Scripture Daily

Context No. 3613 of 4322 · Jeremiah

Context · Reflection

Jeremiah 43:1-7: in context

1When Jeremiah had finished speaking to all the people all the words of the LORD their God, with which the LORD their God had sent him to them, even all these words, 2then Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely. The LORD our God has not sent you to say, ‘You shall not go into Egypt to live there;’ 3but 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.” 4So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, didn’t obey the LORD’s voice, to dwell in the land of Judah. 5But 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— 6the 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. 7They came into the land of Egypt, for they didn’t obey the LORD’s voice; and they came to Tahpanhes.

After Jeremiah faithfully delivers God's word, do not go to Egypt, but stay in the land and you will be safe, the proud leaders reject it outright, accusing him of lying and of being manipulated by his scribe Baruch. They had asked Jeremiah to seek God's guidance, promising to obey whatever God said, but when the answer did not match what they wanted, they called it false.

It is a picture of a common self-deception: seeking God's guidance while already determined to follow our own way, and then dismissing his word as untrue the moment it crosses our will. They wanted a divine stamp of approval on the decision they had already made, and when God said otherwise, they disobeyed and dragged even the prophet along with them to Egypt. There is a searching warning here about asking God's will while our minds are already made up. Genuinely seeking God means being ready to obey even when his answer is not the one we were hoping to hear.

When I seek God's guidance, am I genuinely ready to obey even if his answer crosses my own desires, or do I only want him to confirm what I have already decided?

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