Zedekiah, originally named Mattaniah, was the last king of Judah, reigning from 597 to 586 BC. He was the son of Josiah and the uncle of Jehoiachin, whom he succeeded as king. Zedekiah's ascension to the throne was orchestrated by Nebuchadnezzar II, the king of Babylon, who had previously besieged Jerusalem and taken Jehoiachin captive. Nebuchadnezzar changed Mattaniah's name to Zedekiah, which means "The Lord is my righteousness," and installed him as a vassal king, expecting loyalty and tribute to Babylon.

Seeks the Intercession of Jeremiah With God on His Behalf

During Zedekiah's reign, the political and spiritual climate of Judah was tumultuous. The kingdom was under constant threat from Babylon, and Zedekiah faced pressure from his own officials and people to rebel against Babylonian rule. Despite the prophet Jeremiah's warnings against such rebellion, Zedekiah vacillated between seeking counsel from Jeremiah and yielding to the demands of his advisors.

In a moment of desperation, Zedekiah sought the intercession of Jeremiah, hoping for divine intervention against the Babylonian threat. Jeremiah 21:1-2 records this plea: "This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malchiah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah, asking, 'Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.'"

Jeremiah, however, delivered a message of judgment rather than deliverance. He warned that Jerusalem would fall to the Babylonians and urged surrender as the only means of survival. Despite this, Zedekiah's fear of his officials and lack of faith led him to ignore Jeremiah's counsel, ultimately resulting in the catastrophic fall of Jerusalem.

Zedekiah's reign is marked by his struggle to balance political pressures with the prophetic messages he received. His reliance on Jeremiah's intercession highlights his recognition of the prophet's connection to God, yet his failure to heed Jeremiah's warnings underscores a tragic inability to fully trust in God's sovereignty and plan.Jeremiah 21:1-3
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent to him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,
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Jeremiah 37:3
And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now to the LORD our God for us.
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Jeremiah 38:14-27
Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet to him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said to Jeremiah, I will ask you a thing; hide nothing from me.
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Approaching Doom
... Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah"all these Jewish kings were ... of the princes, however,
"had made intercession to the ... and of the princes and king, the written ...
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