Questions for thought:
1. Why do people ask what the Lord has to say on some topic indicating a plan to obey Him, but upon hearing God’s word refuse to heed?
2. When someone can look back at her family history and see how certain behaviors such as using alcohol or drugs has caused calamity, why does she still follow in the same path?
3. Do people ever consider how their own selfish behaviors may result in problems for others?
In chapters 40-45, we find Jeremiah still with those Jews who were left in Jerusalem. In chapter 40, Jeremiah was given the choice of going to Babylon or staying back with the new governor Gedaliah at Mizpah or going wherever he chose in all the land. Jeremiah chose to remain with the new governor. But the new governor appointed by King Nebuchadrezzar to be over the land did not last too long. There was a man, Ishmael, who was sent by Baalis, king of the Ammonites to take over. Gedaliah was warned, but he did not believe the warning and we find in chapter 41, Ishmael and ten men with him killed Gedaliah and all the Jews with him. He proceeded to slay several others and to take the rest as captives over to the Ammonites (41:10).
Thankfully, Johanan came along with several men who heard what Ishmael had done. They went against Ishmael and fought and won. Ishmael escaped but the captives Ishmael had taken joined with Johanan and they dwelt in the habitation of Chimham near Bethlehem (verse 17). But this too was not a good thing, because Johanan was about to lead them astray.
In chapter 42 those who had joined with Johanan went to Jeremiah to ask him to pray for them that God would show them the way to walk and what they should do. Jeremiah told them he had heard them and he would pray for them and he would tell them what God said. In verse 5 they promised to do whatever God said, but it was not to be. Jeremiah prayed and ten days later God answered him. Jeremiah called the people together to tell them what God said. God sent them word if they would remain where they were, He would build them up and plant for them and not pluck them up. He would repent of the evil He had done to them. God said for them not to fear the Babylonian king because they would be delivered from his hand.
Jeremiah went on in verse 13 to tell them what would happen if they chose to leave where they were and chose to not obey God. Jeremiah knew what they were going to do because he told them in verses 14-22 if they decided to go to the land of Egypt they would be overtaken and die there. He told them that was exactly what they were going to do because they had not obeyed the voice of the Lord nor paid attention to any of the past words of Jeremiah.
Sure enough in chapter 43 off they go to Egypt. Azariah said in front of Johanan that Jeremiah was speaking falsely and blamed it upon Baruch for setting Jeremiah against the people so he could deliver them to Babylon as captives. Now this really should not have made sense to the people since it was the king of Babylon who had let them remain in the land in the first place. They had seen all of Jeremiah’s prophecies come true. This is so much like people today who want to know what God’s word says about some sin such as dancing or marriage and divorce but once they learn the truth, instead of changing their lives, they continue in the sin.
Judah chose not obey the Lord. Instead, they followed Johanan and went into Egypt. God gave Jeremiah another sign in 43:8-10. He was to take great stones and hid them at the entry of Pharaoh’s house in the sight of the men of Judah. God said He would set up Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, right there in that spot and when he did, Nebuchadrezzar would smite the land of Egypt. It seems these people could not learn God means what God says.
By the time Jeremiah wrote the words we have recorded in chapter 44, the Jews were living all over Egypt as noted in verse 1. The Lord here reminded Jeremiah of why He had brought calamity upon Judah and noted the land was a desolation just as God had promised. God said He had sent prophets who had begged the people not to do this evil they were doing in which they were cutting themselves off from God (verses 3-7). God asked if the people had forgotten the wickedness of their fathers. Today, many seem to look back at the sins of their families and the results, but not be willing to make a change. God said the people were not humbled even after all God had brought against them. So now in verse 12 God is gong to take those who had gone to Egypt and consume them too. They would die in Egypt but because they were there, Egypt would also be punished. In verse 14 God said none of those who had gone there would return to Judah except those who escaped. Remember, if these people had obeyed God in the first place, they would have yielded to the yoke of Babylon voluntarily and have been safe.
The people still would not believe. I cannot help but thinking about so many today who have had so many opportunities to obey God and yet, the invitation is given and they will not obey. In verses 16-19 the people blatantly refuse to heed God’s words. They said they would not hearken to God (verse16). They said they would do whatever they wanted to do (verse 17). They said they would worship how they chose and who they chose (verse 17). They claimed their worship to false gods was what had brought them any good (verse 18-19). Jeremiah told them their evil doings and their abominations they had committed were the cause of the curse of their land. Because they had not obeyed the Lord and not walked in His laws, this evil had come upon them (verses 21-23.) And evil would come upon Egypt too as a sign to Israel so they would finally realize the Lord was against them for evil or adversity.
Chapter 45 is a message to Jeremiah’s scribe who wrote the words of the book of Jeremiah from the mouth of Jeremiah. In this short chapter, which was written in the 4th year of Jehoiakim, it seems Baruch as discouraged, but he was being encouraged by the Lord. In verse 5 he was told not to seek great things for himself, but to be assured while God was going to bring evil upon all flesh, Baruch’s life would be spared.
The next few chapters are prophecies against various nations. We will take them up next time.
Christian Women's Responsibility in Sharing God's Word 