The passage

2And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. 3Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. 8The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.

Also referenced today

The shape of the message

1. Jerusalem’s fall after refusing God
2. Zedekiah’s flight, capture, and the cost of refusing warning
3. Sowing and reaping: delayed consequences and no exceptions
4. Babylon’s takeover and the fate of the people
5. Jeremiah’s rescue and God’s grace amid judgment
6. Ebed-melech spared and the promise of reward for faithfulness

Questions to hold while you listen

• Where are you tempted to think you’ll be an exception to the principle of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7)?
• What does the contrast between Jeremiah and Zedekiah expose about faith versus fear in your own decisions?
• How have you seen a person’s decision to live apart from God affect a household or the next generation?
• When have you felt a nudge to speak or act, and what keeps you silent in those moments?
• How does the promise that God will be with his servants and give strength to endure (2 Corinthians 1:3-7) shape how you handle opposition?

Notes

This week

Respond to God instead of staying silent: repent where there is sin, obey what he has asked you to do, and speak to the person God has placed on your heart. Watch for the moments you’re tempted to ignore today, because they can become the regrets of tomorrow.