Today's Favorite Verse: Jeremiah 34:8-11

Today's Favorite Verse: Jeremiah 34:8-11

"This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;

That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.

Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let them go.

But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids."

The people made a solemn covenant to release their slaves. Even though the law was to do so on the seventh year, it's more likely they agreed to this because they would have more manpower to defend a city under siege. They were being opportunist and not out of being faithful to the words of the Lord, the prophet or their king. Once the siege began to lift the men regardless of their oath turned around and re-enslaved their fellow Hebrews. This unrighteous act brought immediate condemnation from the Lord upon their heads.

I thought about how you can give an appearance of being righteous but by their fruits you will know them.

"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit."

(Matthew 7:16-17)

"Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit."

(Matthew 12:33)

Day 2938