King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me”

Jeremiah 38:19

The fear of man is a crippling enemy of faith. It pitches our thoughts against the conceptions of other people and neutralizes our determination to act in a godly way. It often clouds our best judgment on theological issues and holds us back from voicing our opinions. It kills spiritual initiative and inhibits our timely intervention against potential failure. Many believers have given in to their threats. Though we hear God’s word, the terror of confronting the reaction of others bullies us into submission. That is where compromises take root and weaken our faith. We save face and lose on the grace of God.  

Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonian army. The prophet Jeremiah told the people to surrender to King Nebuchadnezzar because God had appointed him to take the land and send the people into exile. The leaders reject Jeremiah’s message and imprison him. He is thrown into a dry well and left to die. Ebed-Melech rescues Jeremiah. King Zedekiah senses the truth in the prophet’s message. He calls for Jeremiah and asks to hear the message of God directly from him. “I want to ask you something … And don’t try to hide the truth” (Jer. 38:14). Jeremiah tells the king exactly what God has said. Surrender so that your life may be spared.

“But I am afraid to surrender,” the king said (19). Despite the prophet’s assurances and the vivid painting of the pending devastation of Jerusalem, Zedekiah refuses to surrender. He rather asks Jeremiah to do him a favor by not telling his officials about their conversation (24-26).

Jerusalem falls. Nebuchadnezzar slaughters the sons of Zedekiah and the nobles of Judah before his eyes. He puts out Zedekiah’s eyes, binds him with bronze shackles, and carries him to Babylon (39:6-7). The fear of man!

Today, many are refusing to turn their lives to Christ because of the fear of men. “I will be ostracized,” they say. “I am a community leader. What will my people think about me?” They cannot live without the comfort and acceptance of their families, friends, and communities. So, they give up on the best gift of God to mankind, eternal life in Christ Jesus (Jn. 3:16).

I have sat with a man like that in the mission field many times. His heart yearns for Christ, and he comes around every time we visit. He works with us and sometimes even worships with us. When asked for a decision though, he balks. His fear is the fury of his grown-up children if he should surrender his life to Christ. Though it would be his greatest gift for them to know Christ through his courage and witness, he holds back. He is still pondering, and we are still praying.