“And to this people you shall say: ‘Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.’”
Jeremiah 21:8
Summary
In Jeremiah chapter 21, King Zedekiah sends Pashhur and Zephaniah to inquire of the prophet Jeremiah in hopes of receiving a favorable word from the Lord concerning the threat posed by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. Instead, Jeremiah conveys a message of impending judgment: God Himself will fight against Jerusalem with outstretched hand and mighty power, using the Babylonians as His instrument of wrath. As a result, the city will fall to the enemy. Jeremiah proclaims that those staying in the city will face sword, famine, and pestilence; only those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. This chapter underscores God's sovereignty and the inevitability of His judgment due to the people's persistent disobedience, reflecting the futility of defying His will.