DBG - August 25 - Jeremiah 41-45

In this chapter Gedaliah is assassinated and the remaining Jews flee.

vs. 1-3 – This story continues from the previous chapter.  Ishmael conspires against the Babylonian-appointed governor Gedaliah.  Ishmael assassinates Gedaliah and kills those Jews that like him that were cooperating with the Babylonians.

vs. 4-18 – Jews from the old Northern Kingdom arrive in mourning over the fall of Jerusalem.  Ishmael kills all but 10 who promise to reveal hidden caches of supplies.  Johanan (“gift or grace of God”) pursues Ishmael as he flees to Ammon.  The captives he took were rescued but Ishmael escaped.  Fearing reprisal from the Babylonians, Johanan prepares to take the remaining Jews and flee to Egypt.

In this chapter Jeremiah warns the survivors to stay in the Promised Land.

vs. 1-6 – The surviving people ask Jeremiah to intercede with God for them, and he agrees to tell them what the Lord says, for good or bad.

vs. 7-22 – God answers the people 10 days later.  If they would stay in the land, God would bless them.  If they fled to Egypt, they would face judgment there.  The people’s hearts were already made up on going to Egypt.

In this chapter Jeremiah is taken to Egypt.

vs. 1-7 – Jeremiah is again accused of betraying his people to the Babylonians.  The people refuse to heed God’s warning and flee to Egypt.  Jeremiah is forced to go with them.

vs. 8-13 – Jeremiah proclaims in Egypt that Nebuchadnezzar would invade and conquer Egypt.  This was fulfilled in 568 B.C. with the defeat of Pharaoh Amasis II.

In this chapter the fate of the Jews in Egypt is sealed.

vs. 1-10 – Judgment had come upon the Jews because of their idolatry.  Those that had escaped to Egypt failed to learn the lesson of from the fall of Jerusalem.  They continued to worship idols so God would judge them.

vs. 11-14 – God declares that the Jews that had fled to Egypt would not escape His judgment. 

vs. 15-19 – The Jews refuse to stop their idolatry.  They pledge themselves to continue worshiping the “queen of heaven” because they wrongly believed it was this false deity that had blessed their nation.  The exact deity is difficult to ascertain, but many ancient cultures worshipped some form of a moon goddess.  This could be a form of Ishtar or Ashtoreth.

vs. 20-28 – God’s Word would be proven true.  The Jews had sealed their fate by their own confession and their continuation in sin.  God does allow for a small remnant to return to Judah, but the majority of those that fled to Egypt would die there.

vs. 29-30 – God gives a sign that the doom of the Jews in Egypt was sure.  The current Pharaoh, known to history as Apries, would fall to his enemies.  This was fulfilled in 570 B.C. when he was killed and supplanted by Amasis II. 

In this chapter Baruch is reprimanded for his pride.

vs. 1-5 – Here we jump back to 605 B.C. with events that relate to Jeremiah 36.  Jeremiah sends a message to his scribe Baruch.  It appears that Baruch had thought his service to Jeremiah would somehow be rewarded richly.  He was wrong.  God would bless him by allowing him to live.

I believe that there are two ways to learn something: from your personal experience or by observing the experience of others.  When I was growing up, I could either test the boundaries my parents set or I could observe my sister do the same.  I could learn lessons without fear of being disciplined for it if I simply learned from watching my sister.  The Jews in Egypt watched their nation be judged for its idolatry but failed to learn by observation.  No, they had to learn the lesson firsthand.  How much better would their fate be, and ours also, if we would simply take God at His word or at least learn from others’ mistakes.

Our hymn today is “Treasure in Heaven”, written by Philip Doddridge.  There are practically no hymns based on today’s reading, so I have chosen this one to reflect the attitude change Baruch needed in Jeremiah 45.  We do not serve God for earthly riches, but we are promised unimaginable glories in Heaven.

Yes, there are Joys that cannot die,
With GOD laid up in Store;
Treasure, beyond the changing Sky,
Brighter than Golden Ore.

The Seeds which Piety and Love
Have scatter'd here below,
In the fair, fertile Fields above,
To ample Harvests grow.

The Mite, my willing Hands can give,
At JESUS' Feet I lay;
Grace shall the humble Gift receive,
And Grace at large repay.