In Second Kings, chapter twenty-four, verse twenty, Zedekiah rebelled because false prophets had declared a positive message that God would destroy Babylon and not Judah. Jeremiah’s message, although unpopular, proclaimed the opposite: that God would bring His rebellious people under the rule of Babylon. However, between both sermons, Jeremiah’s message is the one that came to pass, demonstrating that he was a true prophet of the Lord, as in Deuteronomy eighteen, verses twenty-one through twenty-two, respectively.
Today, we have a similar position to Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, when Jerusalem and the temple were experiencing destruction by Babylon. Being the leader of a group of people, whether a boss at a workplace, or head of a household, we have a responsibility to choose the one that will benefit us. Sometimes, there are two choices, and we have to go in the direction of one. However, decision-making can be unclear as to which one to believe. The situation is even more important for a believer.
A Christian is a person who follows Jesus Christ and His Word. However, making a decision, whether moderate or severe, can be life-changing. Some people in the religious world are church-goers who go to church and listen to the message. Their relationship with God depends upon the leader instead of getting to know Him for themselves. The problem with not knowing the Creator of the universe, as Zedekiah should, could lead to a situation as he was dealing with being a king.
Not knowing the direction to go and relying on others we are unsure of can be dangerous. Zedekiah had two choices between messages, and he picked the wrong one. As believers, listening to any preaching or teaching, we have to refer to God’s Word and follow up and pray about it because most leaders get their information from the Bible, where they attempt to interpret it for us. However, if we overlook the message and believe, the direction could lead to where we expect it not to be.