The third Monday of January is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday in the United States. Born 1/15/29, MLK was chief spokesman for the Civil Rights Movement, leading non-violent protests of racial discrimination in America. It was on the first day of January in 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, announcing freedom for the African slaves. This was a great moment in our nation’s history. But the promise of real freedom turned out to be an illusion, for slavery gave way to lynching. Lynching gave way to Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow laws gave way to segregation. And segregation gave way to prejudice, which persists to the present day. Much the same thing happens in Jeremiah 34, where King Zedekiah signs an Emancipation Proclamation in the land of Judah. Citizens bound themselves by covenant before God to free all their slaves, permanently (v 8-10). We don’t know what motivated this sudden interest in love for neighbor and justice for all, but the cities of Judah were under Babylonian attack. Jeremiah had just delivered an unpleasant message to Zedekiah, warning that the king would be captured, then die peacefully in Babylon (v 1-7). Zedekiah probably thought he would prefer to avoid this whole scenario. Since their practice of slavery was against God’s law (Ex 21:2; Dt 15:12), the king may have thought this would be an easy way to appease God and escape judgment. Though these laws had been ignored for centuries, he repented of his ways, rang the Liberty Bell, and proclaimed freedom for all the captives. But then the leaders of Jerusalem changed their minds. They went back on their word, revoking the earlier proclamation (v 11). Again, we’re not told what motivated this behavior, but in chapter 37 we’ll find out. Babylon had withdrawn after hearing that Egypt was on their way to help Jerusalem. So the pressure was relieved. The Jews celebrated. And slavery returned. How often do people cry out to God, promising to amend their ways when facing a life-threatening situation, only to go right back to their old ways when God answers their prayers? How easy it is for manipulators to selfishly fake their sorrow and transformation. God notices when sinners repent. But He also notices when sinners repent of their repentance. In one of Jeremiah’s most ironic puns, the consequences are announced. God promises that He will give His people “freedom”—freedom to suffer war, disease, and starvation. The city will be burned and the slaveholders will meet a bloody end (v 12-22). For further meditation: