By Eugene Garner

JEREMIAH - CHAPTER 42

JEREMIAH'S COUNSEL SOUGHT BY THE REMNANT

    For forty years no one has paid much attention to the counsel of Jeremiah, but it appears here that he had finally been recognized as a true, trustworthy and respected prophet of Jehovah. The condition of the refugees is such as almost forces them to consult him about their future movements. They are not actually seeking spiritual guidance; they want to know whether Jehovah will approve their migration to Egypt. They still have not learned to trust and wait on the Lord in every situation, (comp. Ex. 14:13; Phil. 4:19; Eph. 3:20; Prov. 3:5-6). Jeremiah did not fail them. He came to them with a definite word from Jehovah - a word of assurance, consolation and everlasting love.

    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, 2 And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:) 3 That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do. 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. 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. 6 Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.

    1. Recognizing the utter bankruptcy of their position among the nations, the diminished remnant of Judah (Deut. 28:62; Isa. 1:9; Lam. 1:1) unites to seek Jeremiah's prayer, counsel and intercession with Jehovah, (vs. 1-2; 37:3; comp. I Sam. 7:8; 12:19; Isa. 37:4; Jas. 5:16).
    2. They ask him to seek the Lord's specific guidance - that they may walk in His way, (vs. 3; 6:16; comp. Psa. 86:11).
    3. Jeremiah agrees to pray to the Lord in their behalf and to withhold nothing that the Lord gives in answer, (vs. 4; comp. Ex. 8:29; I Sam. 12:22-23; I Kings 22:14; Psa. 40:10).
    4. Then they solemnly pledged, before the Lord (comp. Judg. 11:10; Mal. 3:5; contr. Jer. 43:2), to obey the voice of the Lord - whether it seemed "good" or "evil" to them, (Ex. 24:7; Deut. 5:27; Josh. 24:24) - knowing that their welfare was in following the Lord with their whole hearts, (vs. 5-6; 7:23; Deut. 5:29-33).

    7 And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah. 8 Then called he Johanan 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, 9 And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him; 10 If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. 11 Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. 12 And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.

    1. After ten days Jeremiah called the remnant together to report the Lord's answer to the inquiry they had solemnly requested him to make in their behalf, (vs. 7-9).
      a. Jeremiah makes it clear that he is not merely stating his own opinion or preference.
      b. It was the voice of divine wisdom and authority that spoke to them: "Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, (vs. 9; comp. 2 Kings 19:4, 6, 20; 22:15-20).
    2. If the remnant people will dwell in their own land, the Lord will, indeed, be with them for good, (vs. 10).
      a. He will build them up instead of pulling them down, (comp. 24:6-7; 31:28; Ezek. 36:36).
      b. He will turn from the judgment that He had threatened, (comp. 18:7-8; Hos. 11:8-9; Joel 2:12-13; Jonah 3:10; 4:1-2).
    3. There is no need for them to fear the King of Babylon; Jehovah is with them and will deliver them out of his hand, (vs. 11; 1:8; 2 Chron. 32:7-8; Psa. 46:7; Rom. 8:31; comp. Jer. 41:17-18).
    4. Not only will the Lord be merciful toward them; He will also cause the King of Babylon to show mercy (comp. Neh. 1:11; Psa. 106:46; Prov. 16:7) - permitting them to dwell in their own land, (vs. 12).

    13 But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God, 14 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 will we dwell: 15 And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; 16 Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. 17 So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.

    1. If they refuse the work of the Lord - determined that their true welfare is under the protection of Egypt; they will have made a fatal mistake, (vs. 13-14).
    2. The choice is theirs! (Note the divine "if"); they do not HAVE TO GO to Egypt! and God warns them NOT to go!
    3. In like manner, various ways are still open before US; God points to the right way, while warning against our choosing the other - stating the consequences if we do; yet, He leaves the ultimate choice to us!

    18 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more. 19 The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day. 20 For ye dissembled in your hearts, 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. 21 And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you. 22 Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn.

    1. Jeremiah is aware that, though they have asked him to seek God's direction for them, his people have their minds set on fleeing to Egypt; like many self-willed people today, they simply want the Lord and his prophet to APPROVE THEIR PLANS!
    2. Thus, Jeremiah warns that God's anger and wrath will as surely fall upon them, for this disobedience of their unbelieving hearts, as it fell upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, (vs. 18a; 7.20; 33:4-5; 39:1-9; 2 Chron. 36:14-19).
    3. In Egypt they will be an execration, desolation, curse and reproach; nor will they be permitted to see their own land again, (vs. 18b; 29:18-19; comp. Deut. 29:19-21; Isa. 65:14-15; Jer. 22:10, 27).
    4. Jeremiah pleads with them not to disobey the voice of the Lord as their fathers have done, (vs. 19; comp. Isa. 30:1-7; Neh. 9:26, 29-30).
    5. He upbraids them for their hypocrisy in sending him to inquire of the Lord for them - solemnly swearing that they would receive and obey that word - though they had already determined that, in spite of the word of the Lord, they would not turn aside from placing their trust in Egypt, (vs. 20-21, 2, 5; comp. Deut. 11:26-28; Acts. 20:26-27).
    6. They must certainly understand, therefore, that the fruit of their rebellion will not be the peace, security and plenty that they suppose; rather, in Egypt, they will die by sword, famine and disease, (vs. 22; comp. vs. 17; 43:11; Hos. 9:6; I Sam. 15:22-23).