The People Disobeyed & Went to Egypt
January 13, 2023
Commentary
It is remarkable that after more than forty years of Jeremiah’s faithful ministry, the people dared to accuse him of lying. When Jeremiah delivered God’s message, they responded, “You speak falsely! The LORD our God has not sent you” (vv. 1–2). Instead of accepting responsibility for their disobedience, they blamed Baruch, Jeremiah’s assistant, claiming that he had influenced the prophet against them (v. 3). Rather than admitting our own wrong choices, we often look for someone else to blame. Refusing to listen to God’s word, the leaders and the people disobeyed and traveled to Egypt (vv. 4–7). The nation that God had delivered from Egypt centuries earlier is now willingly returned to the very land that once symbolized bondage and slavery.
While in Egypt, at Tahpanhes, the word of the Lord came again to Jeremiah (vv. 8–9). God’s word is never limited by location or circumstances. The Lord instructed Jeremiah to perform another object lesson. He was to take large stones and hide them in the brick pavement at the entrance of Phar-aoh’s palace. These stones would serve as a sign that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, would come to Egypt and set up his royal throne over that very place (vv. 9–10). The danger the people were trying to escape would eventually find them in Egypt.
God declared that Babylon would invade Egypt, bringing death, captivity, and destruction (vv. 11–12). The temples of Egypt would be burned, and their idols would not be able to save the people. Nebuchadnezzar would conquer the land thoroughly and then depart in safety (v. 13). The lesson is clear. Running from God’s will never bring true security. When people reject His word and trust their own plans instead, they often lead and find the very trouble they hoped to avoid.
Application
Am I truly listening to God’s Word or resisting it when it challenges my plans and desires? Do I blame others instead of taking responsibility for my choices and actions? Am I running from God’s direction, thinking my way is safer or easier? What fear is influencing my decisions? How can I trust and obey the Lord more fully today?
Jeremiah 43:1–13 (NET)
1 Jeremiah finished telling all the people all these things the Lord their God had sent him to tell them. 2 Then Azariah son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah, and other arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie! The Lord our God did not send you to tell us, ‘You must not go to Egypt and settle there.’ 3 But Baruch son of Neriah is stirring you up against us. He wants to hand us over to the Babylonians so that they will kill us or carry us off into exile in Babylon.” 4 So Johanan son of Kareah, all the army officers, and all the rest of the people did not obey the Lord’s command to stay in the land of Judah. 5 Instead Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led off all the Judean remnant who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered. 6 They also led off all the men, women, children, and royal princesses that Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, had left with Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan; this included the prophet Jeremiah and Baruch son of Neriah. 7 They went on to Egypt because they refused to obey the Lord, and came to Tahpanhes.
8 At Tahpanhes the Lord’s message came to Jeremiah: 9 “Take some large stones and bury them in the mortar of the clay pavement at the entrance of Pharaoh’s residence here in Tahpanhes. Do it while the people of Judah present there are watching. 10 Then tell them, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says, “I will bring my servant King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will set his throne over these stones that I have buried. He will pitch his royal tent over them. 11 He will come and attack Egypt. Those who are destined to die of disease will die of disease. Those who are destined to be carried off into exile will be carried off into exile. Those who are destined to die in war will die in war. 12 He will set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt. He will burn their gods or carry them off as captives. He will pick Egypt clean like a shepherd picks the lice from his clothing. He will leave there unharmed. 13 He will demolish the sacred pillars in the temple of the sun in Egypt and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.”’”
What Motivates Us to Obey?
The Lord takes us all to obedience school. Sometimes, he uses the Law to motivate. But He would much rather use the Gospel to get his people to obey. Both obedience philosophies get results. Basically we are talking about the difference between La … Continue