Chapter Summary

Message to Zedekiah concerning the coming captivity. Zedekiah's ineffectual decree.

Discussion Questions for Jeremiah, Chapter 34

1. Why did God, through Jeremiah, tell Zedekiah that Jerusalem would fall and that he would be captured by the King of Babylon?
2. Why did Zedekiah enter into a covenant with the citizens of Jerusalem that said they were to set their slaves free?
3. Why did the citizens of Jerusalem set their slaves free? Why do slaves also need instruction on how to use their new found freedom? What have you been set free from? What does it mean when Christ says the truth will set you free?
4. Why did the citizens of Jerusalem change their minds and make their former slaves return into bondage again? Why are people so fickle? How have you been fickle in your life? Why is it that fickleness is not usually a desirable trait to have? How can you learn to be less fickle and more sure, stable, and constant in your decisions and values?
5. Was God in favor of bondage (i.e. slavery)? Why is it that we should all be against bondage? What are some spiritual bondages that people suffer with? How can we help set people free?
6. Because they did not obey the Lord in setting their slaves free, what did the Lord mean when He said he was proclaiming liberty to them (i.e. the Israelites and Jerusalem's citizens) ?
7. What were the consequences for the princes of Judah and the princes of Jerusalem for transgressing their covenant to free their slaves?
8. The Babylonian army had apparently retreated, but God commanded them to come back. Why?
9. What was God going to do to all the cities of Judah? Why?
10. How did the Israelites profane God's name? (see verses 15-17 NKJV). What does it mean to profane God's name? Why is it so important to avoid profaning God's name? How have you profane God's name? What are some thoughts and actions you can take to avoid profaning the name of The Lord?

Key Words/Phrase

Desolations, v. 22.

Characters

God, Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzar, Zedekiah.

Strong Verse(s)