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