Welcome back. I hope this is not happening, but today especially I need to call out: the way you should use my devotional is with reading the chapters assigned each day. Whenever there is a time constraint and you have to choose between reading the Bible and the devotional, I pray you would read the Bible. These are supplemental to reading the Word of God. Today, we will read Jeremiah chapters 14–17.

The reason I call this out is that as I read through this section, there were things I highlighted as always, and verses I wanted to research and write about—but I needed to understand the context more. The questions that came to mind were: When did this happen? Do we have historical proof of this drought and how bad it was? And who were these kings—what do we know about them?

Therefore, instead of focusing on specific verses, here is some background information that may help you appreciate what you are reading. I will base the focus on four kings.
Jehoiakim: Opportunism and Rebellion
The first was Jehoiakim. He was Josiah’s son and was installed as king of Judah by Pharaoh Necho II in 609 BCE. I try to leave politics out of our study as much as I can, but this man was an opportunist. He had allied himself with Egypt, but in 605 BCE he switched that allegiance to Babylon after the Battle of Carchemish. He was defiant and burned the scrolls Jeremiah provided, rejecting the warnings of the prophets (see Jer. 36). We will read tomorrow how he exploited labor and wealth for personal gain while neglecting justice.

This sounds to me like many modern-day politicians who were not wealthy, got elected to a job which paid around $250,000 a year, and somehow—through lobbyists, kickbacks, or perhaps insider information—became multi-millionaires with no real life connection to their constituents.

Jehoiakim’s rebellion against Babylon would be the impetus for much of the suffering we are reading about today. He died either in late 598 or early 597 BCE under murky circumstances.
Jehoiachin: Lack of Experience and Exile
When Jehoiachin became king, he was only eighteen years old. Seeing this destabilization, Nebuchadnezzar seized the opportunity to attack, and in the third month of Jehoiachin’s reign (597 BCE), the young king surrendered to avoid bloodshed. This led to the first wave of exile, involving around 10,000 people—including nobles, the royal family, skilled craftsmen, and military leaders (2 Kings 24:12–16).

We will read the books of Ezekiel and Daniel soon, and these prophets were likely in that first wave of people going into exile. It was a smart strategic move by Nebuchadnezzar. Taking all the people would mean he would have to provide for them? By taking this select group, he weakened the chance of resistance.
Zedekiah: Weakness and Catastrophe
With the lack of leadership, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah as king. He was Jehoiachin’s uncle, but served more as a figurehead. Lacking resolve, Zedekiah vacillated between prophets and politicians (Jer. 37–38). Unhappy with Judah’s subjugation under Babylon, he tried to revive an alliance with Egypt—which provoked Babylon’s ultimate invasion.

In 586 BCE, forces besieged Jerusalem, burned the Temple, and captured Zedekiah as he fled. They forced him to watch his sons executed before blinding him (2 Kings 25:6–7). This ended Judah’s monarchy and fulfilled Jeremiah’s prophetic warnings.
A Nation Under Judgment
While all this was happening, Jeremiah tried to warn the leaders, but they refused to put their faith in God. So He poured out the drought that kills many (Jer. 14:2–6, 18). The massive amount of death in Jeremiah 14:16 makes me picture images from World War II concentration camps where people threw bodies into piles—and the living had to crawl over them. The famine becomes so severe that the text implies cannibalism (Lam. 4:10)

This happens when a society rejects the living God. He had given them more than they deserved and rescued them many times, but they rejected Him. I often wonder why He has not rejected us yet. In the 1960s, we took Him out of our schools, then later our courts, the government, and now even some churches. We attempt to remove Him even from Christmas, replacing it with an anonymous “Holiday,” while becoming more accepting of religions that worship false gods.
Why Judgment Is Delayed?
Why doesn’t He smite us the way He did Judah? One reason: King Jesus. Through the Lord we have grace. Instead of giving us what we deserve, He gives us His righteousness. Yet we are rejecting His commands. At some point, He will turn us over to our sins (Rom. 1:24). I don’t think we will recover from that. We still have time to correct our ways. History tells us we have repented and seen enlightenment before—we need that now before it is too late.
Tomorrow, we will read Jeremiah 18-21.