Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.
Before the blinding and the captivity Zedekiah had been faithfully instructed through Jeremiah that by changing his course and serving the Lord he might be preserved from the calamities that would surely come upon him. The putting out of his eyes and his binding to carry him to Babylon was the fearful penalty for weakness, for unbelief and for following ungodly counsel, and for refusing through obedience to place himself under the protection of God. The judgment fell after the enemy swept down like a resistless avalanche and devastated the city, the Hebrew armies were beaten back in confusion and the nation was conquered, Zedekiah was taken prisoner and his sons were slain before his eyes, and he was led captive from Jerusalem amid the shrieks of his wretched people and the roar of flames devouring their homes.
His eyes were then put out and he was bound in chains to carry him to Babylon. After arriving at Babylon he perished miserably. His fate proves that sinners perish not from lack of opportunity to know God's will and way but from determination to carry out their own will while refusing to become spiritually enlightened in the Word of God. His blinding and captivity stand as a sad and awful warning to those who harden themselves under reproof and will not humble themselves in repentance so that God may save them.
Before the blinding and the captivity Zedekiah had been faithfully instructed through Jeremiah that by changing his course and serving the Lord he might be preserved from the calamities that would surely come upon him. The putting out of his eyes and his binding to carry him to Babylon was the fearful penalty for weakness, for unbelief and for following ungodly counsel, and for refusing through obedience to place himself under the protection of God. The judgment fell after the enemy swept down like a resistless avalanche and devastated the city, the Hebrew armies were beaten back in confusion and the nation was conquered, Zedekiah was taken prisoner and his sons were slain before his eyes, and he was led captive from Jerusalem amid the shrieks of his wretched people and the roar of flames devouring their homes.
His eyes were then put out and he was bound in chains to carry him to Babylon. After arriving at Babylon he perished miserably. His fate proves that sinners perish not from lack of opportunity to know God's will and way but from determination to carry out their own will while refusing to become spiritually enlightened in the Word of God. His blinding and captivity stand as a sad and awful warning to those who harden themselves under reproof and will not humble themselves in repentance so that God may save them.