Date: September 07, 2022 | Series: Youth for Jesus|Number: Vol. 5, No. 17
“King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me.”” (Jer 38:19NIV)
Those were the words of King Zedekiah, the last king of the nation of Judah before the city of Jerusalem fell into the hands of the Babylonians. He said them to Jeremiah when he told him that the only way for him to save Jerusalem, his palace, the temple of God and all his people was for him to surrender to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Babylonians. And this counsel wasn’t this prophet’s idea at all. It was the word that the Lord had given to him.
But why was Zedekiah afraid of being turned over by the Babylonians to the Jews who had already defected to them? He was afraid because he knew that those Jews would illtreat him, even though he was their king. And why was he so sure that his people would illtreat him, if he should be handed over to them? He was sure of this because he knew that he had not been a good and righteous king to them. So, if, for some reasons, the tables were to be turned and he were to be brought down to their level, they would not treat him kindly at all.
Now what is the point of this? It is that all of us who have people under us, however few they may be, need to be careful to use our position to make like better and more enjoyable for them, instead of maltreating or tormenting them. Why is this important? First, it is important because God will certainly judge us for how we treat those under us.
In Colossians, chapter 4, verse 1, Paul says this to us: “Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.” (Col 4:1NIV) Did you see that? If you are a leader in any capacity, God expects you to be fair and just in the way you treat those under you, whether they are related to you by blood or not. Why? It is because you too have Him as your master. And as your master, you will want Him to be just and fair in treating you. If He were, then, to treat you the way you treat those under you, how do you think things would turn out for you?
Apart from that, as we see in Zedekiah’s case, if situations were to change, if, for some reasons, you were to find yourself under the authority or in the power of those who are now under you, how do you think they would treat you? Would they remember how kind and wonderful you have been in leading them and caring for them and then use all their might to do you good? Or would they think it is payback time? I am sure you now the answers to these questions.
Well, this word is coming to you so that you can assess the way you are now using your position and see if it will not give anyone a reason to want to hurt you, if circumstances were to be altered. And if it is clear that you are abusing your office or position of advantage, I counsel you to change your ways while doing so will rebuild your reputation. Otherwise, a day may come when you will fall into the hands of some of the people you are now cheating and oppressing. And they may not be merciful at all in handling you.
So, watch yourself.