Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother's name was Hamutal, daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. – Jeremiah 52:1

Today's Scripture Reading (July 29, 2023): Jeremiah 52

This year, 2023, I lost my last grandparent. Aura Baker, to me, Grandma Baker, and to my children and grandchildren, simply Grandma B, although there was a time when my kids called her the Great B. Grandma passed away at the incredible age of 107, just a month and a half short of her 108^th birthday. So, over the past weeks and months, I have spent an incredible amount of time considering the incredible legacy passed down to me. Both of my grandmothers lived passed the 100-year mark, while one of my grandfathers lived well into his eighties, and my other grandfather died in his seventies, the result of a fall off a ladder while he was in his garage fixing some pipes.

I admit that I am lucky, but at the same time, I miss each of them for very different reasons. I have some great memories of my grandparents, and I feel blessed to have had each of them in my life. In one of the last conversations I had with Grandma Baker, she apologized for all the work she was putting me through. I hugged her and reminded her of everything she had done for me over the years. And if she had lived another fifty years, I think the balance would still tip in her favor; I would still be in debt because of all the kindness she had lavished on me. And if you want to hurt me, all you really have to do is tell me that my grandparents would not be proud of something I have done. I would want them to be proud, and I have to admit that there are still times when I wish I could sit down with them and just talk about the events of the day or even the interpretation of particular biblical passages. Did I always agree with them? No, of course not. But I always respected them, and I felt that they respected me.  

So, it is a bit of a surprise to find out that not only is Zedekiah, the twentieth and last King of Judah, not only had the righteous King Josiah as a father but was the grandson of Jeremiah of Libnah. Was Jeremiah of Libnah the weeping prophet? We are not sure. The prophet was from Anathoth. But there are similarities between the two cities. Both Libnah and Anathoth were Levitical cities and served Aaron's descendants. And the two cities were not far from each other. But if this is the Weeping Prophet, you have to wonder, during the eleven years that Zedekiah spent on the throne of Judah, how many times had he heard his grandfather prophesy in the City of David. Did he have any private meetings with Grandpa Jeremiah? We know that Jeremiah was banned from the Temple at one point, but was he also banned from the Palace? I just can't imagine having such a significant disagreement with my grandparent.

If Jeremiah of Libnah was a different Jeremiah, he still likely held some of the same opinions of the prophet, growing up under very similar circumstances, which means that Zedekiah was still at odds with his grandfather and his deceased father.

Maybe that is just more evidence of how lucky I am. I am unsure how Jeremiah felt about his grandson, but I know how I feel about mine. And more than anything, I want to keep an open line of communication with all of my grandchildren. And I hope they know they can always come and talk with me, even if we are in disagreement; much like my relationship with my grandparents. And I hope always to make my grandparents proud of their grandson.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 74