Based on Jeremiah 34:8-22 (New King James Version)
“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem to proclaim liberty to them: that every man should set free his male and female slave—a Hebrew man or woman—that no one should keep a Jewish brother in bondage. Now when all the princes and all the people, who had entered into the covenant, heard that everyone should set free his male and female slaves, that no one should keep them in bondage anymore, they obeyed and let them go. But afterward they changed their minds and made the male and female slaves return, whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection as male and female slaves. Therefore the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying, ‘At the end of seven years let every man set free his Hebrew brother, who has been sold to him; and when he has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you.’ But your fathers did not obey Me nor incline their ear. Then you recently turned and did what was right in My sight—every man proclaiming liberty to his neighbor; and you made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name. Then you turned around and profaned My name, and every one of you brought back his male and female slaves, whom you had set at liberty, at their pleasure, and brought them back into subjection, to be your male and female slaves.’ ‘Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and every one to his neighbor. Behold, I proclaim liberty to you,’ says the Lord—‘to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine! And I will deliver you to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth. And I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between the parts of it—the princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf—I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. Their dead bodies shall be for meat for the birds of the heaven and the beasts of the earth. And I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army which has gone back from you. Behold, I will command,’ says the Lord, ‘and cause them to return to this city. They will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.’ ”
The first point to consider today is that God’s Word will always come to pass; however, we must clearly understand that its fulfillment is conditional. In other words, God’s Word is fulfilled in our lives based on how we respond to Him. We will receive the blessings prescribed in God’s Word if we obey and meet the requirements or conditions for receiving them. Conversely, if we do not obey God’s word, the opposite occurs. For instance, had Zedekiah and the people generally obeyed God and done what was promised, God would have shown mercy and spared them from punishment. But because of their foolishness and rebellion against God, this is what happened: “In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and besieged it. In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the city was penetrated. Then all the princes of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sarezer, Rabmag, with the rest of the princes of the king of Babylon. So it was, when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, that they fled and went out of the city by night, by way of the king’s garden, by the gate between the two walls. And he went out by way of the plain. But the Chaldean army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had captured him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him. Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes in Riblah; the king of Babylon also killed all the nobles of Judah. Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon. And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the houses of the people with fire, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive to Babylon the remnant of the people who remained in the city and those who defected to him, with the rest of the people who remained. But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left in the land of Judah the poor people, who had nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.” Jeremiah 39:1-10. And so, God brought judgment, and He also brought justice to the slaves and the poor among the people.
Let us look at other examples that the Word itself mentions as very clear conditions. In John 3:36, it says: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." This is self-explanatory. Another is: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7. This can be explained as follows: if a person fears the Lord, they are fulfilling the condition for wisdom to begin developing in their life. However, the fool—by despising wisdom and instruction—demonstrates that he does not fear God and, consequently, reaps the results. A person who never learns to fear God will never be wise; instead, everything they do will lead to their own destruction, especially in eternity. Another example is: “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9. The conditions or requirements that must be met—what we ourselves must do to be saved—are twofold in this passage: accepting Jesus as Lord (and not as anything less), and possessing faith—a conviction of the heart, free from doubt—that God the Father raised Him from the dead. Yet, if both conditions are not met, there is no salvation. If you view Jesus merely as a Savior or as something of lesser status, not only do you fail to meet the requirement, but you also fail to make Him your Master and Lord—as is necessary for you to belong to Him and obey Him. And naturally, if you harbor doubts that God raised Him from the dead, how can you expect to be resurrected on the Last Day if you do not believe that God the Father did so for the Lord?
Now, what was the great failure of the king and the people as a whole? They never loved their neighbor. And who was their neighbor? By definition, a neighbor is the person next to you—those surrounding you, without exception—for even the stranger and your enemy are your neighbors. And who is our foremost neighbor? God. They never respected God, nor what He asked of them, and certainly not the people to whom they were supposed to grant freedom. This is what the Lord says: “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” Luke 6:31. Do you want to be loved? Love God and your neighbor. Do you want respect? Respect God and your neighbor. Do you want faithfulness from others? Be faithful to God and to your neighbor. So, do you truly love your neighbor as yourself? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!