This chapter is a continuation of the previous chapter, as Jeremiah finishes his warning to the people to remain in Judah instead of going to Egypt. Here’s the chapter in its entirety: “When Jeremiah had finished giving this message from the Lord their God to all the people, Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the other proud men said to Jeremiah, “You lie! The Lord our god hasn’t forbidden us to go to Egypt! Baruch son of Neriah has convinced you to say this, so we will stay here and be killed by the Babylonians or be carried off into exile.”
So Johana and all the army officers and all the people refused to obey the Lord’s command to stay in Judah. Johanan and his officers took with them all the people who had returned from the nearby countries to which they had fled. In the crowd were men, women, and children, the king’s daughters, and all those whom Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had left with Gedaliah. Also included were the prophet Jeremiah and Baruch. The people refused to obey the Lord and went to Egypt, going as far as the city of Tahpanhes. (How stupid can we be!)
Then at Tahpanhes, the Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “While the people of Judah are watching, bury large rocks between the pavement stones at the entrance of Pharaoh’s palace here in Tahpanhes. Then say to the people of Judah, ‘The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will surely bring my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, here to Egypt. I will set his throne on these stones that I have hidden. He will spread his royal canopy over them. And when he comes, he will destroy the land of Egypt. He will bring death to those destined for death; he will bring captivity to those destined for captivity; he will bring the sword against those destined for the sword. He will set fire to the temples of Egypt’s gods, burning all their idols and carrying away the people as captives. He will pick clean the land of Egypt as a shepherd picks fleas from his cloak. And he himself will leave unharmed. He will break down the sacred pillars standing in the temple of the sun in Egypt, and he will burn down the temples of Egypt’s gods’” (Jeremiah 43) (Wow! When will we learn to listen to God?)
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Please give us the discernment to hear your voice, and the wisdom to follow your instructions. Lord, we love you!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
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