“I Am Afraid of the Jews That . . . They Mock Me”
By T. E. BOWEN
THE words at the head of this article were spoken by King Zedekiah to Jeremiah the prophet in his last secret counsel with him. The time was a most critical one for Israel. The destiny of the city of Jerusalem, as well as of the whole Hebrew nation, hung on this decision. The word of God, by the mouth of Jeremiah, was clear and distinct, telling the king explicitly what he might do to save both himself and his people. But the real reason for not obeying the word of God to him is found in this poor flimsy excuse: “I am afraid of the Jews,” Jeremiah, “that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.” God’s word to Zedekiah was life. The army of the Chaldeans had encircled Jerusalem. Long before this, Jeremiah had faithfully portrayed what was coming, but the people would not hear. He was ruthlessly taken and thrust into prison because he advised surrendering the city to Nebuchadnezzar’s army. He was counted as a traitor, one working against Israel and for Israel’s enemy. False prophets had prophesied peace, and said that God would protect them, etc. But now, notwithstanding all these quieting predictions, the words of Jeremiah were being fulfilled to that extent that the armies had encompassed the city, and the king was becoming much alarmed. Secretly he called the faithful prophet to him, and said: “I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.” Jeremiah replied, “If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?” Being assured by an oath that his life would be spared, Jeremiah said: “Thus saith the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house: but if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.” By obeying the word of God, the mighty God of Israel, the Lord God of hosts, the destiny of a nation might have been at least changed; the city of Jerusalem, the pride of the Israelite, delivered; also the king’s own life saved. But rather than thus yield implicit obedience to God, thus showing that he feared God more than man, this weak, vacillating king revealed the shallowness of his character by replying to God, “I am afraid of the Jews.” I am afraid they will “mock me.” What a different history might have been written had God’s words been implicitly obeyed. Men even now fear the face of men, fear what men will say or think of them, more than they fear God, and what he will say and think of them. Zedekiah lost his crown, lost his honor, and lost his life by fearing the face of man more than he feared God. How different was the kingly life of Jesus. By fearlessly disregarding the traditions of men, and implicitly obeying the word of his Father, he earned the lost diadem that fell from Zedekiah’s brow. Men might mock him and ridicule his simple life of obedience, yet he stood unmoved, like a great rock breaking the angry billows that beat against it. Before this work closes, opportunity will be given for revealing whether our characters belong unto that class represented by Zedekiah, or whether, like Christ, we have had the fear of God before us, which alone will cause us to “stand” through the perils of the end, and to “stand” when the Son of man appears.