience aided him as he risked his life for Jeremiah. But that is what friends do. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Ebedmelech says something about Jeremiah: “Everyman needs friends – or at least help.” And no one is utterly self-sufficient – but no one is useless either. For the Christian especially, never think that you have no ministry or purpose in life. Maybe if you “found yourself” it would be in nothing less important than to be a comfort or and a friend. Never assume that there is nothing that you can do to help another living soul. Go out of your way to become a friend to everyone that you possibly can. We need to be more like our Saviour in this area too.
If Jeremiah, the courageous man of God, needs friends then very likely so will everyone of us sooner or later.