Jeremiah 49:1 This is what Yahveh says about the Ammonites: Does Israel have no sons? Is he without an heir? Why then has Milcom dispossessed Gad and his people settled in their cities?
Jeremiah 49:2 Therefore notice, the days are coming – this is what Yahveh declares – when I will make the shout of battle heard against Rabbah of the Ammonites. It will become a desolate mound, and its surrounding villages will be set on fire. Israel will conquer their conquerors, says Yahveh.
Jeremiah 49:3 Wail, Heshbon, because Ai is devastated; cry out, daughters of Rabbah! Clothe yourselves with sackcloth, and lament; run back and forth within your walls, because Milcom will go into exile together with his priests and officials.
Jeremiah 49:4 Why do you boast about your valleys, your flowing valley, you faithless daughter – you who trust in your treasures and say, “Who can come against me?”
Jeremiah 49:5 Notice, I am about to bring terror on you – this is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh of Armies – from all those around you. You will be banished, each person face first, with no one to gather up the fugitives.
Jeremiah 49:6 But after that, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites. this is what Yahveh declares.
trusting in our treasures
This year, we have heard a warning from God. As a planet, we have confidently strutted around the walls of our castle and declared ourselves invincible. We had trusted in our treasures like the Ammonites, and boastfully asked “who can come against me?”
Then the Coronavirus happened.
The fear, the disruption of our lives, the forced isolation, the loss of jobs, lives, security … it stopped us short.
God can put an end to the threat, but we have to decide whether we heed the warning.
Lord, we declare our need for you, and ask you to restore our fortunes.
Jeremiah 48:1 About Moab, this is what Yahveh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Tragedy to Nebo, because it is about to be destroyed; Kiriathaim will be put to shame; it will be taken captive. The fortress will be put to shame and dismayed!
Jeremiah 48:2 There is no longer praise for Moab; they plan harm against her in Heshbon: Come, let’s cut her off from nationhood. Also, Madmen, you will be silenced; the sword will follow you.
Jeremiah 48:3 A voice cries out from Horonaim, “devastation and a crushing blow!”
Jeremiah 48:4 Moab will be shattered; her little ones will cry out.
Jeremiah 48:5 For on the Ascent to Luhith they will be weeping continually, and on the descent to Horonaim will be heard cries of distress over the destruction:
Jeremiah 48:6 Flee! Save your lives! Be like a juniper bush in the open country.
Jeremiah 48:7 Because you trust in your works and treasures, you will be captured also. Chemosh will go into exile with his priests and officials.
Jeremiah 48:8 The destroyer will move against every town; not one town will escape. The valley will perish, and the plain will be annihilated, as Yahveh has said.
Jeremiah 48:9 Make Moab a salt marsh, for she will run away; her towns will become a desolation, without inhabitant.
Jeremiah 48:10 The one who does Yahveh’s business deceitfully is cursed, and the one who withholds his sword from bloodshed is cursed.
Jeremiah 48:11 Moab has been left quiet since his youth, settled like wine on its dregs. He hasn’t been poured from one container to another or gone into exile. So his taste has remained the same, and his aroma hasn’t changed.
Jeremiah 48:12 Therefore look, the days are coming – this is what Yahveh declares – when I will send cellarmen to him, who will pour him out. They will empty his containers and smash his jars.
Jeremiah 48:13 Moab will be put to shame because of Chemosh, just as the house of Israel was put to shame because of Bethel that they trusted in.
Jeremiah 48:14 How can you say, “We are warriors– valiant men for battle”?
Jeremiah 48:15 The destroyer of Moab and its towns has come up, and the best of its young men have gone down to slaughter. This is the King’s declaration; Yahveh of Armies is his name.
Jeremiah 48:16 Moab’s calamity is near at hand; his disaster is rushing swiftly.
Jeremiah 48:17 Mourn for him, all you surrounding nations, everyone who knows his name. Say, “How the mighty scepter is shattered, the glorious staff!”
Jeremiah 48:18 Come down from glory; sit on parched ground, resident of the daughter of Dibon, because the destroyer of Moab has come against you; he has destroyed your fortresses.
Jeremiah 48:19 Stand by the highway and watch, resident of Aroer! Ask him who is fleeing or her who is escaping, “What happened?”
Jeremiah 48:20 Moab is put to shame, indeed dismayed. Wail and cry out! Declare by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.
Jeremiah 48:21 “Judgment has come to the land of the plateau – to Holon, Jahzah, Mephaath,
Jeremiah 48:22 Dibon, Nebo, Beth-diblathaim,
Jeremiah 48:23 Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, Beth-meon,
Jeremiah 48:24 Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the towns of the land of Moab, those far and near.
Jeremiah 48:25 Moab’s horn is chopped off; his arm is shattered.” This is what Yahveh declares.
Jeremiah 48:26 “Make him drunk, because he has exalted himself against Yahveh. Moab will wallow in his own vomit, and he will also become a laughingstock.
Jeremiah 48:27 Wasn’t Israel a laughingstock to you? Was he ever found among thieves? You see, whenever you speak of him you shake your head.”
Jeremiah 48:28 Abandon the towns! Live in the cliffs, residents of Moab! Be like a dove that nests inside the mouth of a cave.
Jeremiah 48:29 We have heard of Moab’s pride, great pride, indeed – his insolence, arrogance, pride, and haughty heart.
Jeremiah 48:30 I know his outburst. This is what Yahveh declares. It is empty. His boast is empty.
Jeremiah 48:31 Therefore, I will wail over Moab. I will cry out for Moab, all of it; he will moan for the men of Kir-heres.
Jeremiah 48:32 I will weep for you, vine of Sibmah, with more than the weeping for Jazer. Your tendrils have extended to the sea; they have reached to the sea and to Jazer. The destroyer has fallen on your summer fruit and grape harvest.
Jeremiah 48:33 Gladness and celebration are taken from the fertile field and from the land of Moab. I have stopped the flow of wine from the winepresses; no one will tread with shouts of joy. The shouting is not a shout of joy.
Jeremiah 48:34 “There is a cry from Heshbon to Elealeh; they make their voices heard as far as Jahaz – from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah – because even the Waters of Nimrim have become desolate.
Jeremiah 48:35 In Moab, I will stop” – This is what Yahveh declares – “the one who offers sacrifices on the high place and burns incense to his gods.
Jeremiah 48:36 Therefore, my heart moans like flutes for Moab, and my heart moans like flutes for the people of Kir-heres. And therefore, the wealth he has gained has perished.
Jeremiah 48:37 Indeed, every head is bald and every beard is chopped short. On every hand is a gash and sackcloth around the waist.
Jeremiah 48:38 On all the rooftops of Moab and in her public squares, everyone is mourning because I have shattered Moab like a jar no one wants.” this is what Yahveh declares.
Jeremiah 48:39 “How broken it is! They wail! How Moab has turned his back! He is ashamed. Moab will become a laughingstock and a shock to all those around him.”
Jeremiah 48:40 You see, this is what Yahveh says: Notice! He will swoop down like an eagle and spread his wings against Moab.
Jeremiah 48:41 The towns have been captured, and the strongholds seized. In that day the heart of Moab’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman with contractions.
Jeremiah 48:42 Moab will be destroyed as a people because he has exalted himself against Yahveh.
Jeremiah 48:43 Panic, pit, and trap await you, resident of Moab. this is what Yahveh declares.
Jeremiah 48:44 He who flees from the panic will fall in the pit, and he who climbs from the pit will be captured in the trap, because I will bring against Moab the year of their punishment. This is what Yahveh declares.
Jeremiah 48:45 Those who flee will stand exhausted in Heshbon’s shadow because fire has come out from Heshbon and a flame from within Sihon. It will devour Moab’s forehead and the skull of the noisemakers.
Jeremiah 48:46 Tragedy to you, Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished because your sons have been taken captive and your daughters have gone into captivity.
Jeremiah 48:47 Yet, I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the last days. this is what Yahveh declares. The judgment on Moab ends here.
Moab’s pride
Moab’s judgment will humble it, and the nation will be destroyed and will no longer be a people. The reason is pride. Moab magnified himself against Yahveh. Just because you are winning does not mean that you are a winner. Real success is lasting success, and that only comes to those who fear and love Yahveh. The Moabites have learned that lesson. Have we?
Lord, we renounce our successes and acclaims. We trust in you, and seek your kingdom and righteousness. We will not magnify ourselves against you.
Jeremiah 47:1 This is the word of Yahveh that was to Jeremiah the prophet about the Philistines before Pharaoh defeated Gaza.
Jeremiah 47:2 This is what Yahveh says: Look, water is rising from the north and becoming an overflowing wadi. It will overflow the land and everything in it, the cities and their inhabitants. The people will cry out, and everyone staying of the land will wail.
Jeremiah 47:3 At the sound of the stomping hooves of his stallions, the rumbling of his chariots, and the clatter of their wheels, fathers will not turn back for their sons. They will be utterly helpless
Jeremiah 47:4 on the day that is coming to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every remaining ally. Indeed, Yahveh is about to destroy the Philistines, the remainder of the coastland of Caphtor.
Jeremiah 47:5 Baldness is coming to Gaza; Ashkelon will become silent, O remainder of their valley, how long will you gash yourself?
Jeremiah 47:6 Tragedy, sword of Yahveh! How long will you be restless? Go back to your sheath; be still and silent!
Jeremiah 47:7 How can it rest when Yahveh has given it a command? He has assigned it against Ashkelon and the shore of the sea.
sword of Yahveh!
Jeremiah had just declared that Egypt would not be able to withstand the attacks of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon. Now he says the same thing about the Philistines. Mighty Babylon is not conquering these nations because of its own power. It is being wielded by God himself. Babylon is the sword of Yahveh!
Lord, thank you that there is no power on earth that is not empowered by You.
Jeremiah 46:1 This is the word of Yahveh that came to the prophet Jeremiah about the nations:
Jeremiah 46:2 About Egypt and the army of Pharaoh Neco, Egypt’s king, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in the fourth year of Judah’s King Jehoiakim son of Josiah:
Jeremiah 46:3 Deploy small shields and large; approach for battle!
Jeremiah 46:4 Harness the horses; mount the steeds; take your positions with helmets on! Polish the lances; put on armor!
Jeremiah 46:5 Why have I seen this? They are terrified, they are retreating, their warriors are crushed, they flee headlong, they never look back, terror is on every side! this is what Yahveh declares.
Jeremiah 46:6 The swift cannot flee, and the warrior cannot escape! In the north by the bank of the Euphrates River, they stumble and fall.
Jeremiah 46:7 Who is this, rising like the Nile, with waters that churn like rivers?
Jeremiah 46:8 Egypt rises like the Nile, and its waters churn like rivers. He boasts, “I will go up, I will cover the land; I will destroy cities with their residents.”
Jeremiah 46:9 Rise up, you cavalry! Race furiously, you chariots! Let the warriors march out – Cush and Put, who are able to handle shields, and the men of Lud, who are able to handle and string the bow.
Jeremiah 46:10 That day belongs to Yahveh, the God of Armies, a day of vengeance to avenge himself against his adversaries. The sword will devour and be satisfied; it will drink its fill of their blood, because it will be a sacrifice to Yahveh, the God of Armies, in the northern land by the Euphrates River.
Jeremiah 46:11 Go up to Gilead and get balm, Virgin Daughter Egypt! You have multiplied remedies in vain; there is no healing for you.
Jeremiah 46:12 The nations have heard of your dishonor, and your cries fill the land, because warrior stumbles against warrior and together both of them have fallen.
Jeremiah 46:13 This is the word Yahveh spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about the coming of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to defeat the land of Egypt:
Jeremiah 46:14 Announce it in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol! Proclaim it in Memphis and in Tahpanhes! Say, “Take positions! Prepare yourself, for the sword devours all around you.”
Jeremiah 46:15 Why have your strong ones been swept away? Each has not stood, for Yahveh has thrust him down.
Jeremiah 46:16 He continues to stumble. Indeed, each falls over the other. They say, “Get up! Let’s return to our people and to our native land, away from the oppressor’s sword.”
Jeremiah 46:17 There they will cry out, “Pharaoh king of Egypt was all noise; he let the opportune moment pass.”
Jeremiah 46:18 As I live – this is the King’s declaration; Yahveh of Armies is his name – the king of Babylon will come like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea.
Jeremiah 46:19 Get your bags ready for exile, inhabitant of Daughter Egypt! You see, Memphis will become a desolation, uninhabited ruins.
Jeremiah 46:20 Egypt is a beautiful young cow, but a horsefly from the north is coming against her.
Jeremiah 46:21 Even her mercenaries among her are like stall-fed calves. They too will turn back; together they will flee; they will not take their stand, because the day of their calamity is coming on them, the time of their punishment.
Jeremiah 46:22 Egypt will hiss like a slithering snake, because the enemy will come with an army; with axes they will come against her like those who cut trees.
Jeremiah 46:23 They will cut down her forest – this is what Yahveh declares – though it is dense, because they are more numerous than locusts; they cannot be counted.
Jeremiah 46:24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame, handed over to a northern people.
Jeremiah 46:25 Yahveh of Armies, the God of Israel, says, “I am about to punish Amon, god of Thebes, along with Pharaoh, Egypt, her gods, and her kings – Pharaoh and those trusting in him.
Jeremiah 46:26 I will hand them over to those who intend to take their lives – to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his officers. But after this, Egypt will be inhabited again as in ancient times.” this is what Yahveh declares.
Jeremiah 46:27 But you, my servant Jacob, do not be afraid, and do not be discouraged, Israel, because without fail I will rescue you from far away, and your descendants from the land of their captivity! Jacob will return and have calm and quiet with no one to frighten him.
Jeremiah 46:28 And you, my servant Jacob, do not be afraid – this is what Yahveh declares – because I will be with you. I will bring destruction on all the nations where I have banished you, but I will not bring destruction on you. I will discipline you with justice, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.
mercenaries in Egypt
The mercenaries that Pharaoh hired to do battle for Egypt will blame the Pharaoh for bragging about the might of his invincible nation, but will say that he missed the opportunity to defeat Babylon. They will see the attacking Babylonians and say “forget this” — and go home.
Meanwhile, the exiled Israelites hear the word from Jeremiah, and it is a word of comfort. Although they are being disciplined, it will not result in their destruction. God still has a plan for his people, so the word of the day is: “And you, my servant Jacob, do not be afraid – this is what Yahveh declares – because I will be with you.”
Lord, thank you for your presence during times of turmoil.
Jeremiah 45:1 This is the word that the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Baruch son of Neriah when he wrote these words on a scroll at Jeremiah’s dictation in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:
Jeremiah 45:2 “This is what Yahveh, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch:
Jeremiah 45:3 ‘You have said, “Tragedy for me, because Yahveh has added misery to my pain! I am worn out with groaning and have found no rest.” ‘
Jeremiah 45:4 “This is what you are to say to him: ‘This is what Yahveh says: “What I have built I am about to demolish, and what I have planted I am about to uproot – the whole land!
Jeremiah 45:5 But as for you, do you pursue great things for yourself? Stop pursuing! You see, I am about to bring disaster on everyone” – this is what Yahveh declares – “but I will grant you your life like the spoils of war wherever you go.” ‘”
sometimes no silver
Jeremiah had warned the remnant of Jews in Egypt that they are still in danger because they have not ceased their idolatry, and their foreign wives are insisting on continuing their pagan offerings to the queen of heaven, with their husbands’ full knowledge. So, the LORD promised to destroy all the men, leaving only a few fugitives who will eventually return to Judah.
Meanwhile, Baruch (Jeremiah’s scribe) is in despair. Jeremiah does not give him false hope of greatness. Instead he tells Baruch to be happy with just surviving, because this is a terrible time, and disaster awaits all.
This is a hard message for many, because we are used to looking for the silver lining in each cloud. Sometimes, the rain is all you get. Trust the LORD anyway.
LORD, forgive us for seeking hope outside our destiny in you. You are our hope.
Jeremiah 44:1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jews living in the land of Egypt – at Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and in the land of Pathros: Jeremiah 44:2 “This is what Yahveh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: You have seen all the disaster I brought against Jerusalem and all Judah’s cities. Notice, they are a ruin today without an inhabitant in them Jeremiah 44:3 because of the evil they committed to anger me, by going and burning incense to serve other gods that they, you, and your fathers did not know. Jeremiah 44:4 So I sent you all my servants the prophets time and time again, saying, ‘Don’t commit this disgusting crime that I hate.’ Jeremiah 44:5 But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their evil or stop burning incense to other gods. Jeremiah 44:6 So my fierce wrath poured out and burned in Judah’s cities and Jerusalem’s streets so that they became the desolate ruin they are today. Jeremiah 44:7 “So now, this is what Yahveh, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Why are you doing such horrible harm to yourselves? You are cutting off man and woman, infant and nursing baby from Judah, leaving yourselves without a remainder. Jeremiah 44:8 You are angering me by the work of your hands. You are burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to stay for a while. As a result, you will be cut off and become an example for cursing and insult among all the nations of land. Jeremiah 44:9 Have you forgotten the crimes of your fathers, the crimes of Judah’s kings, the crimes of their wives, your own crimes, and the crimes of your wives that were committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? Jeremiah 44:10 They have not become humble to this day, and they have not feared or followed my instruction or my prescriptions that I set before you and your fathers. Jeremiah 44:11 “Therefore, this is what Yahveh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am about to set my face against you to bring disaster, to cut off all Judah. Jeremiah 44:12 And I will take away the remainder of Judah, those who have set their face to go to the land of Egypt to stay there. All of them will meet their end in the land of Egypt. They will fall by the sword; they will meet their end by famine. From the least to the greatest, they will die by the sword and by famine. Then they will become an example for cursing, scorn, and a curse, and disgrace. Jeremiah 44:13 I will punish those living in the land of Egypt just as I punished Jerusalem by sword, famine, and plague. Jeremiah 44:14 Then the remainder of Judah – those going to live for a while there in the land of Egypt – will have no fugitive or survivor to return to the land of Judah where they are longing to return to stay, for they will not return except for a few fugitives.” Jeremiah 44:15 However, all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, all the women standing by – a great collection – and all the people who were living in the land of Egypt at Pathros answered Jeremiah, Jeremiah 44:16 “As for the word you spoke to us in the name of Yahveh, we are not going to listen to you! Jeremiah 44:17 Instead, we will do everything we promised: we will burn incense to the queen of the sky and offer drink offerings to her just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in Judah’s cities and in Jerusalem’s streets. Then we had enough food, we were well off, and we saw no disaster, Jeremiah 44:18 but from the time we ceased to burn incense to the queen of the sky and to offer her drink offerings, we have lacked everything, and through sword and famine we have met our end.” Jeremiah 44:19 And the women said, “When we burned incense to the queen of the sky and poured out drink offerings to her, was it apart from our husbands’ knowledge that we made sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?” Jeremiah 44:20 But Jeremiah responded to all the people – the men, women, and all the people who were answering him: Jeremiah 44:21 “As for the incense you burned in Judah’s cities and in Jerusalem’s streets – you, your fathers, your kings, your officials, and the people of the land – did Yahveh not remember them? He brought this to mind. Jeremiah 44:22 Yahveh can no longer bear your evil deeds and the detestable acts you have committed, so your land has become a waste, a desolation, and an example for cursing, without inhabitant, as you see today. Jeremiah 44:23 Because you burned incense and failed Yahveh and didn’t obey Yahveh and didn’t follow his instruction, his statutes, and his testimonies, this disaster has come to you, as you see today.” Jeremiah 44:24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “Hear the word of Yahveh, all you people of Judah who are in the land of Egypt. Jeremiah 44:25 This is what Yahveh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘As for you and your wives, you women have spoken with your mouths, and you men fulfilled it by your deeds, saying, “We will keep our vows that we have made to burn incense to the queen of the sky and to pour out drink offerings for her.” Go ahead, confirm your vows! Keep your vows!’ Jeremiah 44:26 “Therefore, hear the word of Yahveh, all you Judeans who live in the land of Egypt: ‘I have sworn by my great name, says Yahveh, that my name will never again be invoked by anyone of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “As the Lord Yahveh lives.” Jeremiah 44:27 I am watching over them for disaster and not for good, and everyone from Judah who is in the land of Egypt will meet his end by sword or famine until they are finished off. Jeremiah 44:28 Those who escape the sword will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah only few in number, and the whole remainder of Judah, the ones going to the land of Egypt to stay there for a while, will know whose word stands, mine or theirs! Jeremiah 44:29 This will be a sign to you’ – this is what Yahveh declares – ‘that I will punish you in this place, so you may know that my words of disaster concerning you will certainly come to pass. Jeremiah 44:30 This is what Yahveh says: I am about to hand over Pharaoh Hophra, Egypt’s king, to his enemies, to those who intend to take his life, just as I handed over Judah’s King Zedekiah to Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar, who was his enemy, the one who intended to take his life.'”
a sign for all
I try to connect these daily devotionals to a theme related to the holiday they happen to be posted on, but this one will be a bit more difficult than usual.
Let me put it this way. Pharaoh’s capture would be the sign that the people of Judah who had fled to Egypt against Jeremiah’s word would be punished there. It was a sign of disaster for all.
Jesus’ birth was a sign to the believers at that time that God was ready to deliver them. His miraculous birth, which we celebrate this day, still offers hope for us all.
Lord, may my readers and their families know the hope that Jesus’ birth can bring to us all.
Jeremiah 43:1 When Jeremiah had finished speaking to all the people all the words of Yahveh their God – all these words Yahveh their God had sent him to give them –
Jeremiah 43:2 then Azariah son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah, and all the other presumptuous men responded to Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie! Yahveh our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to stay there for a while! ‘
Jeremiah 43:3 Instead, Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Chaldeans to put us to death or to deport us to Babylon!”
Jeremiah 43:4 So Johanan son of Kareah, all the commanders of the armies, and all the people failed to obey Yahveh ‘s command to stay in the land of Judah.
Jeremiah 43:5 Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies led away the whole remainder of Judah, those who had returned to stay in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been banished.
Jeremiah 43:6 They led away the men, women, children, king’s daughters, and everyone whom Nebuzaradan, captain of the guards, had allowed to remain with Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan. They also led the prophet Jeremiah and Baruch son of Neriah away.
Jeremiah 43:7 They went to the land of Egypt because they did not obey Yahveh. They went as far as Tahpanhes.
Jeremiah 43:8 Then the word of Yahveh came to Jeremiah at Tahpanhes:
Jeremiah 43:9 “Pick up some large stones and set them in the mortar of the brick pavement that is at the opening of Pharaoh’s palace at Tahpanhes. Do this in the sight of the Judean men
Jeremiah 43:10 and tell them, ‘This is what Yahveh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will place his throne on these stones that I have embedded, and he will erect his canopy over them.
Jeremiah 43:11 He will come and strike down the land of Egypt – those destined for death, to death; those destined for captivity, to captivity; and those destined for the sword, to the sword.
Jeremiah 43:12 I will kindle a fire in the temples of Egypt’s gods, and he will burn them and take them captive. He will clean the land of Egypt as a shepherd picks lice off his clothes, and he will leave there untouched.
Jeremiah 43:13 He will smash the sacred pillars of the sun temple in the land of Egypt and burn the temples of the Egyptian gods.'”
escape to Egypt, or not
Our Lord Jesus had to go to Egypt to escape death at the hands of Herod. His parents brought him there at God’s command. But these contemporaries of Jeremiah went to Egypt because they refused God’s command, and claimed that it was a lie.
Apparently, Joseph and Mary and Jesus prospered while in Egypt, and were able to return when Herod’s reign of terror was over. But these contemporaries of Jeremiah brought terror on themselves by going where God had warned them not to go. The Lord even told Jeremiah where Nebuchadnezzar would set up his battle throne as he conquered that land.
God has a purpose for this time, and this generation. We should seek that purpose and make our decisions on the basis of that purpose.
Lord, show us your purpose and plan for this time, and give us the courage to obey, whether your purpose is go or stay.
Jeremiah 42:1 Then all the commanders of the armies, along with Johanan son of Kareah, Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, approached Jeremiah 42:2 the prophet Jeremiah and said, “May our petition come before you; pray to Yahveh your God on our behalf, on behalf of this entire remainder (for few of us remain out of the many, as you can see with your own eyes), Jeremiah 42:3 that Yahveh your God may tell us the way we should go and the thing we should do.” Jeremiah 42:4 So the prophet Jeremiah said to them, “I have heard. I will now pray to Yahveh your God according to your words, and I will tell you every word that Yahveh answers you; I won’t withhold a word from you.” Jeremiah 42:5 And they said to Jeremiah, “May Yahveh be a true and faithful witness against us if we don’t act according to every word Yahveh your God sends you to tell us. Jeremiah 42:6 Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will obey Yahveh our God to whom we are sending you so that it may go well with us. We will certainly obey Yahveh our God!” Jeremiah 42:7 At the end of ten days, the word of Yahveh came to Jeremiah, Jeremiah 42:8 and he summoned Johanan son of Kareah, all the commanders of the armies who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest. Jeremiah 42:9 He said to them, “This is what Yahveh says, the God of Israel to whom you sent me to bring your petition before him: Jeremiah 42:10 ‘If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will rebuild and not demolish you, and I will plant and not uproot you, because I relent concerning the disaster that I have brought on you. Jeremiah 42:11 Don’t be afraid of the king of Babylon whom you now fear; don’t be afraid of him’ – this is what Yahveh declares – ‘because I am with you to save you and rescue you from him. Jeremiah 42:12 I will grant you compassion, and he will have compassion on you and allow you to return to your own soil.’ Jeremiah 42:13 “But if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ in order to disobey Yahveh your God, Jeremiah 42:14 and if you say, ‘No, instead we’ll go to the land of Egypt where we will not see war or hear the sound of the ram’s horn or hunger for food, and we’ll live there,’ Jeremiah 42:15 then hear the word of Yahveh, remainder of Judah! This is what Yahveh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are firmly resolved to go to Egypt and stay there for a while, Jeremiah 42:16 then the sword you fear will overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine you are worried about will follow on your heels there to Egypt, and you will die there. Jeremiah 42:17 All who resolve to go to Egypt to stay there for a while will die by the sword, famine, and plague. They will have no survivor or fugitive from the disaster I will bring on them.’ Jeremiah 42:18 “You see, this is what Yahveh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Just as my anger and fury were poured out on Jerusalem’s residents, so will my fury pour out on you if you go to Egypt. You will become an example for cursing, scorn, execration, and disgrace, and you will never see this place again.’ Jeremiah 42:19 Yahveh has spoken concerning you, remainder of Judah: ‘Don’t go to Egypt.’ Know for certain that I have warned you today! Jeremiah 42:20 You have gone astray at the cost of your lives because you are the ones who sent me to Yahveh your God, saying, ‘Pray to Yahveh our God on our behalf, and as for all that Yahveh our God says, tell it to us, and we’ll act accordingly.’ Jeremiah 42:21 You see, I have told you today, but you have not obeyed Yahveh your God in everything he has sent me to tell you. Jeremiah 42:22 Now therefore, know for certain that by the sword, famine, and plague you will die in the place where you desired to go to stay for a while.”
if it is only your plan
The leaders of the re-formed alliance in Judah were trying to solidify their hold on the people, so they appealed to Jeremiah. They really were not interested in what the LORD wanted. They simply wanted religious approval of their plans.
Friend, perhaps you have thought for some time that God wanted you or your church to do something — to make some change, and you have prayed to God to open the door for that something to happen. I suggest that you consider whether your plan is really God’s plan. If it is really God’s plan then pray, obey, and make it happen. But if it is only your plan, then don’t be so quick to get God’s approval for it.
Jeremiah 41:1 It happened in the seventh month: Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family and one of the king’s chief officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. They were eating bread together there in Mizpah,
Jeremiah 41:2 but then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, with the sword; he killed the one the king of Babylon had appointed in the land.
Jeremiah 41:3 Ishmael also struck down all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Chaldean soldiers who were there.
Jeremiah 41:4 On the day after he had killed Gedaliah, when no one knew yet,
Jeremiah 41:5 eighty men came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria who had shaved their beards, torn their clothes, and gashed themselves, and who were carrying grain and incense offerings to bring to the temple of Yahveh.
Jeremiah 41:6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah came out of Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he came. When he encountered them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam!”
Jeremiah 41:7 But when they came into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.
Jeremiah 41:8 However, there were ten men among them who said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us, because we have hidden treasure in the field – wheat, barley, oil, and honey!” So he stopped and did not kill them along with their companions.
Jeremiah 41:9 And the cistern where Ishmael had thrown all the corpses of the men he had struck down was a large one that King Asa had made in the encounter with King Baasha of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the victims.
Jeremiah 41:10 Then Ishmael took captive all the remainder of the people of Mizpah including the daughters of the king– all those who remained in Mizpah over whom Nebuzaradan, captain of the guards, had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set off to cross over to the Ammonites.
Jeremiah 41:11 When Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done,
Jeremiah 41:12 they took all their men and went to fight with Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They found him by the great pool in Gibeon.
Jeremiah 41:13 When all the people held by Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the army with him, they celebrated.
Jeremiah 41:14 All the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and rejoined Johanan son of Kareah.
Jeremiah 41:15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the Ammonites.
Jeremiah 41:16 Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him then took from Mizpah all the remainder of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam– men, soldiers, women, children, and court officials whom he brought back from Gibeon.
Jeremiah 41:17 They left, stopping in Geruth Chimham, which is near Bethlehem, in order to make their way into Egypt,
Jeremiah 41:18 away from the Chaldeans. For they feared them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.
dangerous times
Chaos ensued as the remnant in Israel attempts to stay alive in an environment where leaders conspire to destroy one another. Jeremiah has been set free to go wherever he wishes, but there is no safe place. Gedaliah was appointed as the people’s representative to Babylon, but he is soon killed, and his murderer cannot be trusted. These are dangerous times, but God is still in control.
LORD, when the dangerous times come, and no safe haven is really safe, we will trust in you.
Jeremiah 40:13 Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies in the countryside came to Gedaliah at Mizpah
Jeremiah 40:14 and warned him, “You certainly know that Baalis, king of the Ammonites, has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to cut your throat?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam would not believe them.
Jeremiah 40:15 Then Johanan son of Kareah suggested to Gedaliah in private at Mizpah, “Let me go kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah. No one will know it. Why should he cut your throat and allow all of Judah that has gathered around you to scatter and the remainder of Judah to be destroyed?”
Jeremiah 40:16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam responded to Johanan son of Kareah, “Don’t do this! What you’re saying about Ishmael is a lie.”
not cautious enough
Gedaliah’s problem here is that he is too quick to trust Ishmael, and too quick to dismiss the negative news about him. It would not only cost Gedaliah his life, but also many others would die as well.
Lord, give us the insight we need to walk wisely, not being too quick to dismiss negative news. Help us to be cautious when we do not have all the facts.
Devotions 