Jeremiah 42 to 44
In today’s reading we pick up Jeremiah’s thread. In chapter 40 he is freed. The people are living as a remnant in Judah
under a governor, Gedaliah, appointed by Nebuchadnezzar. He is assassinated by
Ishmael in chapter 41, and Ishmael throws all the people he kills in a cistern.
War crimes. This group of people just escapes death and destruction by the skin
of their teeth. They are led to Mizpah and there they go over to Johanan and
all the army officers with him. Never so glad to see another group of soldiers
in their lives. But Ishmael escaped.
This group of people asks Jeremiah to pray to the LORD
his God for them, and they promise they will do whatever He instructs them to
do. Oh they promise so earnestly. Ch 42:
4 “Jeremiah says, I will certainly pray to the LORD YOUR God as you
requested. I will tell you everything
the LORD says and will keep nothing back from you. “
It takes ten days for the Word of the LORD to come back
to Jeremiah. And the Word tells the
people to stay in Judah and not to flee to Egypt. 42:10 “If you stay in this land, I will
build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I
am grieved over the disaster I have inflicted on you. 11 Don’t be afraid of the king of Babylon,
for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. 12 I will show you compassion so that he will
have compassion on you and restore your land. 15 But If you are determined to
go to Egypt and you do settle there, 16 then the sword you fear will overtake
you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt and there you
will die.”
In chapter 43, the people accuse Jeremiah of lying. That
God has not sent Jeremiah to tell them to stay. That they had a certain plan
and would probably kind of like God to bless it, but that their bags were
packed even as Jeremiah was asking God for direction on their behalf. I wonder if Jeremiah was secretly thrilled
that they asked him to pray for them and seek God’s will for them. Hoping
against hope that were sincere. Jeremiah loved to pray, even when God told him
not to.
Chapter 44 lays out all the terrible disaster
consequences that befell Judah and Jerusalem as a result of their
idolatry. And the people claim that life
was good when they were worshipping the queen of heaven, burning incense to
her, making cakes in her image, and pouring out drink offerings. They had it all in the palm of their hands
and there was no humility in their hearts or their souls. They equated their suffering and famine and
deaths by the sword with the day they stopped burning incense. Ch 44:16 “We will not listen to the message
you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD! 17 We will certainly do
everything we said we would: We will burn incense and pour out drink offerings
to the queen of heaven.” Their detestable actions brought about the disaster,
but they would not see it or own it.
Ch 44:25 “Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your
vows! 26 But hear the word of the LORD, all Jews living in Egypt: I swear by my
great name, says the LORD, that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will
ever again invoke my name or swear ‘As surely as the Sovereign LORD lives’ 27
For I am watching over them for harm, not for good: the Jews in Egypt will
perish by sword or famine until they are all destroyed. 28 Those who escape the
sword and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few. Then the
whole remnant of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will
stand – mine or theirs. 29 My threats
of harm against you will surely stand.”
Not exactly words we are accustomed to hearing from
God.
That his deep patience has found it’s end.
God doing what He says He will do.
But that can’t be all there is….
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