Surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, he shall die in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke. – Ezekiel 17:16
An oath made had to be honoured. | WATCH ON YOUTUBE
Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, much against strong warnings from Jeremiah. He ignored the promises of submission that he made to the king (2 Kings 24:20).
If he had remained faithful to his oath of loyalty, Judah could have continued to prosper as a tributary kingdom. He had favorable conditions for his reign. Nebuchadnezzar’s benevolent attitude helped Zedekiah prosper. Instead, Zedekiah rebelled.
An oath was sacred in Israel. Violating an oath was an offense against God. Even an oath made fraudulently was to be honored. God expected Zedekiah to be loyal to the covenant he made. He had bound himself by oath, in the presence of God, to be faithful to the covenant he made with Nebuchadnezzar, but at the first given opportunity, he broke it.
Jeremiah 52:11 says that Zedekiah remained in Babylon until his death. God promised severe judgment on Zedekiah for not keeping his word. Through Ezekiel, God said Zedekiah would die during Babylon. And as it was told, he died in the most terrible of circumstances (2 Kings 25:7).
When Zedekiah gave his oath to Nebuchadnezzar, God regarded it as an oath to Him also. The implications of this attitude are far-reaching. Agreements entered by worshippers of God are binding as if they had been made with God. God’s people are called to be people of their word.
Are you?
Lord, help me be careful to honor You with my word, I pray.
Extended Reading — Ezekiel 16-17
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