August 11 A READ JEREMIAH 40–45
After the Fall of Jerusalem
OVERVIEW
Jeremiah’s ministry does not end with the fall of Jerusalem. Given carte blanche by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, he chooses to cast his lot with Gedaliah, the governor appointed to oversee Jerusalem. But after Gedaliah’s brutal assassination by Ishmael, the Jewish remnant disregards God’s specific command and flees into Egypt, taking Jeremiah along. This prompts Jeremiah to predict Egypt’s destruction and the Jews’ discipline at the hands of Jehovah.
MY DAILY WALK
Are you a “coin-collector” Christian? It is a common practice today for coin and stamp collectors to buy merchandise “on approval.” That is, the company will send samples of coins or stamps through the mail. The buyer looks them over, keeps the ones he or she wants to buy, and returns the rest.
Some Christians view God’s will that way. They pray, “Lord, show me what you want me to do.” And when he does, they decide whether they want to do all of it, part of it, or none of it.
After the fall of Jerusalem, the survivors came to Jeremiah and asked him to pray for them. They wanted to know God’s will “on approval.” They were looking for God to rubber-stamp what they had already decided to do: flee to Egypt. And when the answer came back—“No!”—they went anyway, with disastrous results.
Are you seeking God’s will “on approval,” or are you willing to go wherever he guides? Read Proverbs 3:5-6; then you decide.
THERE IS NO MORE DIFFICULT PRAYER TO PRAY SINCERELY THAN “THY WILL BE DONE.”
INSIGHT
The Word of the Lord Came . . . in Tahpanhes | Jer. 43:8-13
The ancient city of Tahpanhes (43:8-13) has been linked with a site about ten miles west of the Suez Canal. In 1886, Sir Flinders Petrie uncovered the ruins of a large castle, in front of which was a great open platform of brickwork. According to Petrie, it is likely Jeremiah hid the stones there that he had referred to in his prophecy of Egypt’s downfall.
INSIGHT
The Queen of Heaven | Jer. 44:18
Mentioned only by title in Jeremiah (7:18; 44:18), “the Queen of Heaven” appears in other Old Testament passages too. The term refers to the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, whose Canaanite counterpart was Ashtoreth. Worshiping this fertility goddess involved making cakes, pouring drink offerings, and engaging in very lewd practices.
1The LORD gave a message to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had released him at Ramah. He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the other captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being sent to exile in Babylon.
2The captain of the guard called for Jeremiah and said, “The LORD your God has brought this disaster on this land, 3just as he said he would. For these people have sinned against the LORD and disobeyed him. That is why it happened. 4But I am going to take off your chains and let you go. If you want to come with me to Babylon, you are welcome. I will see that you are well cared for. But if you don’t want to come, you may stay here. The whole land is before you—go wherever you like. 5If you decide to stay, then return to Gedaliah son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. He has been appointed governor of Judah by the king of Babylon. Stay there with the people he rules. But it’s up to you; go wherever you like.”
Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, gave Jeremiah some food and money and let him go. 6So Jeremiah returned to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah, and he lived in Judah with the few who were still left in the land.
Gedaliah Governs in Judah
7The leaders of the Judean guerrilla bands in the countryside heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the poor people who were left behind in Judah—the men, women, and children who hadn’t been exiled to Babylon. 8So they went to see Gedaliah at Mizpah. These included: Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jezaniah son of the Maacathite, and all their men.
9Gedaliah vowed to them that the Babylonians* meant them no harm. “Don’t be afraid to serve them. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and all will go well for you,” he promised. 10“As for me, I will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to meet with us. Settle in the towns you have taken, and live off the land. Harvest the grapes and summer fruits and olives, and store them away.”
11When the Judeans in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and the other nearby countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a few people in Judah and that Gedaliah was the governor, 12they began to return to Judah from the places to which they had fled. They stopped at Mizpah to meet with Gedaliah and then went into the Judean countryside to gather a great harvest of grapes and other crops.
A Plot against Gedaliah
13Soon after this, Johanan son of Kareah and the other guerrilla leaders came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. 14They said to him, “Did you know that Baalis, king of Ammon, has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?” But Gedaliah refused to believe them.
15Later Johanan had a private conference with Gedaliah and volunteered to kill Ishmael secretly. “Why should we let him come and murder you?” Johanan asked. “What will happen then to the Judeans who have returned? Why should the few of us who are still left be scattered and lost?”
16But Gedaliah said to Johanan, “I forbid you to do any such thing, for you are lying about Ishmael.”