A Jackass Burial

8.16.2011

This morning I prayed and asked God to show me what I needed to see in the Scripture today that would help me. First I read in John 18 of the arrest and mock trial of Jesus. Then I read in 2 Kings 24 of king Jehoiachin’s deportation to Babylon. Then I read Jeremiah’s prophecy to Zedekiah the successor to Jehoiachin and I saw this: "He will have the burial of a donkey— dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.” (Jeremiah 22:19 NIV)

I always wonder what the recipient of God’s judgment thought when they heard the prophet deliver the bad news? I always wonder what the people around the recipient thought when they heard the judgment of God given to the recipient? Sire, did you hear what he just said? He said you were going to have a donkey’s burial! Did he really mean that!? O King! Is he really calling you a jackass!?

And last, I read Psalm 112: “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.” (Psalm 112:1 NIV) Zedekiah was not numbered among those spoken of in Psalm 112.

In all of the changes that are happening in my life these days, new career, aging, lack of bike-riding (sigh), aging (did I mention aging? I just had another birthday) I find the greater my need to fear the Lord and find great delight in His commands. I think back on all those years of not delighting in them and wish I had. But with God it is better to repent and start afresh than to just give up and go on the same old way. And I haven’t yet had a prophet stand outside in my driveway and speak forth God’s judgment on my life…

What I needed today is to be reminded that I am nothing going nowhere without the fear (the respect, the submission, the obedience, the hope, and the love) of the Lord. Those who love the Lord are comforted by Psalm 112 and what it says; those who don’t are looking forward to a jackass burial… dragged out of whatever secure position they feel they are in and thrown into the landfill… Zedekiah would’ve been wise to heed and live the words of Psalm 112. Instead he heard the words of Jeremiah 24.

Yes, with all that is happening in my life, and yours, these days, are we fearing the Lord and listening to Him? Or do we believe we can go on, status quo, and by some miracle of cheap grace, escape?