Major Prophets Jeremiah

Hypocritically Seeking God's Will

Discover Jesus as: New Covenant Jeremiah 40-42 Read on Bible Gateway (HCSB)

Day 617 of 730
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INTRO

Today’s Scripture passage is pretty entertaining and educational. The phrase for the book of Jeremiah is New Covenant. Jeremiah is not the most uplifting book, but it gives hope by pointing to the coming of the Righteous Branch. Jeremiah 31:31 summarizes this hope: “‘Look, the days are coming’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.’”

TEACHING

Jeremiah 40:1-16: Jeremiah was finally released by the captain of the guard at Ramah. Jeremiah had been bound in chains with all the other exiles from Jerusalem and Judah who were headed to Babylon as captives (v. 1). The captain recognized that the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah and the people had not listened (vv. 2–3). The captain gave Jeremiah freedom and offered him a chance to come to Babylon under his protection or to return home (v. 4). The captain then told Jeremiah to return to Gedaliah who had been appointed by the king of Babylon as the overseer over Judah and gave Jeremiah a ration of food and a gift (v. 5). Jeremiah did what the captain told him to do (v. 6).

When the commanders of the Babylonian armies heard of Gedaliah’s appointment over the land and the poorest in the nation who had been left behind and not exiled, they came to see Gedaliah and brought their armies with them (vv. 7–8). The list of those who came are in verses 8–13. Johanan (v. 13) warned Gedaliah that the king of the Ammonites had sent Ishmael to kill him. Gedaliah did not believe him (v. 14). Johanan then offered to go and kill Ishmael in secret so no one would know about the threat against Gedaliah (v. 15). But Gedaliah accused Johanan of lying about Ishmael (v. 16).

Jeremiah 41:1–10: Chapter 41 gets pretty graphic about what happened next. Ishmael, the one Johanan had warned Gedaliah about, came with ten men to Mizpah and had a meal with Gedaliah. After the meal Ishmael killed the Gedaliah, the appointee for the king of Babylon, as well as the other Judeans and the Chaldean soldiers who were there (vv. 1–3). The next day 80 men who had prepared themselves in mourning arrived with offerings for the temple of the Lord (v. 4–5). Ishmael met them at the gate and, weeping, he told them he would take them to Gedaliah (v. 6). But when they entered the city, Ishmael and his men slaughtered 70 of the 80 men and threw them into a cistern (v. 7).

Ten of the men stopped Ishmael from killing them by saying they had hidden treasure (wheat, barley, oil, and honey) in the field (v. 8). The cistern was large, and Ishmael filled it with dead bodies (v. 9). Ishmael then took captive “all the remnant of the people of Mizpah including the daughters of the king” and left with them to go to the Ammonites (v. 10).

Jeremiah 41:11–18: Johanan and the commanders of the armies heard of Ishmael’s actions and went to fight him. They found him by the pool of Gibeon (vv. 11–12). When the captives with Ishmael saw the approaching men, they rejoiced and rejoined Johanan (vv. 13–14). Ishmael escaped with eight men (v. 15). Johanan took the remnant—men, soldiers, women, children, and court officials—with him (v. 16).

Jeremiah 42:1–6: Johanan, the commanders of the armies, and all of the people who had been freed at Gibeon came to Jeremiah and asked him to seek out what the Lord wanted them to do next (vv. 1–3). This sounds like a legitimate prayer request, but verse 19 will show otherwise. Verses 4–6 describe Jeremiah’s agreement to pray and the people’s commitment to obey God’s instructions. However, Johanan already had decided what they would do and where they would go.

Jeremiah 42:7–22: After ten days of prayer, Jeremiah came back with God’s answer—stay in this land, and He would rebuild them and protect them (vv. 7–12). However, if they chose not to obey Him and went to Egypt, this remnant would die “by the sword, famine, and plague. They will have no one escape or survive from the disaster I will bring on them” (vv. 13–18). Wiersbe explains the Lord’s answer covers three parts.

  1. God’s promise to Johanan and all the people with him was that if they stayed in the land, He would provide them with protection from Babylon, would rebuild the land, replant the crops, and they would have no disaster (vv. 7–12).1 MacArthur explains the statement “I relent” (v. 10): “By this, God means, ‘I am satisfied with the punishment inflicted if you do not add new offenses.’”2

God’s warning to them all was that they should not go to Egypt or they would face certain and awful death (vv. 13–18).3

God’s exposure of their deceitful hearts (vv. 19–22). Wiersbe explains Jeremiah “announced publicly that they had tried to deceive him when they promised to obey the Lord’s commands. They really didn’t want either his prayers or God’s plans, they wanted the Lord to approve what they had already decided to do.”4 MacArthur puts this more strongly: “Those who already desired to be in Egypt were hypocrites.”5

Notice Jeremiah had the spiritual discernment to know even as he delivered God’s message, the people would ignore it. Wiersbe states, “This was a fatal decision on their part, for if they carried out their plans, they would die in Egypt.”6

CLOSING

Wiersbe points out this passage “is a warning to us not to be insincere as we seek the will of God.”7 Wiersbe calls asking God to bless only what we’ve already decided to do as the “Johanan syndrome.”8 What it comes down to is 'I want God to bless my ideas and thoughts and, well, if you don't I'll probably do it anyway.' God essentially says if you want to play that game trusting your own heart you will die.

  1. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2002), p. 133.

  2. John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2005), p. 874.

  3. Wiersbe, p. 133.

  4. Wiersbe, p. 133.

  5. MacArthur, p. 874.

  6. Wiersbe, p. 133.

  7. Wiersbe, p. 133.

  8. Wiersbe, p. 133.

Questions

  1. What did the captain of the guards seem to understand better about God than the leaders of Judah (Jeremiah 40:2–3)?
  2. In Jeremiah 40 why do think Jeremiah chose to stay with Gedaliah and those in Jerusalem rather than being taking care of by the king in Babylon? What does it take for someone to be a good shepherd and not a hireling? (John 10:12–13)
  3. In Jeremiah 40 who did the king of Babylon appoint to be in charge over the land of Judah? What was the oath he swore to the people?
  4. In Jeremiah 40 what did the commanders warn Gedaliah about? What was Gedaliah’s response toward what they had told him? What was the outcome of not trusting the warning (Proverbs 11:14)? Has there been a time when you have not heeded someone’s advice to you? How do you know when the advice is good or bad?
  5. In Jeremiah 42 what was the wise thing the commanders and all the people from the least to the greatest did? What did the people agree to do no matter what? Do you think Jeremiah believed them? (Jeremiah 42:20)
  6. What did the Holy Spirit highlight to you in Jeremiah 40—42 through the reading or the teaching?

Next: the Daily Word →

Daily Word

Laura Martin Jeremiah 42:21–22

“For I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God in everything He has sent me to tell you. Now therefore, know for certain that by the sword, famine, and plague you will die in the place where you desired to go to live for a while.”

The remnant that remained in Judah approached Jeremiah for a word from the Lord. The people promised they would certainly obey God’s word. After ten days Jeremiah delivered a message from the Lord instructing the people to remain in the land and not flee to Egypt. But once again they completely disregarded God’s directive and went with their own plan.

Perhaps you have sought the Lord for advice or insight but chose to keep your own plan. You say you included God in the planning, but when He tried to stop you or change direction, you didn’t obey. The Lord calls you to heed His word and promises He has plans for you—plans not to harm you but to prosper you. If you hear from the Lord, obediently do what He says. If you say you believe in the Lord with your mouth but don’t listen to Him with your ears, then you aren’t living out what you honestly believe. Follow the voice of the Lord. Otherwise, over time, your ears will grow dull and your life will lead to destruction.

“For I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God in everything He has sent me to tell you. Now therefore, know for certain that by the sword, famine, and plague you will die in the place where you desired to go to live for a while.”

— Jeremiah 42:21–22

FURTHER SCRIPTURE

  • Isaiah 42:20 — “Though seeing many things, you do not obey. Though his ears are open, he does not listen.”
  • Jeremiah 42:5–6 — “And they said to Jeremiah, ‘As for every word the Lord your God sends you to tell us, if we don’t act accordingly, may the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us. 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. We will certainly obey the voice of the Lord our God!’”
  • 2 Timothy 4:3–4 — “For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new. They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.”