JEREMIAH 42A
Prayer for direction for remnant verse 1- 3
THEN all the captains of the forces – and Johanan the son of Kareah
and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah
and all the people from the least even unto the greatest
came near
And said unto Jeremiah the prophet
Let – we beseech you our supplication be accepted before you
and pray for us unto the LORD your God
even for all this remnant
(for we are left but a few of many – as your eyes do behold us)
that the LORD your God may show us the way
wherein we may walk and the thing that we may do
Jeremiah prays for remnant verse 4
THEN Jeremiah the prophet said unto them
I have heard you
BEHOLD – I will PRAY unto the LORD your God
according to your words
And it shall come to pass
that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you
I will declare it unto you
I will keep nothing back from you
Johanan promises to obey LORD verse 5- 6
THEN they said to Jeremiah
The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us
if we do not even according to all things for the
which the LORD your God shall send you to us
Whether it be good – or whether it be evil
we will OBEY the voice of the LORD our God
to whom we send you
That it may be WELL with us
when we OBEY the voice of the LORD our God
Ten days later answer comes to prayer verse 7- 8
And it came to pass AFTER TEN DAYS
that the word of the LORDcame unto Jeremiah
THEN called he Jonanan the son of Kareah
and all the captains of the forces which were with him
and all the people from the least even to the greatest
Jeremiah gives LORD’S answer verse 9- 12
AND said unto them – Thus says the LORD – the God of Israel
unto whom you sent me to present your supplication before HIM
IF you will still abide in this land
THEN I willbuild you – and not pull you down
and I willplant you – and not pluck you up
for I repent ME of the evil that I have done unto you
BE not afraid of the king of Babylon – of whom you are afraid
BE not afraid of him – says the LORD
for I am with you to save you
and to deliver you from his hand
I will show mercies unto youthat he may have mercy upon you
and cause you to return to your own land
Disobedience has consequences verse 13- 18
BUT IF you say – We will not dwell in this land
neither OBEY the voice of the LORD your God
SAYING – NO – BUT we will go into the land of Egypt
where we shall see no war
nor hear the sound of the trumpet
nor have hunger of bread
and there we will dwell
AND NOW THEREFORE – hear theword of the LORD
you remnant of Judah
THUS says theLORD of hosts – the God of Israel
IF you wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt
and GO to sojourn there
THEN it shall come to pass – that the sword – which you feared
shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt
and the famine – whereof you were afraid
shall follow close after you – there in Egypt
and there ye shall DIE
SO shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt
to sojourn there – they shall DIE bysword – famine – pestilence
and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil
that I will bring upon them
FOR thus says the LORD of hosts – the God of Israel
As MINEanger and MYfury hath been poured forth upon
the inhabitants of Jerusalem
SO shall MY fury be poured forth upon you
when you shall enter into Egypt – and you shall be an
execration – astonishment – curse – reproach
and you shall see this place NO MORE
Jeremiah warned them for dishonesty verse 19- 22
THE LORD hath said concerning you – O you remnant of Judah
GO you not into Egypt know certainly that I have admonished
you this day
For you dissembled in your hearts
when you sent me unto the LORD your God – saying
PRAY for us unto the LORD our God
and according unto all that the LORD our God
shall say
SO declare unto us – and we will do it
AND NOW I have this day declared it to you
BUT you have NOT OBEYED the voice of the LORD your God
nor any thing for the which HE hath sent me unto you
NOW THEREFORE know certainly that you shall DIE by
sword – famine – pestilence in the place whither you desire
to go and to sojourn
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 That the LORD your God may showus the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do. (5046 “show” [nagad] means report, declare, expound, announce, or make known.
DEVOTION: Directions are always necessary if we are going to travel. Today we have GPS in our cars to help us find places that we need to go. Sometimes they take us the long way around. Sometimes if they are not updated we can get lost. Most of the time they will help us get from point A to point B, so that we arrive safely at our destination.
Here we find Johanan asking Jeremiah to pray to the LORD for directions concerning which way they should head. He wanted the LORD to tell him to go to Egypt. When the LORD told him to stay in the land he disagreed with Jeremiah. It wasn’t Jeremiah that told him what to do it was the LORD.
He went in his own direction and paid the consequences of disobeying the LORD. Jeremiah warned him what would happen and he didn’t care.
If we follow his example we will have the same consequences. We need to ask the LORD for direction. Sometimes it takes prayer and fasting to find out what the LORD wants us to do with our life.
We have many people who want to tell us what we should do with our life. We had a college professor tell my future wife what the LORD’S will was for her life. The LORD was telling her something different. She listened to the LORD.
We need to consult people we respect regarding our future. Others can see our gifts sometimes better than we can. Once we seek direction we need to take our steps of faith and go in that direction. The LORD only opens doors in front of us. If we go in a direction after seeking counsel and find the door closed it is time to pray again.
Paul tried to go in a direction and the LORD closed the door. He was trying to serve the LORD and the LORD opened and closed doors according to HIS will.
CHALLENGE: Prayer and fasting are necessary many times when major decisions are going to be made for the family and the church. Spiritual wisdom always comes from the LORD.)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 5 Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us. (5707 “witness” [‘ed] means testimony, evidence, or recorder.
DEVOTION: Here we find Johanan and his army promising Jeremiah that they will do what the LORD says for them to do. They make the statement that they want the LORD to be a true and faithful recorder of what they promised HIM. The LORD does keep a record of what we say to HIM. HE doesn’t want us to say we will do something and then not do it. They had asked Jeremiah to pray for direction. They wanted the LORD to lead them in the right way to go.
Jeremiah went to the LORD in prayer. The LORD answered after ten day. Some think that the LORD gave them time to confess their sin and agree to follow HIS counsel. He gives the answer to Johanan and the remnant regarding what the LORD wants them to do. HE wants them to say in the land of Judah. HE doesn’t want them to go to Egypt.
However, Johanan had already planned on going to Egypt. He just wanted the LORD to tell him that it was OK. The LORD didn’t. He was going anyway. Johanan was a hypocrite when he asked for the LORD’S counsel (see verse 20).
Jeremiah told them that if they went they would die by sword, famine and pestilence. They didn’t care.
Have we ever gone to the LORD with a request for direction but decided ahead of time what we were going to do? Have we ever just wanted God to give HIS stamp of approval for what we wanted to do? We prayed but only wanted one answer and that answer had to be our way. That is not really asking the LORD – it is telling the LORD.
Jesus prayed and asked the LORD’S direction and followed it. We need to follow HIS example. Not the example of Johanan. Remember where the LORD leads us HE protects us. That is HIS promise. HE keeps HIS word. HE never lies. HE is faithful and true in all HE does.
CHALLENGE: Some of the answers to prayer seem wrong but the LORD knows what HIS plan is for our life. Our spirit and HIS Spirit should agree with the Word of God.)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
:6 Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).
Devotional: Be careful what you ask for! The people of Israel had stated that they would listen to the prophet if he would pray for them. They wanted their desires to be blessed more than they wanted to know God’s plans for them. How many times have we gone before the Lord and asked Him to bless the plans that we have decided upon instead of waiting for His decisions? Johanan and Jezaniah had spoken and made a promise that they would obey whatever the Lord declared through Jeremiah, but that was before they heard the word of the Lord! (v.2-3) In verse 6 they had declared that they would follow the Lord’s voice no matter what.
The Lord speaks after ten days and it was clear to the people in verse 19-20 that they were not to go to Egypt. When promises are made to the Lord and then the Lord speaks differently than we anticipate there will be a conscious decision made. To either follow or reject and go your own way! How will we respond to difficult responses from the Lord?
Challenge: God sometimes speaks to us and challenges our walk by asking us to remain instead of going, to face obstacles instead of running. It seems opposite of what is reasonable and good but the Lord is clear in His direction. It is then we must decide, trust or thrust out on our own! The apostles remained in Jerusalem when the church scattered due to persecution, Paul steadfastly traveled to Jerusalem even though in each city prophecy spoke of hardship and imprisonment. Instead of living in fear the people of God walked by faith, instead of being rational they sought God and were blessed. Today if God is directing you to stay and face the difficulty rest in His unchanging power to protect and bring peace. (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
- Chastity (Purity in living)
- Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
- Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
- Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
People promise submission to LORD verse 2
- Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
- Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
- Frugality (wise use of resources)
- Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
- Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
- Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
- Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
- Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
- Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Johanan asked Jeremiah to pray for them verse 2
Jeremiah tells Johanan he will pray verse 4
LORD answers prayer (ten days later) verse 7- 9
Jeremiah confronts Johanan verse 20
- Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
- Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORD verse 7, 15
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 2- 7, 9, 11, 13,
15, 18- 21
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 2- 6, 9, 13, 15,
18, 20, 21
LORD your God verse 2- 5, 13, 20, 21
True and Faithful Witness verse 5
Voice verse 6, 21
Judgment of God (evil) verse 6, 10, 17
LORD our God verse 6, 20
God of Israel verse 9, 15, 18
End of judgment promised verse 10
LORD of hosts verse 15, 18
Anger of the LORD verse 18
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
King of Babylon verse 11
Egypt verse 14- 19
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Afraid verse 11, 16
Disobey voice of the LORD verse 13, 14, 21
Dissembled in hearts verse 20
Not listening to prophet of God verse 21
Going away from the LORD verse 22
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Proper walk verse 3
Proper actions verse 3
Obey the LORD verse 4
Good verse 6
Obedience verse 6
Fear not verse 11
Presence of the LORD verse 11
Deliverance verse 11
Mercy verse 12
Inheritance verse 12
Hear the Word of the LORD verse 15
Admonishment verse 19
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Johanan verse 1, 8
Jezaniah verse 1
Jeremiah (prophet) verse 2, 4, 5, 7
Remnant verse 2, 15
Israel verse 9, 15
Judah verse 15
Jerusalem verse 18
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
QUOTES
42:19–22Jeremiah warned the remnant of Judah not to go to Egypt. He admonished them that they had made a “fatal mistake”23 by asking him to seek God’s will for them when they had no intention of keeping their promise. It was a mistake that would cost them their lives. Those who seek God’s will and then refuse to do it risk God’s punishment (cf. Jas 1:23; 4:17).
Even as he spoke, Jeremiah could see by the faces of the people that they had no intention of obeying his counsel. Before they could reply, he told them that their disobedience would bring death by sword, famine, and plague in the very place they hoped to settle in order to escape the rigors of war, hunger, and disease. It is clear that they had learned nothing from the calamity of 587. They were the same disobedient people after Jerusalem’s fall as before. Unfortunately, Judah’s obstinacy was no exception; it continues to be all too characteristic of people today. (Huey, F. B. (1993). Jeremiah, Lamentations (Vol. 16, p. 361). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
18–22The survivors of the Fall of Jerusalem and Judah would suffer the same fate in Egypt that had overtaken them because of their disobedience (v.18). Egypt, instead of being a refuge, would be the place of their undoing, without a glimmer of hope of their returning to their native country. In an epilogue after the Lord’s reply, Jeremiah adds to the admonition in vv.13–18. The Lord’s message remains unchanged—stay in the land and do not settle in Egypt (v.19). He rebukes them for asking his will with no intention of following it. The warning is unmistakable; the doom is certain (v.20). Jeremiah shows the remnant their duplicity in asking for a message from God when they had no intention of following it. All the time they had intended doing their own will in the hope that God’s will would coincide with theirs (v.21). So they were victims of self-deception and self-delusion. How little did they realize that in Egypt the temptation for them to worship idols—the very sin that had led to the nation’s fall—would be even stronger than before! Jeremiah also reminds them it was not he that had instituted the inquiry; they themselves were responsible for provoking the Lord’s severe answer. The passage closes with the threefold judgment of sword, famine, and plague ringing in their ears (v.22). The issue was clear, the warning was faithfully transmitted; but the remnant were set on having their own way. (Feinberg, C. L. (1986). Jeremiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, p. 636). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
Jeremiah ended his address with an exposure of their hearts (vv. 19–22). He announced publicly that they had tried to deceive him when they promised to obey the Lord’s commands (42:5–6). They really didn’t want either his prayers or God’s plans, they wanted the Lord to approve what they had already decided to do. But this was a fatal decision on their part, for if they carried out their plans, they would die in Egypt.
This event is a warning to us not to be insincere as we seek the will of God. In my itinerant ministry, I’ve frequently met people who wanted my counsel, and when I asked them if they had talked with their own pastor, the answer was often “Well, no, but he really doesn’t know me or understand me.”
“But I’m a total stranger to you!” I’d reply.
“Yes, but you seem to understand things better.” Flattery!
My conviction is that these people have gone from one speaker to another, looking for somebody who will agree with what they already want to do. When they find him, they’ll let their pastor know that “a man of God” gave them wise counsel. It’s the Johanan syndrome all over again. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Decisive (pp. 157–158). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
That the captains and the people had in no sense deceived the Lord with their fair words is evident in what follows. He admonished them faithfully not to go into Egypt, and then makes bare their hearts: “For ye have used deceit against your souls,” the prophet declares, “when ye sent me unto the Lord your God, saying, Pray for us unto the Lord our God; and according unto all that the Lord our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it” (vers. 19, 20—margin). It was in vain to seek to deceive Him whose eyes as a flame of fire penetrate the inmost secrets of the being. They were not upright before Him. He knew it well, and yet condescended in grace to point out the path of blessing, and warn of the road to ruin. The word had been set before them. Already their downcast faces gave the answer. Jeremiah waits for no reply, but announces: “Now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God, nor anything for the which He hath sent me unto you. Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn” (vers. 21, 22). (Ironside, H. A. (1906). Notes on the prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah (p. 240). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
Ver. 20. For ye dissembled in your hearts, &c.] Did not honestly and faithfully declare their intentions; they said one thing with their mouths, and meant another in their minds; they pretended they would act according to the will of God, as it should be made known to them by him, when they were determined to take their own way. Some render it, ye have deceived me in your hearts; the prophet, so Kimchi; by that which was in their hearts, not declaring what was their real intention and design: or, ye have deceived your soulsa; you have deceived yourselves and one another; I have not deceived you, nor the Lord, but you have put a cheat upon your own souls: or, you have used deceit against your souls; to the hurt of them, to your present ruin and everlasting destruction: when ye sent me unto the Lord your God; the prophet did not go of himself, they desired him to go: saying, pray for us unto the Lord our God; to be directed in the way they should go; so that the prophet did nothing but what they desired him to do: and according to all that the Lord our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it; they pressed him to a faithful declaration of the will of God to them, and promised they would act according to it. Now he had done all this; he had been with God, prayed unto him as they requested, and had brought them his mind and will, and made a faithful relation of it, and yet they did not attend to it; so that the deceit was not in him, but in them, as follows:
Ver. 21. And now I have this day declared it unto you, &c.] The whole will of God, and had not kept back any thing from them: but ye have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God; or, ye will not obey; the prophet knew they would not obey the command of the Lord not to go into Egypt, either by his conversation with them during the ten days the answer of the Lord was deferred, by which he plainly saw they were determined to go into Egypt; or by their countenances and behaviour, while he was delivering the Lord’s message to them; by what he observed in them, he knew what was said was not agreeable to them, and that their mind was to go into Egypt: or he had this, as others think, by divine revelation; though without that he knew the cast of this people, and what a rebellious and disobedient people they were, and had been, never obeying the voice of the Lord: nor any thing for which he hath sent me unto you; not any one particular thing respecting this present affair; nor indeed any of his prophecies had they regarded, with which he had been sent to them before. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, p. 635). London: Mathews and Leigh.)