Faith to Stay Put (Jeremiah #25) - Bible Baptist Church

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Text: Jeremiah 40-44

A good man is assassinated by an angry prince. There seems to be no justice. How many ways can faith in God be attacked? In the next five chapters, there is a sifting of the remnant of people as the world chips away at the words of God making them look less and less believable. At the same time God is removing sin from among his people.

Jeremiah’s temptation of an easy life (40:1-6)

Jeremiah is freed and financed by Babylon. He’s given whatever he wants.
With all that Jeremiah has suffered at the hands of his own people you know the temptation to leave and just go live in Babylon where there is comfort, prosperity, and peace, this is a tremendous temptation to leave Judah.
But Jeremiah stays in Judah.

Gedaliah is made governor over Judah as another voice of God’s will (40:7-12)

Nebuchadnezzar was done with Judean royalty so he chose an unrelated public servant to govern Judah named Gedaliah. Gedaliah’s father was the man that defended Jeremiah against wicked Jewish rulers early in Jeremiah’s ministry (Jeremiah 26:24).
Gedaliah is the second pillar beside Jeremiah to bring God’s message to the remnant. The message is stay where you are, don’t go to Egypt, submit to Babylon, and wait on the LORD. Look at verses 9-10.
Gedeliah is apparently a trusted leader according to the remnant. They return when they hear that Gedeliah has been made governor.
The land begins to be fruitful again as a sign of God’s blessing.

God’s blessings may cause Gedaliah to be careless (40:13-16)

Johanan is a captain of some Israeli forces and brings a report to Gedaliah of an assassination attempt on his life.
But Gedaliah doesn’t believe it.
For some reason, Gedaliah underestimates the wickedness of Ishmael. Or overestimates the blessings of God. Since the land is starting to produce fruit, God is blessing, and there may be a sense that God wouldn’t allow wolves to come in a destroy the flock at this time.

The world silences the will of God (41:1-10)

Ishmael, who is related to Israeli royalty, is hired by Baalis the Ammonite king to assassinate Gedaliah. There was really no prospect of Ishmael becoming governor or leader in Judah as long as the Babylonians were in control, so his hatred is based on money and envy. This is the world at work.
Ishmael assassinates Gedeliah in Mizpeh on October 7, 586 B.C. Even today there is a day of fasting commemorating Gedeliah’s assassination. It occurs between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur called the Fast of Gedeliah.
He then kills 70 of the 80 men coming to Mizpah to see Gedaliah. The ten he saved promised Ishmael money.
Now the temptation to go to Egypt becomes stronger since God has not protected Gedaliah from assassination. (Though he was warned of the plot) He claimed to speak for God and now he’s been assassinated.
1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Johanan becomes the new voice of fear (41:11-18)

Johanan leads a group of men to retaliate and free those captured by Ishmael. He is successful in freeing the remnant captured.
But he brings a new fearful perspective that demands the Jews go to Egypt.
Johanan believes that the assassination of Gedeliah is going to infuriate Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon since Gedaliah was his personal choice. Johanan is afraid of the Babylonians pouring out their wrath on the remnant (41:18).

Johanan pretends to ask Jeremiah for prayer (42)

Johanan his followers ask Jeremiah to pray for direction on whether to go to Egypt or not. But they don’t really want guidance. They plan on going to Egypt anyway.
Dissemble means to pretend.
Jeremiah agrees and prays and gives the answer. If you go to Egypt to flee from Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar will hunt you down in Egypt.
Jeremiah says his fear is unfounded. In fact, Jeremiah explains that going to Egypt will look even worse to Nebuchadnezzar because he will think you’re part of the conspiracy. He’ll treat you just like he treated King Zedekiah when he tried to flee to Egypt.

Fear moves the remnant to leave (43)

Johanan and the people don’t believe God and go to Egypt anyway. They take the remnant such as Jeremiah and Baruch with them.
Johanan is overcome with the temptation to go Egypt with the remnant of people. Maybe in hopes that he’d return one day, but you can’t disobey God in order to get a chance to obey Him.
Jeremiah places large stones in Tahpanhes, Egypt saying Nebuchadnezzar will set his throne even here and destroy Egypt as well.
The problem that this remnant is not understanding is that their quarrel is with the LORD. Not with Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah understands it, but they don’t. So they believe they can get far enough away from Babylon that they’ll be left alone.
There they worship the queen of heaven in Jeremiah 44:17-19, 25, but Jeremiah reproves them.

Superstitions move the remnant away from faithfulness (44)

Jews in Egypt will be punished (vss 1-14)
- God has done this in the past.
- You didn’t learn from the past.
- God will do the same to you now.
There is this aspect of judgment that includes you accomplishing the evil that you’re trying to avoid. 44:7 describes people who abandon their identity in order to preserve their identity. It’s like being a drug addict carries with it the judgment that you’re addicted.
Jews tell Jeremiah they don’t believe him and they’ll continue to worship other gods (vss 15-19)
The LORD answers the idolatrous and proud men in Jeremiah 44:26-30.
The sign that the LORD is bringing this judgment is that Pharaoh will be given to Nebuchadnezzar just like King Zedekiah was.