(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)
“When Jeremiah had finished speaking to all the people all the words of Yahweh their God, with which Yahweh their God had sent him to them, even all these words, then Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely. Yahweh our God has not sent you to say, ‘You shall not go into Egypt to live there;’ but Baruch the son of Neriah has turned you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon.” So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, didn’t obey Yahweh’s voice, to dwell in the land of Judah. But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah, who had returned from all the nations where they had been driven, to live in the land of Judah— the men, the women, the children, the king’s daughters, and every person who Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan; and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah. They came into the land of Egypt, for they didn’t obey Yahweh’s voice; and they came to Tahpanhes.”
(Jeremiah 43:1-7)
“Let brotherly love continue. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you are also in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled; but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.” So that with good courage we say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Don’t be carried away by various and strange teachings, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.”
(Hebrews 13:1-9)
They assassinated the rightfully appointed governor. They ravaged a town. They lost a battle and had to give back everything they had taken. They were on the run. They feared what the king would do to them. So they made a plan. They would escape to Egypt. But was it the right move? They were pretty sure. It made sense. It seemed smart. They decided to consult God through Jeremiah. They inquired and promised to do whatever God said. God spoke to them. He told them not to go to Egypt, not to fear the king, to stay in the Land, obey God, and they would live. God also explained what would happen if they went to Egypt. They immediately called Jeremiah a liar, refused to do what God said, went to Egypt, and kidnapped Jeremiah, forcing him to go with them. They got carried away with their own ideas and only wanted God’s rubber stamp. They hadn’t asked Him anything, really. Their minds were already made up.
We are not to assassinate our leaders. Kill our rivals. We’re not to be selfish. We’re not to be lazy. We’re not to look for our pleasures in places that haven’t been designated for them. We’re to live godly lives, following the example Jesus laid out for us, and live by seeking what God says and obeying Him. Essentially, we’re not to get carried away with our own ideas. We’re not to get carried away with the ideas of the world. Depending on where you live and what you’re exposed to, the ideas of the world can be shockingly nonsensical. They can fly in the face of reason, common sense, biology, and provable science. There are so many of them in every area of our lives, that it is easy to pick them up and run with them. We’re not to do that. We’re to keep our eyes on the Lord and what He says. He’s the only objective point of view that exists. It just makes sense to hold to what He says. He MADE EVERYTHING! He knows what’s best.
Summary
When we pray we need to pay attention to our motivations. Are we REALLY asking the Lord for something, or are we asking Him to approve what WE want? What WE think is best? Are we inquiring or are we trying to twist His arm? Frequently, we aren’t asking. We’re asking for what we have decided is best. The problem is that we have a limited point of view. We cannot see the future. We cannot see all the different people involved. We can’t even see what’s in front of us half the time. We need to trust in the Lord. We need to ask about what He wants and then obey what we hear. Not to worry about whether or not we approve of it. Not be concerned about whether we think it’s the right move. We need to obey the Word. We need to obey the Lord. He won’t steer us wrong, no matter what the circumstances look like. He can be trusted. He should be trusted. He is God and He knows what is best for us. We should believe Him and obey.
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