The danger of not listening...

when God speaks…

As we read through the Bible, we find here and there cases of disobedience to the will of God. The first and best known is certainly that of our first parents, Adam and Eve ! And that disobedience had dramatic consequences for all humanity that would be born in the centuries to come. Every baby who would be born would come with a sinful nature!

Disobeying is a terrible thing in God’s eyes, but failing to heed a warning is no less serious !

This is the danger of not listening… whether it is a warning coming from God, from a prophet, or from the Word that constantly warns and encourages us.

I noted a passage in Jeremiah 38:17 that tells a striking case:
“Jeremiah then said to Zedekiah: Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: if you go out and surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, you will save your life, and this city will not be burned with fire; you will live, you and your household.”

It was a warning followed by a promise from God !

But Zedekiah paid no attention ; he did not listen to the word of the LORD ! He feared how those around him would react…

The consequences were terrible for him, his children, and all the people who saw their city destroyed.

-- What can we conclude from all this?

1. A conditional promise and human responsibility
“If you go out… you will live” (38:17–20). God holds the door open, but does not force the king to pass through it.
Sovereignty and responsibility walk together (Jer 21:8–10).

2. Fear of man v/s fear of God
Zedekiah obeys his fear of others—the “what will people say” (38:19)—rather than the word he received.
“The fear of man lays a snare” (Prov 29:25).

3. Authority and fulfillment of the prophetic word
Jeremiah’s announcement comes to pass in exact detail (39:4–8).

4. Judgment with mercy
The city burns, but a “remnant” remains and receives fields and vineyards (39:10). Even in the heart of judgment, God preserves a line of life.

5. Responsibility of leaders
The refusal of one endangers much: house, city, people. Power does not abolish obedience; it demands it all the more.

We must choose the fear of God, whatever the cost! And ask ourselves:

-  What has God already clearly said?
-  What am I protecting here: my image or his will?
-  What is the doable act of obedience today, even if it costs me?

Obedience can feel like “losing”
Surrendering seemed weak and cowardly, but it was the path of life. Sometimes obedience means confessing, making restitution, renouncing—yet in fact saving what matters most.

We must discern the “prophetic voices,” that is:

-  Fidelity to Scripture (not just spiritual slogans).
-  A call to repentance, not flattery.
-  Consider the humility and the cost for the messenger (Jeremiah suffers but does not boast). Submit it to the test of time: does the word stand when the facts arrive?

We must avoid compliant entourages! Zedekiah is trapped between advisers and fear of the opposing camp.

Even after the wreckage, God entrusts “vineyards and fields” to the remnant (39:10). When everything burns, we ask: where is the little plot of land to cultivate now?

From this example we see the benefits of healthy leadership: if you lead (family, church, work), it’s better to decide early to obey the truth before the consequences arrive. Delay costs more than decision.

**Hebrews 12:25**
“See that you do not refuse him who speaks; for if those did not escape who refused him who warned them on earth, how much less shall we escape if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven…”

Franz