Jeremiah 34
McGeeCHAPTERS 3436THEME: Zedekiah’s captivity foretold; Rechabites obey God and Jehoiakim destroys Word of God
Jeremiah 34:1
Jeremiah is to prophesy that the city of Jerusalem is to be burned with fire by the king of Babylon and that Zedekiah himself will be taken captive.
Jeremiah 34:8
Zedekiah made an agreement with the people that all the Hebrew servants should be set free.
Jeremiah 34:15
The Lord said that the covenant was “right in my sight” (see Exo_21:2). But Zedekiah did not make good on his covenant, and the Lord said of him, “ye turned and polluted my name.” In other words, Zedekiah profaned the name of God. By truly granting liberty to the people, Zedekiah, as king of Judah, could have demonstrated to the world that he was different, that he served the living and true God. But it was just a pretense; he didn’t make good on his promise. He not only brought himself into disrepute, but he profaned the name of God. It is the life of the child of God that the world will always look at. God’s name and the furtherance of His Word is hurt more by those who profess to know Him than by all the godless professors in our colleges today. The lives of those who name the name of Christ can hurt His cause more than those who are unbelieving. God says, “You have polluted My name; you have profaned My name.”
Jeremiah 34:19
“Which passed between the parts of the calf.” This is the way men made a covenant or a contract in that day. They took a sacrifice and cut it in half, putting half of the animal on one side and half on the other. The men then went between and joined hands. This is also the way God made His covenant with Abraham. It is like going to the notary public in our day. Zedekiah, the princes, the priests, and the people had all violated God’s covenant in not granting liberty to the servants, and therefore God pronounces this judgment upon them. In chapter 35 we find the Rechabites who are part of the believing remnant, and they are in sharp contrast to the nation as a whole. God has given us this account to remind us that there has always been a remnantHe will never leave the world without a witness to Himself. Even in the darkest time in history the world will ever knowthe Great Tribulation period which is yet future, when the 144,000 will have been forced undergroundthere will still be two witnesses who are going to stand for God. That is just the way God is going to have it. Even at the time when Satan is being allowed to run the whole show, God says, “I will keep two witnesses around, and they will be inviolateyou won’t be able to touch themuntil their mission has been accomplished.”