For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
A person without self-control is vulnerable to their enemies. They will be unable to defend themselves against attack, whether that attack is physical, emotional, or spiritual. The first step to defending oneself against assault is to develop self-control.
No matter how wealthy and powerful you may be, if God no longer favors you, you will not stand. It is only through God’s grace that we may live lives of comfort and ease.
Paul warns against those who believe and teach that godliness is a path to wealth. Those who follow such teaching put on a show of godliness but do not exhibit the real thing. Those who are truly godly are content with what God has given them. We will leave our material wealth behind when we leave this world. Therefore, if we have what we need to survive, we should be content. Here Paul writes something outright which he has alluded to in many of his other letters. Greed (the love of money) is the root of most other sins. Those who seek after material wealth all too easily fall into the trap of justifying their sins in the pursuit of wealth. I want to point out that Paul makes it clear that it is not a sin to be wealthy. Some people do acquire great wealth while living godly lives. However, those who gain material riches must be careful not to put their faith in their wealth. They must be generous and use their material wealth to do good works. Most important, they must remember, and so must the rest of us, that their wealth does not make them better than others.
We see here that Zedekiah was a weak king. When some of his officials came to him demanding that he condemn Jeremiah, he told them to do as they liked because he could not stop them. Later, when another of his officials came to him and told him that what was being done to Jeremiah was wrong, he lent that official some of his guards to rescue Jeremiah. He consulted with Jeremiah, but was afraid to follow Jeremiah’s advice. It is clear to me from this passage that Zedekiah knew what was right, but was afraid to take a stand. He ultimately paid a price for that timidity.