Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. And he killed all the princes of Judah in Riblah. He also put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in bronze fetters, took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death. Jeremian 52:10-11
Zedekian rebelled against the LORD. Although warned by the prophet not to do so, he also rebelled against the king of Babylon. His fate was horrible. If only Zedekiah had repented, even as he languished in a Babylonian prison! His fate was not something the LORD took delight in. He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. But sin pays its own wages.
How far removed is this sad story from the lives of those who follow the counsel found in the Didache (c. 70):
“Accept whatever happens to you as good, knowing that apart from God nothing comes to pass….for Thine is the power and the glory for ever. Let grace come, and let this world pass away. Hosanna to the God (Son) of David! If any one is holy, let him come; if any one is not so, let him repent. Maranatha. Amen.”
