If you indeed do this thing

After Zedekiah requested divine help, the Lord responded by saying that Zedekiah and the people of Judah should choose between following their own way, and following God’s way. Just in case Zedekiah claimed not to know what God’s requirements were, or if he tried to make out that the message was for someone else, the Lord sent Jeremiah to him with a specific message. “Hear the word of the Lord, oh king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David. “Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. For if you indeed do this thing, then shall enter the gates of this house, riding on horses and in chariots, accompanied by servants and people, kings who sit on the throne of David,” (Jeremiah 22: 3-4). Zedekiah had no choice but to listen. This was a message specifically for the descendants of David. The Lord reminded Zedekiah about what sitting on the throne of David entailed: overseeing the administration of justice, showing compassion to the poor, caring for strangers, orphans and widows and not becoming involved in acts of violence. Although you may not have a throne, as a kingdom citizen you are royalty. This calls for royal behaviour and a kingdom response to what God commands. How do you feel about calling out corruption and injustice wherever you see it? Can you speak truth to power? God expects you to be part of the solution to the problems of society. That means caring for people that others reject as being a drain on the public purse: the people others have robbed or exploited, refugees, the single parent households, the women who have cared for others and now have no one to care for them. The choice remained with Zedekiah, just as it remains with every individual kingdom citizen. The Lord promised a reward for obedience. God wants to bless, elevate and establish you. He wants to show you to the world as one of His children who is like David, after His own heart (1 Samuel 13: 14). All these blessings can be yours, if you indeed do this thing…