Time didn’t allow it Sunday, but I wish we could’ve looked at one more “listening” story. Here’s the Cliff Notes version.1
King Zedekiah — alarmed by the invading Babylonian army — sent word to the prophet Jeremiah: “Please pray to the Lord our God on our behalf.”
Apparently, Zedekiah is following the example of his great-great-grandfather King Hezekiah. He, too, was being attacked by a huge army and sent a similar request for prayer to the prophet Isaiah.2 God answered the prayer: the angel of the Lord went out that night and struck down 185,000 enemy warriors. The remaining army left in a hurry! Zedekiah seems to be hoping for a similar answer to prayer.
In Zedekiah’s case, however, God refused to help. In fact, He promised them certain defeat. How come?
Despite appearances to the contrary, Zedekiah was not sincere.
- Zedekiah wanted God’s help, but “neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Lord…”
- He called Him, “the Lord our God,” but his actions proved otherwise.
- Hezekiah appealed to the Lord in brokenness and humility, wearing sackcloth and torn clothes, praying in the house of the Lord. There is no mention of Zedekiah humbling himself whatsoever, or of his entering the house of the Lord to pray.
God doesn’t play those games.
Once again, Zedekiah proved that he really didn’t have a “listening” heart. (Click here if you’d like to hear the other 5 stories about a listening heart.)
O God, save us from saying all the right things… without really meaning them.
Blessings,
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1 Jeremiah 37:1-10
2 1 Kings 19