As God tries to teach us about himself and what he expects from his people, sometimes he will use two events and set them next to each other so that we can compare and contrast the situations. As we come to Jeremiah 34-35 we are going to read about two groups of people who have two different responses to hearing the word of the Lord. Before we get into the text, I want to set up our study with an important question. How do you respond when you hear the word of the Lord? Open your copies of God’s word to Jeremiah 34 and we will begin with the first picture.

The word of the Lord comes to Jeremiah when Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, has put Judah under his control and his now fighting against Jerusalem and its surrounding cities. The message is clear. God is going to give Jerusalem into the hands of king of Babylon and he is going to destroy the city (Jeremiah 34:2). Zedekiah, the king of Judah, will be captured and speak to the king of Babylon face to face (Jeremiah 34:3). Even though Zedekiah will be captured, he will not die by the sword. Rather, he is going to die in peace and there will be ceremony for his death like the kings in the past (Jeremiah 34:4-5). Jeremiah takes this message and tells Zedekiah while Nebuchadnezzar continues his attack against Jerusalem and the remaining fortified cities…

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