Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

Jeremiah stood before all the people and prophesied to them. The Lord said to the people that they had seen all the calamity He had brought on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah. They were a desolation and no one was dwelling in them. Because of their wickedness and refusal to humble themselves (they stayed prideful) and obey Him, this had happened. Because they had burnt incense and worshipped other gods. He sent His prophets to warn them. He told them not to do the idolatry, which God hates. But they did not. They refused to turn away and listen to God. So His fury was poured out – He had no choice. God now had a question. Why were they leaving Judah against the will of the Lord and living in Egypt and STILL burning incense to idols? Had they forgotten what their fathers did? And the judgment that came on them? And their own wickedness and what had happened? They were STILL not humbled. They were STILL in pride. He was going to set His face against them. He would take the remnant that was in Egypt – but supposed to be in Judah – and strike it with sword and famine. They would die and be a lesson to the nations. They would be punished in Egypt just as they had been punished in Jerusalem. None of them who were determined not to submit and to stay in Egypt would live.

The men of Judah assembled there told Jeremiah “Concerning the word that you have spoken to us in the name of Yahweh, we are not going to listen to you!” (Jeremiah 44:16). Seriously. They were willingly refusing to obey what they had heard from the Lord. They declared they would keep their oaths to their idols to worship them, burn incense to them, and give them offerings. Their reasoning? When they were in idolatry they had plenty. They were successful. When they stopped, everything went wrong. The widows chimed in. When they were making cakes for the idols and burning incense with their husbands’ permission, they HAD husbands. They stopped and look what happened? War, pestilence, and famine. Now they were widows. They were going back to their idols.

Jeremiah tried to reason with them. He asked them why they couldn’t see that their prosperity and peace had been because of obedience to God? That when they turned to idols there had been a period of grace and mercy to let them turn around, to change their minds, and return to Him. Since they refused to do that, they got judged. God had told them it would happen, and it happened EXACTLY as Jeremiah had said. They had TOTALLY misinterpreted what had happened AND why it had happened.

The Lord got involved again. He spoke to Jeremiah and told the people that God had sworn by His great name that His name would no more be in the mouths of ANY man of Judah living in Egypt. They would have adversity and not good. He would see to it. BUT He also said that He would preserve a small number who would return to Judah and THERE they would be blessed. When that happened, they would know whose words would stand as true: God’s or theirs. Those in Egypt though? They would be punished. Egypt would be given over to Babylon exactly as Zedekiah had been.

Baruch was grieved. He was lamenting what was happening. The Lord spoke to Jeremiah and told Baruch that he might be wailing the current situation, but how did he think God felt? God was destroying what He had spent HUNDREDS of years building up. God was grieved and sorrowful. The Lord asked Baruch, why seek great things for yourself? Why complain about what’s happening to YOU? Don’t be selfish. BUT, in spite of his moment of selfish grief, Baruch would be preserved in every place he went. The Lord was still for him. So take heart, Baruch.

“The word that Yahweh spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon to attack the land of Egypt:” (Jeremiah 46:13)

In the fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, Pharaoh Necho of Egypt had been defeated by Babylon. It had been a total defeat. In the same way, Nebuchadnezzar was coming to strike the land of Egypt. The Pharaoh would be struck down. The daughters of Egypt would go into captivity. The land would be plundered by the Babylonians. Punishment would come on the nation and their gods.

But in spite of this, God would save the Judeans. A remnant would return to Judah and Israel. All the nations that had taken them captive would be defeated. A complete end would not be made of the Lord’s children. He would rightly correct them. They would not go unpunished for their wrongdoing. But they would be preserved, returned, and would succeed again as a nation.

Summary

Key Players: God, Jeremiah, the Judeans

Key Verse(s): Jeremiah 44:2-6, 15-20, 29-30; 45:4-5; 46:13-19, 25-28