DO NOT BE AFRAID, JACOB

Jeremiah 46:27-47:7 / Keywords 46:27

Do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid.

46:27 “Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;

    do not be dismayed, Israel.

I will surely save you out of a distant place,

    your descendants from the land of their exile.

Jacob will again have peace and security,

    and no one will make him afraid.

28 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,

    for I am with you,” declares the Lord.

“Though I completely destroy all the nations

    among which I scatter you,

    I will not completely destroy you.

I will discipline you but only in due measure;

    I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”

A Message About the Philistines

47:1 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:

2 This is what the Lord says:

“See how the waters are rising in the north;

    they will become an overflowing torrent.

They will overflow the land and everything in it,

    the towns and those who live in them.

The people will cry out;

    all who dwell in the land will wail

3 at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds,

    at the noise of enemy chariots

    and the rumble of their wheels.

Parents will not turn to help their children;

    their hands will hang limp.

4 For the day has come

    to destroy all the Philistines

and to remove all survivors

    who could help Tyre and Sidon.

The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,

    the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.[a]

5 Gaza will shave her head in mourning;

    Ashkelon will be silenced.

You remnant on the plain,

    how long will you cut yourselves?

6 “‘Alas, sword of the Lord,

    how long till you rest?

Return to your sheath;

    cease and be still.’

7 But how can it rest

    when the Lord has commanded it,

when he has ordered it

    to attack Ashkelon and the coast?”

Footnotes

a. Jeremiah 47:4 That is, Crete

 

1. God gave Jeremiah his prophesies of judgment on the surrounding nations, not so that Israel could gloat, but so they could know God, who punishes the guilty for their sins and also restores.

 

2. If we know this God and trust him, we don’t have to be afraid, no matter what happens. By faith in Jesus, we can be God’s chosen people and know his salvation. This world is like a land of exile, where we are living as foreigners, but God saves us out of the world. We can know true spiritual peace and security (46:27).

 

3. We can also have a sense of identity as God’s servant who is used for his good purpose. We suffer just like everyone else, but we know that our troubles will not destroy us, but that God uses all things for our good (Ro 8:28). Our sufferings are God’s discipline, just as a Father disciplines the children he loves (46:28).

 

Prayer Father, thank you for letting me be one of your chosen people through faith in Jesus. I want to overcome fear with faith, and to trust that even my sufferings are your good discipline.

One Word Do not be afraid

A PROPHECY ABOUT EGYPT

Jeremiah 46:1-26 / Keywords 46:10

But that day belongs to the Lord, the LORD Almighty--a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes. The sword will devour till it is satisfied, till it has quenched its thirst with blood. For the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will offer sacrifice in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.

A Message About Egypt

46:1 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:

2 Concerning Egypt:

This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:

3 “Prepare your shields, both large and small,

    and march out for battle!

4 Harness the horses,

    mount the steeds!

Take your positions

    with helmets on!

Polish your spears,

    put on your armor!

5 What do I see?

    They are terrified,

they are retreating,

    their warriors are defeated.

They flee in haste

    without looking back,

    and there is terror on every side,”

declares the Lord.

6 “The swift cannot flee

    nor the strong escape.

In the north by the River Euphrates

    they stumble and fall.

7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile,

    like rivers of surging waters?

8 Egypt rises like the Nile,

    like rivers of surging waters.

She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;

    I will destroy cities and their people.’

9 Charge, you horses!

    Drive furiously, you charioteers!

March on, you warriors—men of Cush[a] and Put who carry shields,

    men of Lydia who draw the bow.

10 But that day belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—

    a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes.

The sword will devour till it is satisfied,

    till it has quenched its thirst with blood.

For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice

    in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.

11 “Go up to Gilead and get balm,

    Virgin Daughter Egypt.

But you try many medicines in vain;

    there is no healing for you.

12 The nations will hear of your shame;

    your cries will fill the earth.

One warrior will stumble over another;

    both will fall down together.”

13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to attack Egypt:

14 “Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;

    proclaim it also in Memphis and Tahpanhes:

‘Take your positions and get ready,

    for the sword devours those around you.’

15 Why will your warriors be laid low?

    They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.

16 They will stumble repeatedly;

    they will fall over each other.

They will say, ‘Get up, let us go back

    to our own people and our native lands,

    away from the sword of the oppressor.’

17 There they will exclaim,

    ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;

    he has missed his opportunity.’

18 “As surely as I live,” declares the King,

    whose name is the Lord Almighty,

“one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains,

    like Carmel by the sea.

19 Pack your belongings for exile,

    you who live in Egypt,

for Memphis will be laid waste

    and lie in ruins without inhabitant.

20 “Egypt is a beautiful heifer,

    but a gadfly is coming

    against her from the north.

21 The mercenaries in her ranks

    are like fattened calves.

They too will turn and flee together,

    they will not stand their ground,

for the day of disaster is coming upon them,

    the time for them to be punished.

22 Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent

    as the enemy advances in force;

they will come against her with axes,

    like men who cut down trees.

23 They will chop down her forest,”

declares the Lord,

    “dense though it be.

They are more numerous than locusts,

    they cannot be counted.

24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,

    given into the hands of the people of the north.”

25 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes, on Pharaoh, on Egypt and her gods and her kings, and on those who rely on Pharaoh. 26 I will give them into the hands of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past,” declares the Lord.

Footnotes

a. Jeremiah 46:9 That is, the upper Nile region

 

1. God gave Jeremiah a message of judgment against Egypt, which came true when Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon defeated Pharaoh Necho (1-2). In the battle, the Egyptian army put forth an impressive effort with their horses, chariots, and spears (3-9). But they were defeated, because God had his own plan in this human struggle.

 

2. Jeremiah calls the battle a sacrifice that the Lord offered (10). The blood that was shed was a punishment for Egypt’s sins. Though Egypt was a prosperous nation with a long and illustrious history, judgment was due for their idolatry in worshiping false gods and Pharaoh-worship (25). After this punishment, Egypt would be restored (26).

 

3. Thank God that Jesus shed his blood to be the once-for-all sacrifice for our sins. God used Egypt as an example to teach Israel, so they would understand God’s justice and righteousness, and ultimately accept the gospel.

 

Prayer Father, thank you for being at work behind world events. Thank you most of all for offering Jesus for my sins.

One Word The Lord will offer a sacrifice

A PEOPLE CONFIRMED IN IDOLATRY

Jeremiah 44:1-45:5 / Keywords 45:5

Should you then seek great things for yourself? Seek them not. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the LORD, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.

Disaster Because of Idolatry

44:1 This word came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Lower Egypt—in Migdol, Tahpanhes and Memphis—and in Upper Egypt: 2 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah. Today they lie deserted and in ruins 3 because of the evil they have done. They aroused my anger by burning incense to and worshiping other gods that neither they nor you nor your ancestors ever knew. 4 Again and again I sent my servants the prophets, who said, ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate!’ 5 But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods. 6 Therefore, my fierce anger was poured out; it raged against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and made them the desolate ruins they are today.

7 “Now this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Why bring such great disaster on yourselves by cutting off from Judah the men and women, the children and infants, and so leave yourselves without a remnant? 8 Why arouse my anger with what your hands have made, burning incense to other gods in Egypt, where you have come to live? You will destroy yourselves and make yourselves a curse[a] and an object of reproach among all the nations on earth. 9 Have you forgotten the wickedness committed by your ancestors and by the kings and queens of Judah and the wickedness committed by you and your wives in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem? 10 To this day they have not humbled themselves or shown reverence, nor have they followed my law and the decrees I set before you and your ancestors.

11 “Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disaster on you and to destroy all Judah. 12 I will take away the remnant of Judah who were determined to go to Egypt to settle there. They will all perish in Egypt; they will fall by the sword or die from famine. From the least to the greatest, they will die by sword or famine. They will become a curse and an object of horror, a curse and an object of reproach. 13 I will punish those who live in Egypt with the sword, famine and plague, as I punished Jerusalem. 14 None of the remnant of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah, to which they long to return and live; none will return except a few fugitives.”

15 Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, along with all the women who were present—a large assembly—and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt, said to Jeremiah, 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 to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. 18 But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.”

19 The women added, “When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes impressed with her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?”

20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him, 21 “Did not the Lord remember and call to mind the incense burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem by you and your ancestors, your kings and your officials and the people of the land? 22 When the Lord could no longer endure your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became a curse and a desolate waste without inhabitants, as it is today. 23 Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the Lord and have not obeyed him or followed his law or his decrees or his stipulations, this disaster has come upon you, as you now see.”

24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah in Egypt. 25 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives have done what you said you would do when you promised, ‘We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.’

“Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows! 26 But hear the word of the Lord, all you 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 and 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 “‘This will be the sign to you that I will punish you in this place,’ declares the Lord, ‘so that you will know that my threats of harm against you will surely stand.’ 30 This is what the Lord says: ‘I am going to deliver Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies who want to kill him, just as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who wanted to kill him.’”

A Message to Baruch

45:1 When Baruch son of Neriah wrote on a scroll the words Jeremiah the prophet dictated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, Jeremiah said this to Baruch: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: 3 You said, ‘Woe to me! The Lord has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.’ 4 But the Lord has told me to say to you, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot what I have planted, throughout the earth. 5 Should you then seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.’”

Footnotes

a. Jeremiah 44:8 That is, your name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that you are cursed; also in verse 12; similarly in verse 22.

 

1. After the remnant of Judah disobeyed God’s word and went to Egypt, Jeremiah gave them the message of judgment (44:1-14). Going to Egypt was not their only sin; they also secretly burned incense to Egyptian idols in their homes. Idolatry was the sin for which the Lord had destroyed Jerusalem, as they all could remember. God sees what we do in secret and knows what the true object of our heart’s worship is.

 

2. The people who were idol-worshipers did not repent, but instead made up their own version of history, saying that they were blessed when they worshipped the Queen of Heaven (44:15-18). It was also revealed that the men knew about their wives’ idolatrous worship but did not help them stop (44:19). At this point, God’s judgment was unavoidable (44:20-30).

 

3. As an example of someone who is faithful to God in an ungodly environment, we see Baruch, Jeremiah’s secretary. Baruch was tempted to pity himself because his life seemed to consist of one crisis after another with no rest (45:1-4). Though he couldn’t hope for a luxurious life, he could rest in God’s protection (45:5).

 

Prayer Father, I know that idolatry is everywhere and is so destructive. Help your people break idolatrous and sinful habits. Help me worship you purely, even if my circumstances are humble.

One Word Idolatry brings judgment

JEREMIAH IS BROUGHT TO EGYPT

Jeremiah 43:1-13 / Keywords 43:6

They also led away all the men, women and children and the king’s daughters whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah.

43:1 When Jeremiah had finished telling the people all the words of the Lord their God—everything the Lord had sent him to tell them— 2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’ 3 But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians,[a] so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon.”

4 So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people disobeyed the Lord’s command to stay in the land of Judah. 5 Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered. 6 They also led away all those whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan—the men, the women, the children and the king’s daughters. And they took Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah along with them. 7 So they entered Egypt in disobedience to the Lord and went as far as Tahpanhes.

8 In Tahpanhes the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 9 “While the Jews are watching, take some large stones with you and bury them in clay in the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace in Tahpanhes. 10 Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will set his throne over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy above them. 11 He will come and attack Egypt, bringing death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity, and the sword to those destined for the sword. 12 He will set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive. As a shepherd picks his garment clean of lice, so he will pick Egypt clean and depart. 13 There in the temple of the sun[b] in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.’”

Footnotes

a. Jeremiah 43:3 Or Chaldeans

b. Jeremiah 43:13 Or in Heliopolis

 

1. After the assassination of their governor, the leaders of the remnant of Judah had asked Jeremiah for the Lord’s direction. But when he said what they did not want to hear, they accused Jeremiah of conspiring against them (1-3). In reality, their own hearts were stubbornly set on going to Egypt. So, they led the entire remnant of Judah away to Egypt and forced Jeremiah to come as well (4-7). Once they arrived in Egypt, God had Jeremiah bury stones as a sign that God’s judgment by the king of Babylon could reach them even in Egypt (8-13).

 

2. God kept putting Jeremiah in a hostile and dangerous environment. But it was because he wanted to use Jeremiah to keep giving God’s word to his people, even after they disobeyed. God’s presence goes even with stubborn and rebellious people, patiently trying to help them repent. Jeremiah resembles Jesus, who came and lived among us sinners so we could be saved.

 

Prayer Father, thank you that your presence has been with me even when I have been disobedient. Help me open my heart to listen to your word from wherever I am.

One Word God’s word follows his people

AN INSINCERE PRAYER REQUEST 

Jeremiah 42:1-22 / Keywords 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.

42:1 Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah[a] son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached 2 Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. 3 Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”

4 “I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.”

5 Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. 6 Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God.”

7 Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. 8 So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest. 9 He said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition, says: 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 have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you. 11 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, 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 you to your land.’

13 “However, if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and so disobey the Lord your God, 14 and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the trumpet or be hungry for bread,’ 15 then hear the word of the Lord, you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to 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. 17 Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague; not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.’ 18 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem, so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be a curse[b] and an object of horror, a curse[c] and an object of reproach; you will never see this place again.’

19 “Remnant of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Be sure of this: I warn you today 20 that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.’ 21 I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell you. 22 So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle.”

Footnotes

a. Jeremiah 42:1 Hebrew; Septuagint (see also 43:2) Azariah

b. Jeremiah 42:18 That is, your name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that you are cursed.

c. Jeremiah 42:18 That is, your name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that you are cursed.

1. After the assassination of the governor who was appointed over them by the king of Babylon, the leaders of the remnant in Judah came to Jeremiah, asking him to pray for them and give them God’s direction, which they promised to obey (1-6). Their words sounded good, but they had already made other plans.

 

2. The Lord said through Jeremiah that if they stayed in Judah, they would not need to be afraid of the king of Babylon, and God would build up and restore them (10-12). But the Lord also revealed to Jeremiah that they did not plan to obey this direction (20). Their hearts were set on escaping to Egypt.

 

3. The people’s plan was wrong because it was based on fear instead of faith. But their worst sin was pretending to seek God when they had no genuine intent to obey him. They thought they would be safe from the king of Babylon in Egypt, but God’s judgment can find us wherever we go. Praying with insincere intent, when we are intent on following our own desire, brings spiritual disaster (21-22).

 

Prayer Father, you are able to protect us from anything in the world. Help me live before your judgment only.

One Word Stay and God will build you up

THE WICKED DO NOT SUCCEED 

Jeremiah 41:1-18 / Keywords 41:11-12

When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon.

 

41:1 In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, 2 Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land. 3 Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian[a] soldiers who were there.

4 The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it, 5 eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, bringing grain offerings and incense with them to the house of the Lord. 6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he met them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.” 7 When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern. 8 But ten of them said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field.” So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. 9 Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made as part of his defense against Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.

10 Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah—the king’s daughters along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.

11 When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, 12 they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon. 13 When all the people Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. 14 All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.

Flight to Egypt

16 Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived, whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon. 17 And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt 18 to escape the Babylonians.[b] They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.

Footnotes

a. Jeremiah 41:3 Or Chaldean

b. Jeremiah 41:18 Or Chaldeans

1. Ishmael son of Nethaniah, who was an official under Israel’s former king, made a deal with the Ammonites to assassinate Gedaliah, the governor of the remnant in Judah (40:14). He carried out his evil plan, murdering Gedaliah while they were eating together. Then, when eighty worshipers came to Mizpah to bring offerings to the Lord, Ishmael lured them into a trap and slaughtered them as well (1- 10). This is what wicked men do to terrify the people and gain a hold on power. However, they will not succeed in the end; their crimes will find them out.

 

2. Johanan, son of Kareah, a commander of Judah’s armies, mustered an army and pursued Ishmael. They successfully rescued the people Ismael had taken captive, and Ishmael fled (11-15). But now they were afraid of retaliation from the Babylonians for the death of their governor, and so Johanan planned to flee with the remnant of Judah to Egypt (16-18). He should not have given in to fear, even though Gedaliah’s assassination seemed to crush people’s hope for a peaceful life. Though God’s people live in unstable times, God is able to protect and even bless them.

 

Prayer Father, thank you for your judgment on the wicked. Help me to not be terrorized but have courageous faith.

One Word Be brave when the devil works to plant fear