UNROLL
Dawn where a stony road forks in the Judean hills near Bethlehem: one track climbs back north into terraced olive slopes, the other runs down south-west into dry haze.

After the fall

Jeremiah 42

Have you ever asked God for direction with your mind already made up?

22 verses≈ 5 minBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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Where we are

  1. 1The callJosiah’s thirteenth year (about 627 BC): a prophet to the nations
  2. 2–6Return to MeBroken cisterns, faithless Judah, disaster from the north
  3. 7–10The temple gateThe temple sermon, a weeping prophet, the living God
  4. 11–20Covenant and complaintThe broken covenant, the potter, Jeremiah’s confessions
  5. 21–29Shepherds and prophetsKings judged, the Branch, seventy years, the yoke, the letter
  6. 30–33The Book of ComfortRestoration, the new covenant, a field bought in a siege
  7. 34–39The last days of JudahThe scroll burned, the cistern, Jerusalem falls (586 BC)
  8. 40–45After the fallGedaliah at Mizpah, the flight to Egypt, a word for BaruchChapter 42
  9. 46–51The nationsEgypt to Babylon: the LORD is Judge of all the earth
  10. 52Jerusalem fallsThe record of 586 BC, and a king released

A Warning against Going to Egypt

The people of Judah
The people of Judah

Then all the commanders of the forces, along with Johanan son of Kareah, Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, approached Jeremiah the prophet and said, “May our petition come before you; pray to the LORD your God on behalf of this entire remnant. For few of us remain of the many, as you can see with your own eyes. Pray that the LORD your God will tell us the way we should walk and the thing we should do.”

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

Jeremiah

“I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will surely pray to the LORD your God as you request, and I will tell you everything that the LORD answers. I will not withhold a word from you.”

The people of Judah

Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act upon every word that the LORD your God sends you to tell us.

The people of Judah

Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God!”

Jeremiah 42:6

After ten days the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, and he summoned Johanan son of Kareah, all the commanders of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah told them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition:

God

‘If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I will relent of the disaster I have brought upon you.

God
God

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 to save you and deliver you from him. And I will show you compassion, and he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own land.’

Question

Quick question

Jeremiah promised to bring back every word the LORD answered. Look at 42:7.

How long did Jeremiah wait for the LORD’s answer?

Jeremiah
Jeremiah

But if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and you thus disobey the voice of the LORD your God, and if you say, ‘No, but we will go to the land of Egypt and live there, where we will not see war or hear the sound of the ram’s horn or hunger for bread,’ then hear the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah!

God

This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and reside there, then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow on your heels into Egypt, and you will die there.

God

So all who resolve to go to Egypt to reside there will die by sword and famine and plague. Not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring upon them.’

God
God

For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Just as My anger and wrath were poured out on the residents of Jerusalem, so will My wrath be poured out on you if you go to Egypt. You will become an object of cursing and horror, of vilification and disgrace, and you will never see this place again.’

Two roads

Stay in theland42:10Built up andplanted42:10Restored toyour land42:12Go to Egypt42:14The sword youfear42:16Never see thisplace42:18

Whiteboard

The same God set two roads before them: stay and be planted, or run to Egypt and meet there the very sword they ran from.

Jeremiah

The LORD has told you, O remnant of Judah, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Know for sure that I have warned you today!

Jeremiah
Dusk over the camp near Bethlehem: packs being tied onto donkeys, water jars filled, tents coming down, everyone turned south-west toward the darkening road; no one looking back.

For you have deceived yourselves by sending me to the LORD your God, saying, ‘Pray to the LORD our God on our behalf, and as for all that the LORD our God says, tell it to us and we will do it.’

For I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God in all He has sent me to tell you. Now therefore, know for sure that by sword and famine and plague you will die in the place where you desire to go to reside.”

0:25

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Reflect

Reflect

They asked for God’s answer and had already packed for Egypt. Is there a decision where you want God’s blessing more than His will? Write it down and hold it open before Him.

You’ve experienced

Jeremiah 42

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A verse to carry with you

Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God!

Jeremiah 42:6

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