Jeremiah 40:7-44:30

When God told Jeremiah “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (17:9), perhaps even Jeremiah did not understand the sinful depth to which man can fall.  Perhaps Jeremiah thought that with the fall of the city the difficult ministry was over.  Sadly, there was more weeping to come for this faithful servant of God.

·        40:7-41:18: The new government was established at Mizpah, a city 8 miles north of the now-ruined Jerusalem.  The governor, Gedaliah, was a peaceable man, able to work under the authority of God’s chosen servant.  But he was also naive, and was killed in an insurrection led by a member of the house of David.  This member of the royal family continued to resist God’s plan and saw Gedaliah as unacceptable.  He did not accept God’s judgment.

·        Ch. 42:  Those who remained now reverted to a previously failed plan, that of trusting in the Egyptians for protection.  They hypocritically asked Jeremiah for God’s direction at to what they should do (v5-6), yet never intended to follow that direction (v18-22).  God’s blessing would be on them as they submitted to the Babylonians.  This was the plan before the fall of Jerusalem as well.  But His people hardened their hearts toward this. 

·        Ch. 43-44:  Thus Jeremiah also was taken to Egypt.  How sad since he had been permitted by the Babylonians to go wherever he wanted to go.  But Jeremiah was not under Babylon but under God.  His continued ministry resulted in continued hardship.  And the ministry in Egypt was no easier.  He again reminded them of God’s words through His prophets (44:4) calling them from the things He hated.  Their fathers had not listened, and now, in Egypt, the remnant also did not listen.  Hear the belligerence of these desperately wicked hearts.  “We will not listen to you!  But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her” (44:16-17).  They claimed that in their idolatry their lives were better (44:18).  Jeremiah could not convince them otherwise.  In the end God would honor His great name and would “watch over them for adversity and not for good” (44:26-27).

Friends, family, listen!  You, we, were born with an incredibly deceitful and wicked heart.  You may have an “in your face” attitude toward God.  Or you may go your own way respectfully.  But either is pride and the end of pride is always a “fall”, eventually the fall into eternal judgment.  God, your Creator WILL honor His name regardless of what you do.  By grace He offers a solution, a means by which you can honor that Name by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  Jeremiah once asked Zedekiah, “Why will you die?”  May I ask the same question?  God offers eternal life!  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  Believe in His risen Son today!

Day 31, Read Jeremiah