October 3, 2020: Day 42 – Jeremiah 42

So in the last chapter this Ishmael killed the king who had remained behind and placed there by Babylon.  Johanan had come and taken care of Ishmael and gathered up the remnant that was scattered around and they made plans to go to Egypt and flee there because they were afraid that Babylon would wipe them out because of the death and destruction that Ishmael had brought about.  But they waited to go until they were able to ask Jeremiah if he could confirm through God whether they should go or not.

This is where we find ourselves now.  They ask Jeremiah to pray to God and ask what they should do.  Jeremiah says he will pray to God but that whatever the message is they are to listen to it.  After 10 days God speaks to Jeremiah.  Jeremiah calls together all of the military leaders to tell them what God had told them.  He tells them to stay put.  Do not go to Egypt.  I know that you made plans to go to Egypt, but do not go to Egypt.  Stay here, the king of Babylon will not only leave you alone, but he will provide you with things that you need so that you can build houses and plant gardens.  Stay here in your home land and stay put and I will take care of you.

But if you follow through on your plans and head to Egypt, you will be excrement.  No, really, that is in there.  Look at vs.18, you will be an execration, which literally means an object of cursing.  So, maybe I made up excrement, but sure it sounds like it.  I had to look execration up.  Jeremiah is basically warning them to go back to the drawing board and rip up their plans of going to Egypt or else they will all die.  I’m not sure they are going to like that.  What happens when you hear a voice that you know is God’s voice but you completely disagree with it?  How do you handle it?  We’ll see that tomorrow.