I. 42:1-6: Jeremiah, who evidently was one of the captives freed by Johanan (41:16), was asked to intercede for the group, who were uncertain what they should do and where they should go. If they remained they may suffer reprisals from Babylon, while their flight would mean safety, though an admission of guilt. 1. Why the people turn to him now is not revealed. 2. The main part of the people s request sounds very similar to Zedekiah s initial inquiry of Jeremiah in 37:3. 3. They ask him to pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant (v. 2), just as Zedekiah had earlier asked him to pray to the LORD your God for us for all the remnant a. On the one hand, they indicate their understanding that Jeremiah "has the Lord's ear." b. On the other, they appeal for divine mercy. c. They have come to understand that the Lord is especially merciful toward remnant groups, toward a small number of people whose size will not obscure his working in the world through them and for them. d. Their open-ended request simply asks where we should go and what we should do. 4. The response of Jeremiah (v. 4) and the counter response of Johanan s people (vv. 5-6) accentuate the shame and disappointment associated with the fear and disobedience of the people s subsequent rejection of Jeremiah s words (43:1-3). a. Jeremiah says, I have heard you, highlighting the "hearing" motif we have noted. b. He has shown them the respect of listening to what they have to say, emphasizing that they need to "hear" (obey) what he will say. c. He then says he is going to pray to the Lord your God the Lord is not just Jeremiah s God, but theirs as well. 1
d. He promises to keep nothing back, implying they must be just as willing to hear whatever the Lord has to say. 5. The people understand this and immediately call on the Lord to serve as a witness against them if they fail to hear everything he has to say. a. They promise Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the Lord our God b. God is now their God as well as Jeremiah's c. Their words are hollow because in 43:4 [they] did not obey the voice of the LORD, to stay in the land of Judah.. B. 42:7-22: 10 days later Jeremiah brought God s reply. God willed they remain (cf. 29:1-14; 32:6-15) and he would bless. To flee meant suffering. 1. 7-12: At the end of 10 days seems like a long time to wait and was long enough for the Babylonians to hear about the recent assassination of Gedaliah. a. In words echoing his call Jeremiah says, If you will only remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up for I am sorry for the disaster that I have brought upon you. (10) Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, as you have been; do not be afraid of him, says the LORD, for I am with you, to save you and to rescue you from his hand.(11) b. In all likelihood the people had heard these words before c. Jeremiah's survival was based on God's fulfillment of this promise to him from chapter 1 d. This should be evidence to the people that God will do the same for them. e. For I am sorry for the disaster that I have brought upon you marks a definite shift in the Lord s feelings toward his people 2
2. 13-18: These stern words are issued in case the people did not heed the words of comfort just given. a. Egypt appeals to them as a place of peace and prosperity where we shall not see war, or hear the sound of the trumpet, or be hungry for bread b. However, moving to Egypt constitutes disobedience; they are not hearing the LORD. c. If they will not hear the voice of the LORD (disobey the Lord; v. 13), they will have to hear the word of the Lord which follows (v. 15). d. That word is the same that the rest of the nation has already heard they will die by the sword, famine and plague (cp. 15:2; 2 1:7,9; 24:10; 38:2). e. As the remnant of Judah who had avoided this word so far, they must realize that in Egypt they will escape no longer f. They will become an object of execration and horror, of cursing and ridicule [and]... see this place no more. C. 43:1-7: Apparently the tension in the camp during the 10 days allowed those who favored flight to gain the upper hand over those who wished to abide as God through Jeremiah had said. 1. Jeremiah was accused of being influenced by Baruch and his oracle was not considered from God. a. Some have suggested that 42:19-22 should come between verses 3 and 4 as Jeremiah s response to Azariah and his colleagues, since 42:19-22 may indicate the decision had already been made to go to Egypt. If so, it would read as: Jeremiah 43:3 But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians, so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon." Jeremiah 42:19 "O remnant of Judah, the LORD has told you, 'Do not go to Egypt.' Be sure of this: I 20 warn you today that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me 3
to the LORD your God and said, 'Pray to the LORD our God for 21 us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.' I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the LORD your God in all he 22 sent me to tell you. So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle." Jeremiah 43:4 So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people disobeyed the LORD's command to stay in the land of Judah b. Jeremiah reminded them of their earlier resolve and the danger of disobeying God. c. They decided to go to Egypt anyway, taking Jeremiah and Baruch with them. 2. The people s rejection is forcefully stated by Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan a. Their words sound desperate b. They accuse Jeremiah of lying ( speaking a lie ), a charge which Jeremiah has repeatedly and appropriately leveled against his opponents (cp. 7:4; 8:8; 14:14; 23:25-26). c. Like Zedekiah (37:19), these people, are not only willing to hear the words of lying prophets, but they are also willing to call Jeremiah a liar. d. They even accuse Jeremiah of being part of a conspiracy spearheaded by Baruch. 3. 4-7 reports the people s move to Egypt (vv. 4-7). a. Practically everyone is mentioned: Johanan, the army officers, the remnant of Judah, the king s daughters, even Jeremiah and Baruch b. All end up in the eastern delta town of Tahpanhes. c. The explains why they came to Egypt they did not obey the voice of the LORD, to stay in the land of Judah 4
d. Both Zedekiah and Johanan hade the same "hearing/obedience" probelem. (1) Both men ask Jeremiah to pray to the Lord for them (2) Both men are given the opportunity to be spared (3) Both men refuse to hear what they are told e. Since Johanan and his followers had a second change they should have learned from the downfall of Zedekiah and his people that hearing the Lord s message is crucial to their survival and success. 5