|
CHAPTER 11 Yokes for the Necks of Kings
|
|
When Jeremiah reached home after viewing Hananiah's funeral, he found Baruch weeping. "What's the trouble, my friend?" He laid his hand on the scribe's shoulder. "The captives have revolted in Babylon," he sobbed. "That's terrible," moaned Jeremiah. "Nebuchadnezzar will crush them, and hundreds will die." He paced the floor in circles, deep in thought. "No doubt news of Hananiah's preaching gave them false hopes," he said. "Who told you?" "My brother Seraiah who works in the palace. He also said that King Zedekiah has been summoned to Babylon to pledge his loyalty." Baruch wiped his eyes with a small square of cloth. "It's that serious?" "Yes, Jeremiah. Nebuchadnezzar thinks Zedekiah is behind it." "He's not, but some of his advisors might have something to do with it. When is he going?" "Tomorrow. I think Seraiah will go too." "Then that explains the vision I received last night." Jeremiah sat down on a stool near his friend, and looked through the square opening in the wall down onto the busy street. "The message is for the exiled Jews." Jeremiah motioned toward the table. "Baruch, get a message scroll and write a letter for me. Baruch scratched the brief message onto the sheepskin as Jeremiah spoke. "To the Jews who live in Babylon: Build homes, raise families, establish businesses, plant vineyards; settle yourselves in Babylon, for most of you will spend the rest of your lives there. Don't listen to anyone who tells you that the captivity will end soon, for believing such lies will only bring trouble upon you." Jeremiah gave more counsel, instructed Baruch on how it should be read to the people and suggested that Seraiah deliver it during his visit to Babylon.
When Zedekiah appeared before Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, the heathen king demanded that the Jew swear his allegiance in the name of Yahweh. Nebuchadnezzar knew of Daniel's unerring loyalty to Yahweh, and thought, Surely this Jewish king will also respect an oath sworn in the name of his God. Later, at the great king's birthday party on the southern plain of Dura, Zedekiah accompanied other Babylonian dignitaries in bowing before an image which contained four tons of gold. This act publicly asserted their loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah saw no contradiction between his oath in the name of Yahweh and his bowing before the golden image, but he must have puzzled when three Jewish officials of the Babylonian court refused to kowtow to the image and received the sentence of death by fire. Their dedication to Yahweh made no sense to him, and he thrilled with exquisite terror when they miraculously survived the flames of the fiery furnace! Meanwhile, in the Jewish ghetto, Seraiah gathered several leaders and a crowd of people to the west bank of the Euphrates River, and read Jeremiah's scroll—in spite of objections from Ahab and Zedekiah, two self-appointed prophets who lived there. Then, following Jeremiah's instructions, he tied the scroll to a large rock and threw it into the river. He kissed several friendly Jews good-bye, and rejoined King Zedekiah at the Babylonian palace.
Ahab and Zedekiah, the false prophets, hated Jeremiah's message and publicly opposed it, rallying many Jews to their cause in open revolt. But the Babylonian home guard squashed the riot, killing hundreds of Jews in the process. The two false prophets were captured alive and arraigned before Nebuchadnezzar who personally judged them. Through his spies the great king had learned of their sedition, and of Jeremiah's efforts to stop it. Since these men had created the rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar condemned them to death for their treason. The Babylonian king directed that Ahab and Zedekiah be executed on the same river bank from which they had listened to Jeremiah's letter. Royal engineers constructed a giant barbecue pit with two stout poles stretched across it. Soldiers strapped Ahab and Zedekiah to the poles, and rotated them slowly over a hot fire until they died of heat exhaustion—roasted alive.
King Zedekiah and his entourage returned to Jerusalem to find ambassadors from several Palestinian nations gathered at the palace. "We despise Babylon's tyranny," announced the envoy from Edom, bowing from the waist as he spoke. "We prefer that Egypt coordinate our affairs." "Yes," joined in the Ammonite ambassador. "Pharaoh taxes us, but he never drags our people to Egypt." "He sometimes does it to punish a nation for withholding taxes." chided the Moabite. "True," grunted the Ammonite, frowning, "but not from general policy. If we would all unite with Egypt, I believe Babylon would leave us alone." "That's right," agreed the ambassador from Tyre, pointing his finger toward the sky. "Egypt has mauled Babylon several times and if we had supported her she might have destroyed Babylon all together by now." "You embarrass me." Zedekiah held up his hands in an effort to stop them. "I've just returned from Babylon, and while there I took an oath to remain loyal to Nebuchadnezzar." "But you needn't fear to break your word," laughed the Sidonian ambassador. "We will protect each other." "I wish I could believe that," Zedekiah scowled, "but it does sound good." The Jewish king could never make up his mind for himself, and often allowed advisors to draft his policies. Friends and enemies alike pushed him this way and that, while despising him and fearing to trust his word. "Our alliance will work," smiled the Edomite. "Pharaoh will welcome and protect us—with his full army, if need be. We have nothing to fear." At that precise moment Jeremiah entered the room, and began distributing strange wooden objects to the ambassadors. At first the men took them as gifts from Zedekiah, but one look at his perturbed face banished that idea. "These are yokes, gentlemen. Wear them like I'm wearing mine." Jeremiah adjusted his yoke so that it rode at the proper angle. "Please accept this yoke as a gift from Yahweh to your king." He laid one in Zedekiah's lap. "Yahweh says: 'I made the earth, the sea, the heavens and every beast in them. I have the power to do whatever I wish with all these things, and to give them to whomever I choose. "'I have given the earth and everyone on it to Nebuchadnezzar and his successors. All nations will serve him. Someday I will destroy Babylon, but until then, every nation who refuses to submit to her yoke will die by sword, famine, and pestilence. Yet those who wear Babylon's yoke will remain in their own lands. "'Do not listen to anyone who tells you to resist, for I have spoken,' says Yahweh, 'and I will cause it to happen.'" "These will make interesting souvenirs," said the Ammonite envoy after Jeremiah had left the room. "But I have no intention of serving Babylon all my life." "Nor do I," agreed Zedekiah as he tossed the wooden yoke into a corner. "Gentlemen," announced the Ammonite as he broke the yoke over his knee. "Let us form an alliance against Babylon." |