Read Jeremiah
40-42 & Hebrews
2:10-18
To discover:
As you read consider the
lessons the remnant from Judea should be learning.
To ponder:
Although Jeremiah
had been freed to remain amongst his own people (see 39v14), some time later he
was wrongly taken captive, so the Babylonian commander had to rescue him
(40v1-2). When he did, he told Jeremiah how the LORD had decreed and brought
about the disaster because the people sinned, but that he was freeing Jeremiah.
He then invited Jeremiah to accompany him to Babylon ,
promising that he would look after him. But he also stressed Jeremiah didn’t
have to, and could go wherever he pleased, suggesting he return to the care of
the governor over Judah
and live amongst the people. He then gave Jeremiah provisions and a present,
and the prophet followed his suggestion, living amongst the people of the land
(40v3-6). The event stresses that the destruction was God’s judgement, whilst
highlighting his readiness to care for the faithful. It also shows Jeremiah’s concerns
were with God’s people not his own comfort.
The governor was called Gedaliah.
When the Jewish officers heard he had been appointed over the poor families who
were to remain in the land, they came to him, and he reassured them and their
men that they shouldn’t fear the Babylonians, but settle down and serve
Nebuchadnezzar so it would go well with them. He even promised to stay in
Mizpah and represent them to the Babylonians, but also urged them to go about
the work of harvest and live in the towns they had taken over with their troops
after the ceasefire. We then read that the Jews in the surrounding countries
who saw the remnant remaining under Gedaliah’s governorship, also returned, and
enjoyed an abundant harvest (40v7-12). This proved the truth of God’s promise
that those who settle would thrive, and foreshadowed the return and restoration
of the kingdom under a Davidic king.
At this point all the officers from
the open country came saying that the king of the Ammonites had sent a man
called Ishmael to assassinate Gedaliah. But Gedaliah didn’t believe them.
Nevertheless, Joahanan offered to kill the assassin, for fear that if Gedaliah
died the remnant would scatter and be perished. However Gedaliah commanded him
not to do this, saying the charge against Ishmael was untrue (40v13-16).
Sometime later, however, having been made one of the king’s officers and eaten
with his soldiers, Ishmael killed Gedaliah and the Babylonian soldiers with him
at Mizpah (41v1-3). Before this was known, he also killed and put in a cistern
70 men from the northern kingdom who were in mourning (no doubt because of
Israel’s sin) and had brought offerings to God (40v17-41v7). Ten, who remained,
pleaded and bargained for their lives with the abundance of their fields. Their
lives were spared (41v8-9). Ishmael captured adults and children in Mizpah,
including the king’s daughters, and then set out to cross to the Ammonites. On
hearing this, some army officers went to fight Ishmael. All those not caught at
Mizpah went over to this army, whilst Ishmael and eight men escaped to the
Ammonites. Johanan then led the survivors away, past Benjamin and towards Egypt .
This was to escape the Babylonians, who they were afraid of as Ishmael had
killed Gedaliah, who Nebuchadnezzar appointed, and so might bring his wrath on
the people (41v4-17). These events may be written to highlight that even with
the wicked were destroyed or deported, sin remained. The fulfilment of God’s
promises would have to deal with the source of sin.
Jonahan, the Jewish army officers
and people, then approached Jeremiah, asking him to pray that God would show
the remnant where to go and what to do, as so few were left. Jeremiah agreed,
saying he would relate everything the LORD said. They respond that the LORD can
be a witness against them if they don’t obey everything he says, whether
favourable or not – so that it will go well with them (42v1-6). Ten days later,
God’s word came to Jeremiah so he called all these groups together, and told
them that if they stayed in Judea , God would plant and
not uproot them, for he was grieved over the disaster he inflicted on them.
They shouldn’t therefore be afraid of the king of Babylon
as God was with them and would save them, showing compassion on them so
Nebuchadnezzar would also show compassion and restore them to the land
(42v7-12). Yet Jeremiah added, that if the people disobeyed God and left the
land, saying that they would go to Egypt
in order to be free from war and famine, then the sword, plague and famine
would overtake them there, and not one who went there would escape death.
Indeed, God’s anger would be poured out on Jews there just as it was those in Jerusalem ,
so they would be an object of cursing and horror (42v13-18). 42v19-21 reveal
that Jeremiah recognised the people would not obey. Indeed, he says it was a
fatal mistake to ask him to pray to God, as that led him to relate a command
from God that they were not obeying, so they would die in the very place they
wanted to settle. The issue here is that by going to Egypt
the people are refusing to trust and obey God, showing themselves to have
learnt nothing from the destruction of Jerusalem ,
and proving themselves as faithless as those destroyed then. This is why
receiving the same penalty in Egypt
is the just penalty. We would therefore do well to ensure we have learnt from
all these events, trusting God for our salvation and seeking to obey him, not
affirming him one moment, only to disobey him out of fear of man the next.
Praying it
home:
Praise God that
trusting him secures our ultimate safety. Pray that you would not be swayed by
fear of man to disobedience.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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