“Do Not Go to Egypt” [Matt's Messages]

“Do Not Go to Egypt”

Uprooted - The Words of Jeremiah

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

February 26, 2023 :: Jeremiah 42:1-44:30

We have now reached the bleakest part of the Book of Jeremiah which could be called “The Book of Failures” (chapters 34-44).

We have read about the failures of Jehoiakim who tore up and burnt the holy Scriptures!

We have read about the failures of Zedekiah who spun around in cowardly indecision leaving Jeremiah to be beaten and sunk into the mud of a dirty cistern.

We have read about the failures of the people of Judah to keep the covenant they had made with Yahweh. Failure after failure after failure, and those failures finally resulted in the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. 

I think that the only really good part of reading about their failures is that we can learn from them so that we don’t have to fail in the same way ourselves (Romans 15:4).

And that’s what I want us to do today as we dig into the last 3 chapters of the Book of Failures, starting in chapter 42.

Okay, so in chapter 42, the LORD tells this group of Israelites through Jeremiah, “Do Not Go to Egypt.” What do you think they do in chapter 43?

Yep. It’s not called the Book of Failures for nothing. But we can learn from them.

Do you remember where we are in the story? We covered a lot of ground last week. We are in the chaos that came after the fall of Jerusalem in 586BC. In chapter 39, we read about the walls of Jerusalem being breached and the city being burnt. Just like Jeremiah said it would. King Nebuchadnezzar took over just like Jeremiah said he would. He blinded Zedekiah and drug him off to Babylon, just like Jeremiah said he would.

King Nebuchadnezzar installed a man named Gedaliah to be the leader of the people of Judah and took Jeremiah out of captivity put him in Gedaliah’s care. Gedaliah offered for the Jews left over in the land to settle down and submit to Nebuchadnezzar and be blessed. But one of his leaders assassinated him while they were eating together. Ishmael. And Ishmael massacred many more people and led a rebellion against Babylon.

Does this sound familiar? We covered a lot of ground last week.

Another one of Gedaliah’s leaders chased down and fought Ishmael. His name was Johanan son of Kareah. And he won the fight even though Ishmael himself escaped. But Johanan rescued the  hostages, one of whom was probably Jeremiah himself. And they hightailed it south to “Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem” (41:17).  That’s where they were at the end of chapter 41. They were scared that Babylon was going to blame and punish them for Ishmael’s rebellion. They are scared of Nebuchadnezzar’s retribution.

And they are trying to come up with a plan for what to do next. What’s next?

Their idea is go to Egypt. That’s often been a tempting idea for Israelites when they feel pressure from other nations. They get the idea that it would be smart to head down to Egypt. Why?

Egypt represents power and stability. Yes, Egypt lost to Nebuchadnezzar in the battle of Carchemish in 605BC, but Nebuchadnezzar hasn’t actually come down and taken over Egypt. They seem safe from that at this point. A few years back, Egypt attacked Babylon’s armies, and it drew Nebuchadnezzar’s men off of siege of Jerusalem. Remember that? Egypt always seemed strong and powerful and maybe safer than all the other alternatives.

So Johanan seems to be in charge right now since Gedaliah is dead, and he and his buddies are thinking about taking this big group of Israelites out of the now-occupied territory of Judah into the land of Egypt.

But first they had a great idea–best idea they have had so far. They decide to ask old man Jeremiah if they should. Look with me at chapter 42, verse 1.

“Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, ‘Please hear our petition and pray to the LORD your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. Pray that the LORD your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.’” (vv.1-3).

That’s really good! Though I have a feeling, what they’re really saying is, “Please ask the LORD to bless our plans to go to Egypt.” But that’s not what they say. They say, “Tell us where we should go and what we should do.” And Jeremiah says, “Okay. I will.” Verse 4.

“‘I have heard you,’ replied Jeremiah the prophet. ‘I will certainly pray to the LORD your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the LORD says and will keep nothing back from you.’ 

Then they said to Jeremiah, ‘May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God’” (vv4-6).

I wish we could stop right there. It sounds really good. What they say is really good! And it would be good for you and I to say the same things. “Where you lead me, Lord, I will follow.”  “We will obey the LORD our God.” And they get a good word back. Ten days later. Verse 7.

“Ten days later the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah. So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest. He said to them, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition, says:

'If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I am grieved over the disaster I have inflicted on you. Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the LORD, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.'” (vv.7-12).

Doesn’t that sound good?!  The LORD tells these people to stay put. To stay in the land of Judah. And He gives them big promises if they do. Did they sound familiar? “I will build you up band not tear you down.” That’s from chapter 1, isn’t it?  “I will plant you and not [what?] uproot you.” That’s the title of this whole series! We’ve seen that language again and again throughout the book.

 

He says that He is “grieved” or He relents from the disaster He has inflicted on them. It has hurt Him, so-to-speak, to destroy His beloved Jerusalem, and if they will obey Him now, He won’t have to keep the judgment coming. 

He’s not saying that He made a mistake, but He’s pleading with them that they not make the same mistake they have before so they can have a different outcome. If they stay in Judah, they will be blessed. Just like the ones now in Babylon. They should settle down and pray for the shalom of Babylon. So the LORD will give these surviving Israelites shalom in Judah.

They have nothing to fear. Not even from Nebuchadnezzar. He says it three times in one verse! “Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the LORD, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands.” That’s also language repeated from chapter 1. It all ties together.

This is God’s heart for God’s people! These are wonderful promises akin to the promises of Jeremiah 29:11. "‘For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" (Jer. 29:11 NIVO). 

“I will show you compassion so that Nebuchadnezzar will have compassion on you and restore you to your land” (v.12). This is God’s heart for God’s people!

But there is a flipside to God’s promises, and that is God’s threats. V.13

“‘However, if you say, 'We will not stay in this land,' and so disobey the LORD your God, and if you say, 'No, we will go and live in Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the trumpet or be hungry for bread,' then hear the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die. Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague; not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.' 

This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'As my anger and wrath have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem, so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. [He knows what they’re going to choose!] You will be an object of cursing and horror, of condemnation and reproach; you will never see this place again.'

‘O remnant of Judah, the LORD has told you, 'Do not go to Egypt.' Be sure of this: I warn you today that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the LORD your God and said, 'Pray to the LORD our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.' I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the LORD your God in all he sent me to tell you. So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle’” (vv.13-22).

The LORD warns them, through Jeremiah, that if they go to Egypt like they are tempted to, everything they are scared of happening to them in Judah will actually happen to them in Egypt.

God is saying, “Do not go to Egypt!” That way lies death.

If you obey and stay, you will be blessed.

If you disobey and go to Egypt, you will be in danger.

It’s that simple. Thanks for asking.

And so, having listened to Jeremiah for the last 40 years and seeing that everything he prophesied came true just like he said, including both God’s good promises and His awful threats, these Israelites believed Jeremiah and settled down right where they were in Judah and were blessed.

I wish. 

You can tell that Jeremiah knew what they were going to do before they did it anyway. He’s should be used to it by now. They do not listen. They decide to go to Egypt. Even worse, they call Jeremiah a liar. Chapter 43.

“When Jeremiah finished telling the people all the words of the LORD their God-- everything the LORD had sent him to tell them–Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, ‘You are lying! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'You must not go to Egypt to settle there.' But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians, so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon” (vv.1-4).

That’s a conspiracy theory if I ever heard one! Mr. Blessing? Jeremiah’s administrative assistant, Baruch, is pulling the strings behind the scenes and getting Jeremiah to say these things so that they all end up in the hands of the Babylonians? I don’t think so. I think they just plain old don’t want to do what Jeremiah says. They know better.

I have just two points of application for this message today. And they are both what we can learn from these folks’ failures.

#1. THEY IGNORED GOD’S PROMISES AND BROKE THEIRS.

They ignored God’s promises and broke their promises. God told them both how good it would be if they stayed in Judah and how hard it would be if went to Egypt. And they just plain or ignored Him.  They put their fingers in their ears. Jeremiah had seen it all before. Here they go again. Ask him what to do, then do the exact opposite.

I, of course, have never done this before, and neither have you, right? It’s much easier to ask God to bless our plans than it is to submit to His. But that’s where the true blessing lies.

They ignored God’s promises. In fact, they accused Jeremiah of being a false prophet!  I think that might be the worst thing he was ever called. He might have been depressing prophet. Or a discouraging prophet. But he was not a false one. He was faithful one. Jeremiah faithfully shared God’s promises (and His threats!), and these people disregarded both. And they willfully went their own way. 

God said, “Do not go to Egypt.” So they went to Egypt. Look at verse 4.

“So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people disobeyed the LORD's command to stay in the land of Judah. Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered [returned refugees! Leaving once again]. They also led away all the men, women and children and the king's daughters whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah. [Probably against their will.] So they entered Egypt in disobedience to the LORD and went as far as Tahpanhes.”

You know what they forgot?

They forgot how bad it was in Egypt.

They forgot their slavery in Egypt.

They forgot their bondage in Egypt.

They forgot that the LORD had rescued them from Egypt.

This big story started in Exodus and here at the end of the story in Jeremiah, they have gone full circle back to Egypt.

That’s what sin is, isn’t it? Believing the tempting lie of what sin promises and ignoring the greater promise of God? Egypt promises all kinds of things: power, prosperity, pleasure, security. But the LORD says, “Do not go to Egypt. Trust Me. Don’t go there. It’s the land of slavery and death.”

It’s not Egypt itself that was the problem. It was choosing Egypt over God. Jeremiah and Baruch were not sinning because they went captive to Egypt. Neither was Joseph. Neither was Jacob went Joseph brought him there in God’s will. And, of course, it wasn’t wrong for baby Jesus and His family to be refugees in Egypt for a time to escape from Herod.

But these folks were specifically told to stay home in Judah, and they ignored God’s promises and broke their own. They had said, “We will obey the LORD our God!” and it didn’t last 11 days.

Let’s learn from their failure. Let’s listen to God’s promises and keep ours.

Because the LORD is sure to keep His! Look at verse 8.

“In Tahpanhes the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: ‘While the Jews are watching, take some large stones with you and bury them in clay in the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh's palace in Tahpanhes. Then say to them, 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will set his throne over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy above them. He will come and attack Egypt, bringing death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity, and the sword to those destined for the sword. He will set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive. As a shepherd wraps his garment around him, so will he wrap Egypt around himself and depart from there unscathed. There in the temple of the sun in Egypt he will demolish the sacred pillars and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt'” (vv.8-13).

I love it that Jeremiah gets to do another weird prophetic object lesson, even in captivity in Egypt!

He’s supposed to bury these big stones near the Pharaoh’s palace in Tahpanhes. I have no idea how he pulls that off! I’m sure the Pharaoh wouldn’t be good with this. Especially if he found out what they symbolized.

Here’s what they symbolize: Egypt is not safe.

God will send Nebuchadnezzar even there, and he’ll set up his throne right over those stones. And Nebuchadnezzar did attack Egypt in 582 and 568 BC and got out of it unscathed. God always keeps His promises...and His threats. Let’s not forget. Egypt is not safe, and neither are their gods.

The Egyptians loved their many gods, and the Israelites were always tempted by them. But Jeremiah says that all idols are like “scarecrows in a melon patch,” ineffectual and lifeless and losers. But these Israelites have still not yet learned that lesson which is the point of chapter 44. Look with me at verse 1.

“This word came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Lower Egypt–in Migdol, Tahpanhes and Memphis–and in Upper Egypt: ‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah. Today they lie deserted and in ruins because of the evil they have done. They provoked me to anger by burning incense and by worshiping other gods that neither they nor you nor your fathers ever knew. Again and again I sent my servants the prophets, who said, 'Do not do this detestable thing that I hate!' But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods. Therefore, my fierce anger was poured out; it raged against the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem and made them the desolate ruins they are today” (vv.1-6).

Does this sound familiar? It sure does. Even though Jeremiah is now a captive refugee in Egypt, he is still a broken record about the broken covenant.

It seems that some time has passed between chapter 43 and chapter 44. The surviving Israelites have settled in several different places in Egypt, even though they shouldn’t have. And now the LORD is sending them a message about their continued idolatry. And the message started with a lesson from history. “You saw the great disaster I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah.”

“You remember why all that happened, right? Well, now you’ve gone down to Egypt, and nothing has changed. If anything, you guys down in Egypt have dug in deeper into worshiping idols. Why are you doing that?!!!"

Look at how he interrogates them in verse 7:

“‘Now this is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Why bring such great disaster on yourselves by cutting off from Judah the men and women, the children and infants, and so leave yourselves without a remnant? Why provoke me to anger with what your hands have made, burning incense to other gods in Egypt, where you have come to live? You will destroy yourselves and make yourselves an object of cursing and reproach among all the nations on earth. Have you forgotten the wickedness committed by your fathers and by the kings and queens of Judah and the wickedness committed by you and your wives in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem? To this day they have not humbled themselves or shown reverence, nor have they followed my law and the decrees I set before you and your fathers.

‘Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disaster on you and to destroy all Judah. I will take away the remnant of Judah who were determined to go to Egypt to settle there. They will all perish in Egypt; they will fall by the sword or die from famine. From the least to the greatest, they will die by sword or famine. They will become an object of cursing and horror, of condemnation and reproach. I will punish those who live in Egypt with the sword, famine and plague, as I punished Jerusalem. None of the remnant of Judah who have gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the land of Judah, to which they long to return and live; none will return except a few fugitives’” (vv.7-14).

No one has learned anything! You might think that having watched Jerusalem fall and barely escaped with your families’ lives, you might consider your ways. But these folks clearly have not.

Here’s how I want to say point number two. Here’s how they failed in chapter 44:

#2. THEY IGNORED GOD’S STORY AND TOLD THEMSELVES THE WRONG ONES.

These Israelites in Egypt ignored God’s story and told themselves the wrong stories in its place.

The history lesson is God’s story. He’s been telling them the story that they are living in year after year after year. He’s been sending those prophets telling His story. And He’s been telling them what’s up through Jeremiah for more than 40 years now!

And they have disregarded His story, and told themselves ones they like better. Stories about idols and how great they are. Look at verse 15.

“Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods [these are Jews!], along with all the women who were present–a large assembly–and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt, said to Jeremiah, ‘We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD!

We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our fathers, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm.

But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.’ The women added, ‘When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes like her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?’”

Can you believe this?! You have to give them credit for their honesty. These folks aren’t saying one thing and doing another. These folks are saying, “We are going to worship our idols, and that’s it. That’s the end of the story.” Blatant, defiant, idolatrous. 

I almost wish I had titled this message from verse 17, “We will certainly do everything we said we would.” because last week’s message was about how the LORD “has done just as He said He would.”

But this is terrible, what they say they are going to do. They are going to worship the same goddess that Jeremiah was preaching against in his famous temple sermon back in chapter 7. The Queen of Heaven which was probably Ishtar of Babylon, also known as Anet or Ashtoreth or Astarte. Probably the planet Venus being worshiped as the goddess of war, of love, and of fertility.

Remember those “Queenie Cakes” that the whole family could make together for family worship time? These people promise to worship her to Jeremiah’s face.

And look at the story they tell themselves about what it’s like to worship her. Look again at verse 17.

“At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm.”

In other words, worshiping idols really works. We’re not giving that up. It’s our ticket to prosperity and joy. In fact, when Josiah made us stop doing it, that’s when things fell apart. 

Do you see how they bought into a false narrative about how the world works? That’s what sin is, isn’t it? Satan feeds us a lie about how the world works, and we bite right into it. We tell ourselves all kinds of stories about how our idols will make us happy, don’t we? If I dedicate my life to this, then I will be satisfied.

An idol is anything that takes the place that God deserves in our lives. It could be anything. Most of the time, it’s not as blatant as the Queen of Heaven.

It’s often Money.

It could be Sex.

It could be Family.

It could be Sports.

It could be Entertainment.

It could be Work.

It could be a particular Relationship.

Often it’s a good thing that has morphed into be a god-thing in our lives.

And we tell ourselves that it’s not big deal. In fact, we tell ourselves that our idol isa a good thing that actually makes our lives work.

What wrong stories have you been telling yourself recently?

I often use my gluttony as illustration of this. I tell myself that a big second helping will be just the thing to make me happy. It’ll give me more strength. I deserve it. It will go to waste if I don’t put it inside of me.  Last time I ate a second plateful, I was so happy afterwards. My life was just a dream.

Is that true? No, of course, not. But I have spun that story to myself to motivate myself to feed my idolatry–quite literally. 

What wrong stories have you been telling yourself recently?

These folks told themselves that worshiping the Queen of Heaven was better than worshiping the Lord of Heaven and Him alone. And they should have known better.

So one more time Jeremiah speaks to the people of Israel, right now living in Jerusalem. These are actually the last recorded words of Jeremiah in history. The things we’re going to read in the next few chapters were written earlier.

And what Jeremiah had to say was the same kind thing that he’s been saying for the last four decades. Verse 20.

“Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him,  ‘Did not the LORD remember and think about the incense burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem by you and your fathers, your kings and your officials and the people of the land? [Here’s the real story!] When the LORD could no longer endure your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became an object of cursing and a desolate waste without inhabitants, as it is today. Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the LORD and have not obeyed him or followed his law or his decrees or his stipulations, this disaster has come upon you, as you now see.’

Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including the women, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah in Egypt. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives have shown by your actions what you promised when you said, 'We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.' ‘Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows! 

[Oh, sure, now you keep your promises!]

But hear the word of the LORD, all Jews living in Egypt: 'I swear by my great name,' says the LORD, 'that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke my name or swear, ‘As surely as the Sovereign LORD lives.’ For I am watching over them for harm, not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish by sword and famine until they are all destroyed. Those who escape the sword and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few. Then the whole remnant of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand–mine or theirs.

'This will be the sign to you that I will punish you in this place,' declares the LORD, 'so that you will know that my threats of harm against you will surely stand.' This is what the LORD says: 'I am going to hand Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt over to his enemies who seek his life, just as I handed Zedekiah king of Judah over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who was seeking his life'” (vv.20-30).

The LORD is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And if Judah continues to act like Judah even in Egypt, then the LORD will treat them like He did when they were in Jerusalem. And the fate of Pharaoh will show that Yahweh means business.

These stories, by themselves, are not very encouraging. The chaos of the immediate aftermath of the Fall of Jerusalem and is not very heart-warming.

You may have hoped to hear something more inspiring this morning at church. But this is the Word of the LORD to us. We see their failures and are reminded of ours. We have, at times, ignored God’s promises and broken our own. We have, at times, ignored God’s story and told ourselves false ones. We have gone to Egypt and worshiped others gods before Yahweh.

Until we see our sin, we can’t really comprehend our salvation. Here’s God’s Story: God sent His Son for people who did all of that. I don’t know about you, but I would have given up on these people, not promised them a hope and a future! I wouldn’t have sent my Son to take their place.

But God did. God so loved His enemies that while we were still sinners, Jesus Christ  died for us so that all who believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Have put your faith and trust in Him? If not, I invite you to do so right now.

These sad stories may not have been what you wanted to hear this morning at church. But this is the Word of the LORD to us this morning. And we can learn from their failures.

It’s much easier to just ask the Lord to bless our plans than to submit to His, but that is true way of blessing. Let us believe God’s promises (and His threats) and keep our promises to obey Him. And let us believe God’s story (including the hard parts) and continue to tell ourselves the true story. And root out and topple every idol that threatens to take His place. And then be blessed.

I think that verse 27 of chapter 44 is the scariest verse of here. The LORD says that He is “watching over them for harm, not for good.” That’s the same word as He used in chapter 1 to say that He’s watching over His word to see that it is fulfilled.

And it’s the exact opposite of chapter 29:11. As long as they persisted in rebelling against Him, He is watching over them for harm, not for good. But when we repent and put our faith in the Lord, He promises us the opposite of harm. He promises us shalom.

 "‘For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'" (Jer. 29:11 NIVO). 

***

Previous Messages in This Series:

01. "The Word of the LORD Came to Me" - Jeremiah 1:1-19
02. "I Bring Charges Against You" - Jeremiah 2:1-3:5
03. "Return to Me" - Jeremiah 3:6-4:4
04. “Oh My Anguish, My Anguish!” - Jeremiah 4:6-5:31
05. "Ask for the Ancient Paths" - Jeremiah 6:1-30
06. “This Is the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD!” - Jeremiah 7:1-8:3
07. "Is There No Balm in Gilead?" - Jeremiah 8:4-9:22
08. "Boast About This" - Jeremiah 9:23-24
09. "Like a Scarecrow in a Melon Patch" - Jeremiah 9:25-10:25
10. "Conspiracy" - Jeremiah 11:1-12:17
11. “My People For My Renown” - Jeremiah 13:1-27
12. "I Can No Longer Show Compassion" - Jeremiah 14:1-15:21
13. "I Have Withdrawn My Blessing, My Love and My Pity" - Jeremiah 16:1-21
14. "I the LORD Search the Heart" - Jeremiah 17:1-27
15. "Go Down to the Potter's House" - Jeremiah 18:1-19:15
16. “Insult and Reproach All Day Long” - Jeremiah 20:1-18
17. "Woe to the Shepherds" - Jeremiah 21:1-23:8
18. "I Did Not Send These Prophets" - Jeremiah 23:9-40
19. "“My Eyes Will Watch Over Them For Their Good” - Jeremiah 24:1-25:38
20. "This Man Should Be Sentenced to Death" - Jeremiah 26:1-24
21. “Under the Yoke” - Jeremiah 27:1-28:17
22. “I Know the Plans I Have for You” - Jeremiah 29:1-32
23. "I Will Surely Save You Out of a Distant Land" - Jeremiah 30:1-24
24. “I Have Loved You With An Everlasting Love” - Jeremiah 31:1-26
25. "A New Covenant" - Jeremiah 31:27-40
26. "Buy the Field" - Jeremiah 32:1-44
27. "Great and Unsearchable Things" - Jeremiah 33:1-26
28. "Go To the Recabite Family" - Jeremiah 34:1-35:19
29. "The Scroll" - Jeremiah 36:1-32
30. "Sunk In the Mud" - Jeremiah 37:1-38:28
31. "He Has Done Just As He Said He Would" - Jeremiah 39:1-41:18

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“He Has Done Just As He Said He Would” [Matt's Messages]

“He Has Done Just As He Said He Would”

Uprooted - The Words of Jeremiah

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

February 19, 2023 :: Jeremiah 39:1-41:18

The happy words of Jeremiah 29:11 come from what we called “The Book of Comfort” or “The Book of Hope." And they are true, and what they have to say will come true. The LORD does knows the plans He has for His people. They are plans of ultimate shalom, not of ultimate harm. They are plans for a hope-filled future.

But they are plans for down the road. First, there must be exile. First, there must be justice. First, there must be consequences for the disobedience and sins of God’s people. First, there must be judgment.

Ever since chapter 34, we have not been in the Book of Hope, but in the “Book of Failure.”  We have seen the failures of Jehoiakim who tore up and burnt the holy Scriptures! We have seen the failures of Zedekiah who spun around in cowardly indecision. We have seen the failures of the people of Judah to keep the covenant they had made with Yahweh. Failure, failure, failure. They had only one job, but they refused to do it.

And for forty years, the Prophet Jeremiah has been a broken record about that broken covenant and the broken and burnt city that will come from it. And now, that judgment has arrived.

Our passage for today begins with the words, “This is how Jerusalem was taken...”

The title of this message is “He Has Done Just As He Said He Would.” And the subject of that sentence is the LORD. The LORD has done just as He said He would do.

And that should not be a surprise. We know from the rest of the Bible that God always keeps His promises. He is faithful that way; praise His name!

But it might be a surprise to find out who says those words in today’s chapters. It might be a very unlikely person to you and me.

And it might not be very surprising that the LORD has done just as He said He would, but it is still pretty scary! Because of what He said He would do. He said that He would burn down His own beloved city. Or, a least, see that it was burnt down and see that all of its citizens are carried off into captivity.

We’ve reached one of the lowest points in the whole story of the Old Testament, the sack of Jerusalem and what came next.

What I want to do today is to read through three chapters of God’s Word. The next six chapters basically tell the story in historical order of how Jerusalem fell and the chaos that followed. We’ll take three chapters today (39, 40, and 41), and, Lord-willing, we’ll take the next three chapters together next Sunday (42, 43, and 44).

And while I want us to go slowly enough to explain features of the story, I’m going to save most of the application for four brief summary points at the end.

So as I read, be thinking to yourself, “How does this apply to my life today?” “If the LORD has done just as He said He would, and He’s the same God today as He was then, then what difference does this story make for my life this week?”

Do you remember back in chapter 1 when the LORD asked the young prophet Jeremiah what He saw, and the young prophet Jeremiah said, “I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north...” (1:13). Do you remember that? His vision?

A great big pot bubbling with cooking oil in it. And it’s threatening to tip over from the north and pour down onto the land of Judah. Do you remember that?

And do you remember what the LORD said next, what that meant? He said, “‘From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,’ declares the LORD. ‘Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding walls and against all the towns of Judah. I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made’ (Jer. 1:13-16 NIVO).

Do you remember that? That day is now here.

It’s been forty years, but it has now arrived. The boiling pot is going to be poured out. Let’s look at Jeremiah chapter 39, verse 1.

“This is how Jerusalem was taken: In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah's eleventh year, the city wall was broken through.

Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon” (vv.1-3).

The boiling pot has been poured out. Nebuchadnezzar has sent his army a few times against Judah. They have been effectively ruling Judah now for more than a decade. They have drawn off the cream of the crop into exile, including king Jehoiachin and his mom and put King Zedekiah on the throne in Jerusalem.

But Zedekiah has rebelled. And Nebuchadnezzar won’t stand for it. He has been patient, but now he’s going to take down the city and drag its residents off into exile in Babylon.

This last siege goes about 18 months. From January 588BC in verse 1 to July 18th, 586BC in verse 2. The ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year.

They broke through. And just like Yahweh said in chapter one, they set up their thrones in the gates of the city and took total control.

Zedekiah thought this was about to happen, and so he had escape route planned. And he makes a run for it. Verse 4.

“When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king's garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah.

But the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. 

There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah. Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon” (vv.4-7).

The LORD said this was going to happen, too (21:7, 34:3, 38:14-23). He said that Zedekiah would see Nebuchadnezzar with his own eyes and also not die of violence. So the last thing that Zedekiah ever saw was Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuchadnezzar killing his sons. But he didn’t die. Zedekiah was taken off to Babylon, blind

.

And then they burnt the city. V.8

“The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.” What a short sentence to describe what was incomprehensibly awful to the people of Jerusalem!

To see how Jeremiah felt about it, read the book of Lamentations. Have you read that lately?

It starts, “How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave. Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are upon her cheeks” (Lam. 1:1-2 NIVO).

Five chapters like that, full of sorrow and tears. Those walls that have given them safety, security, and shalom have been broken down. The Babylonians have pulled them down. Just like the LORD said would happen (28:1-10, 27:1-15, 32:1-5l 37:1-10)!

And then the exile. Verse 9.

“Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people.”

Exile has occurred. Just like He said. The streets are empty. It’s like a post-apocalyptic world. The dystopian future has arrived.

The majority are gone. Just a few scattered people, here and there, are left. Mostly the poor who don’t seem to be a threat. V.10

“But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.” 

Isn't that interesting? These folks who often were mistreated by their Jewish kinsmen are now given vineyards and fields by the pagans! The LORD moves in mysterious ways His justice to perform! 

And it's not just the poor who are surprisingly well-treated. Jeremiah is, too! V.11

“Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: ‘Take him and look after him; don't harm him but do for him whatever he asks.’ So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers of the king of Babylon sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard. They turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.”

You wonder how Nebuchadnezzar knew about Jeremiah! I guess word gets around. And Nebuchadnezzar probably liked what he thought Jeremiah’s message was. It seemed pretty pro-Babylon, right? “Babylon is going to win. Give up! Judah is going to lose. Surrender! Settle down, exiles and seek the peace and prosperity of Babylon” (see Jeremiah 29). 

“I like this guy!” Nebuchadnezzar says. 

So Babylon takes better care of the Prophet Jeremiah than did the Kings of Judah! Jeremiah’s feet are no longer in the mud. He isn’t even under house arrest in the courtyard of the guard. He is placed in the custody and care of the newly appointed governor Gedaliah who is a basically good man from a good family. How weird is that?!

So that’s where Zedekiah is and where Jeremiah is. Where is Ebed-Melech? Whatever happened to that African guy who rescued Jeremiah from the cistern? Here’s where we find out the rest of his story. Verse 15.

“While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him: ‘Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Cushite, 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. But I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD; you will not be handed over to those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.'”

 

Those are the most hope-filled words in these three chapters! Ebed-Melech is saved. The rescuer is rescued. And not because he earned it. It doesn’t say that he somehow earned his way to this salvation. It says that he is rescued because He trusted in the LORD. He put his faith in Him. That’s where his courage came from, to speak those uncomfortable words to the king. Ebed-Melech put his confidence in the LORD. He was like the tree in chapter 17. Remember that tree? It was our last memory verse:

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jer. 17:7-8 NIVO). That was Ebed-Melech. Flourishing because of his faith. 

But these last three verses are also haunting verses because the LORD says that the destruction is imminent and it is the fulfillment of the LORD’s promises. Look again at verse 16.

“'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes.” He is going to do what He said He will do. And now He has.

From my perspective, it would be fine to end the book right here.  The city is destroyed. The people are in exile. Zedekiah is blind. Jeremiah and Ebed-Melech are safe. Close the book. But that’s not what Jeremiah did. He didn’t stop there, and neither did God.

So we turn the page to chapter 40 and see what happened next. And, in a word, it’s chaos. More chaos. More judgment. Look at verse 1.

“The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had released him at Ramah. He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon” (v.1).

Oops! Nebuchadnezzar had said to look after Jeremiah, but he has somehow gotten swept up and re-arrested with the folks being shipped to Babylon. That was probably okay with him because he knows what he said in chapter 29. But Nebuzaradan is under strict orders to take care of him, so when he finds Jeremiah, he pulls him out of the line-up and...says something completely amazing to him. Look at verse 2.

“When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, ‘The LORD your God decreed this disaster for this place. And now the LORD has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned against the LORD and did not obey him” (vv.2-3).

Do you see who said the words of our title for today? “He has done just as he said he would.”

It wasn’t the prophet. It was the pagan! Nebuzaradan said to Jeremiah, “The LORD your God poured out the boiling pot on Jerusalem. And it’s because you folks were such sinners!”

Can you imagine the look on Jeremiah’s face? In my mind, he’s smiling and shaking his head. He can’t believe what he’s hearing here. “That’s what I’ve been trying to say for forty years!”

For forty years he’s basically been just about the only person saying it. And now it’s actually happened an the pagan is telling it to him.

Verse 1 says that word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, but he never delivers a prophecy in chapter 40. Nebuzaradan does. He sees what the Judahites refused to see. They have brought this on themselves and God has followed through on all of His threats. He has done just as he said he would.

Nebuzaradan invites Jeremiah to come with him to Babylon. That might have been a nice vacation. He was clearly being well-treated. But Jeremiah decides to stay with the people in the land. V.4

“But today I [Nebuzaradan] am freeing you [Jeremiah] from the chains on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don't come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.’  However, before Jeremiah turned to go, Nebuzaradan added, ‘Go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the towns of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please.’ Then the commander gave him provisions and a present and let him go. So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land” (vv.4-6).

But, of course, that’s not the end of the story either. Here’s what happened next. V.7

“When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah–Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, and their men [some of those guys are going to be important for the next few chapters]. Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. ‘Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians,’ he said. ‘Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you. I myself will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine, summer fruit and oil, and put them in your storage jars, and live in the towns you have taken over.’ When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom and all the other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered. And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit” (vv.7-13).

Gedaliah seems to be about the best thing that could have happened to Judah at that time. He is pulling together the various leaders from throughout the land who are left behind, a remnant, and instead of organizing them as an insurgency, he has encouraged them to settle down in the land, submit to Babylon like Jeremiah said, and experience an abundant harvest. A little taste of shalom. But it doesn’t last. It all falls apart. The leaders are not godly and attack each other from within. V.13

“Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah and said to him, ‘Don't you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?’ [Both of those guys were named in verse 8. Johanan has intel on Ishmael and gives a warning. V.14] But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.  Then Johanan son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, ‘Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?’ [It’s like mobster offering to take out a rival in the gang.] But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, ‘Don't do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true” (vv.13-16).

But, sadly, it was. Gedaliah was apparently too trusting. He didn’t know what was in the heart of his men (cf. John 2:24-25). And he paid for it, and so did Judah. Chapter 41, verse 1.

“In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king's officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land. [What treachery! What an atrocity!] Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian soldiers who were there.”

This is rebellion. Flat-out rebellion. But it gets worse. Verse 4.

“The day after Gedaliah's assassination, before anyone knew about it, eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, bringing grain offerings and incense with them to the house of the LORD. [They know it’s been torn down. They are mourning the fact that there is no temple. See their sacrifices are bloodless. They know there is no altar. And they lamenting. V.6]  Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. [The big fake!] When he met them, he said, ‘Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.’ [Whom he had killed the day before.] When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern. But ten of them said to Ishmael, ‘Don't kill us! We have wheat and barley, oil and honey, hidden in a field.’ So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. [You can tell that Ishmael is no patriot. He’s just a greedy bloodthirsty rebel. V.9] Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made as part of his defense against Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.

Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah–the king's daughters along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites [who had been apparently funding this rebellion]” (vv.4-10).

Now, here’s Johanan again. He’s the one who tried to warn Gedaliah. He still wants to stop Ishmael. Verse 11.

“When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon. When all the people Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites” (vv.11-15).

Johanan has won. But now what? What should they do next? They should probably ask Jeremiah, right?

We haven’t heard from him this whole chapter! He was living with Gedaliah. Was he killed? Was he one of the men in buried in the cistern after all? No. He survived. Perhaps he was one of those that Johanan has rescued here in chapter 41. We don’t know. We don’t know because they don’t ask him anything. Not yet. Not until the next chapter. And when they do, they don’t listen. 

No, Johanan decides that the best thing to do is head towards Egypt. He figures Nebuchadnezzar is going to hear about the rebellion in Judah, and send some guys in to stamp it out. And anybody with a sword is in trouble of reprisal. So he panics and runs the South. V.16

“Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him led away all the survivors from Mizpah whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after he had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam: the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had brought from Gibeon. And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt to escape the Babylonians. They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land” (vv.16-18).

Obviously, we’re still in the middle of the story of the end. There’s more to come next time. But what points of application do you already have in your mind? 

For me, the key thing here is what Nebuzaradan said to Jeremiah. That pagan guy knew what was up!

“The LORD your God decreed this disaster for this place. And now the LORD has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would” (40:2-3). Here are four points of application to consider.

#1. REPENT.

Nebuzaradan said, “All this happened because you people sinned against the LORD and did not obey him” (40:3). The pagan said that! Jeremiah said that for forty years! How often did he call them, invite them, plead with them to “shuv”? To turn. To turn back. To repent. All of this could have been avoided if they had listened and turned around while there was still time. 

Seeing the smouldering ruin of Jerusalem should make every person stop and consider the direction of their life.

We tend to assume that God will not keep His threats. 

We take His patience for weakness.

We take His longsuffering for ambivalence.

We assume that we’re not so bad and God’s not so mad.

But the Fall of Jerusalem should reminds us of the holiness of God.

He has done just as he said he would. Tremble. And take his threats seriously.

Are you harboring unconfessed sin in your life? Are you refusing to repent? Are you running from God? Hear His inviting call to come to Him. Turn while you can. He wants you back! But don’t assume that He won’t do everything He said He would do to the unrepentant. Including judgment.

Come to Jesus Christ for cleansing.  Turn from your sin and trust in the Savior and what He did on that Cross.  

“He took [your] sins and [your] sorrows, He made them His very own;

He bore the burden to Calvary, and suffered and died alone.” (Charles Gabriel)

Repent and put your faith and trust in the Savior’s love for you. Come to Jesus Christ for cleansing.  Come back to Him. Confess your hidden sins. Repent of those things you don’t want to let go of. He is faithful and just and will forgive all your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.  But do not presume upon His mercy. Come and receive it! Repent.

#2. LAMENT.

He has done just as he said he would. And that led Jeremiah and all of the remnant to lamentations. When they surveyed the destruction of their beloved city, they sang songs of sadness and sorrow.

And to the degree that we see God carrying out His threats and bringing His painful discipline into our world, we can lament, as well. It’s right and good to weep over sin and sorrow and suffering. Even if the suffering is warranted, even if someone had it coming, it’s okay to weep over the consequences. And the collateral damage.

I confess that I just shake my head as I read these chapters about Gedaliah and Ishmael and Johanan. They show up at the end, make all kinds of mistakes that affect other people, and then die and go off the scene. So much chaos. And it didn’t have to be that way. And it’s right that God has brought this chaos as a judgment on the people because of their sin. But we don’t have to be all happy about it. We can weep over the consequences even if we see that they are just.

There are probably people in your life right now who are suffering from self-inflicted pain. They have sowed the wind and reaped the whirlwind. And the tornado is wrecking the lives of the people around them.  It’s okay to hurt for them. And not just the people that they have hurt, but how they are hurting themselves.

Our Lord Jesus wept over this same rebuilt city several hundred years later. He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate” (Matt. 23:37-38 NIVO). Lament.

#3. DEPEND.

In all of this, don’t forget about Ebed-Melech! Don’t forget that the LORD always keeps for Himself a remnant who trust and obey. Remember that Ebed-Melech was like that tree from Jeremiah 17. He puts his faith and confidence in the LORD and was rescued. He rescued Jeremiah, and the LORD rescued Him. Chapter 39, verse 18, He said to Ebed-Melech, “I will save you; you iwll not fall by the sword but will escape with your life; because you trust in me, declares the LORD.”

Trust and obey! That’s the way. He has done just as he said he would. So we should, too! We should put our faith and trust in Him and then do what He asks us to do. 

What is He asking you to do these days? Does it take courage? We may be in the Book of Failures, but there are still profiles of courage even in these dark chapters.  Ebed-Melech stepped out in faith and rescued Jeremiah from the mud. You and I can step out in faith and do whatever God has called us to do, as well.

Perhaps there is someone you need to invite to the Wild Game Dinner this year? When Jamie was talking, you had a thought of who you might give a ticket to. Or maybe you thought, “I could do that” when Jamie had the list of things that still need done. Or maybe you thought, “I need to flat out talk to that one guy about Jesus. Trust and obey. Depend on God and do what He says.

#4. REJOICE!

He has done just as he said he would. And if He will keep His all threats to do what is bad, how much more will He keep all His promises to do what is good?!

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jer. 29:11 NIVO).

Nebuzaradan might not have believed that. But we do!

We believe that He will do just as He said He would.

***

Previous Messages in This Series:

01. "The Word of the LORD Came to Me" - Jeremiah 1:1-19
02. "I Bring Charges Against You" - Jeremiah 2:1-3:5
03. "Return to Me" - Jeremiah 3:6-4:4
04. “Oh My Anguish, My Anguish!” - Jeremiah 4:6-5:31
05. "Ask for the Ancient Paths" - Jeremiah 6:1-30
06. “This Is the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD!” - Jeremiah 7:1-8:3
07. "Is There No Balm in Gilead?" - Jeremiah 8:4-9:22
08. "Boast About This" - Jeremiah 9:23-24
09. "Like a Scarecrow in a Melon Patch" - Jeremiah 9:25-10:25
10. "Conspiracy" - Jeremiah 11:1-12:17
11. “My People For My Renown” - Jeremiah 13:1-27
12. "I Can No Longer Show Compassion" - Jeremiah 14:1-15:21
13. "I Have Withdrawn My Blessing, My Love and My Pity" - Jeremiah 16:1-21
14. "I the LORD Search the Heart" - Jeremiah 17:1-27
15. "Go Down to the Potter's House" - Jeremiah 18:1-19:15
16. “Insult and Reproach All Day Long” - Jeremiah 20:1-18
17. "Woe to the Shepherds" - Jeremiah 21:1-23:8
18. "I Did Not Send These Prophets" - Jeremiah 23:9-40
19. "“My Eyes Will Watch Over Them For Their Good” - Jeremiah 24:1-25:38
20. "This Man Should Be Sentenced to Death" - Jeremiah 26:1-24
21. “Under the Yoke” - Jeremiah 27:1-28:17
22. “I Know the Plans I Have for You” - Jeremiah 29:1-32
23. "I Will Surely Save You Out of a Distant Land" - Jeremiah 30:1-24
24. “I Have Loved You With An Everlasting Love” - Jeremiah 31:1-26
25. "A New Covenant" - Jeremiah 31:27-40
26. "Buy the Field" - Jeremiah 32:1-44
27. "Great and Unsearchable Things" - Jeremiah 33:1-26
28. "Go To the Recabite Family" - Jeremiah 34:1-35:19
29. "The Scroll" - Jeremiah 36:1-32
30. "Sunk In the Mud" - Jeremiah 37:1-38:28

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“Sunk in the Mud” [Matt's Messages]

“Sunk in the Mud”

Uprooted - The Words of Jeremiah

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

February 12, 2023 :: Jeremiah 37:1-38:28

It sure did not feel like the people of God had a hope or a future. When God gave that promise to Jeremiah, the Babylonians were at the walls, ready to burn down the city of Jerusalem and drag the people of Judah into exile.

And yet God spoke this word of promise to them.

He knows the plans He has for them. They are good plans, peaceful plans, plans of shalom, plans of well-being, plans of true prosperity, plans not to harm them to but give them hope and a glorious future. But first must come the judgment of God.

Chapters 37 through 44 are, strangely enough, in roughly chronological order. We’ve gotten used to Jeremiah jumping around a lot. Last week was 605 BC. This week will be 589 BC. Last week was Jehoiakim. This week it’s back to Zedekiah. But the next several chapters unfold pretty much chronologically as they tell the terrible unfolding story of the fall of Jerusalem. 

The city is under siege, and we know that it will fall. 

We’ve know that from the beginning! Reading Jeremiah is kind of like a sports team watching game tape of the last game when their team lost. You know already that it was a disaster. Now you are doing the post-mortem. What went wrong? You’ve got the black box out of the airplane, and now the safety team is downloading the information from the flight recorder to see what caused the crash. What failed?

We’ve said that this section of Jeremiah could be called the Book of Failures. The kings especially. And we’re supposed to learn from their failures. In today’s two chapters, we see the failures of King Zedekiah, the wishy-washy one. And we learn that his failure was, in large part, a failure of courage. And because of his lack of courage, everybody suffers. He suffers. His people suffer. And the prophet Jeremiah suffers, greatly. 

The LORD told Jeremiah it was going be like this.

When the LORD called Jeremiah to be a prophet, He told him that it was going to be really really hard. I went back this week and re-read chapter 1. It’s been 10 months since we started into Jeremiah. This is the 30th message in this series. It’s kind of hard to remember what was in chapter 1 when you’re in chapter 37.

But the LORD said that it was going to be hard. Listen. He said, (chapter 1, verse 7) “[Jeremiah,] you must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the LORD” (Jer. 1:7-8 NIVO).

That was from chapter 1. That was almost forty years earlier than what we’re going to read today in chapter 37.

He said, (chapter 1, verse 15), “I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,’ declares the LORD. ‘Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding walls and against all the towns of Judah. I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made. [Sounds pretty hard to me. Then He said:]

‘Get yourself ready [Jeremiah]! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land–against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the LORD” (Jer. 1:15-19 NIVO).

The LORD told Jeremiah what it was going to be like.

And how he should be courageous. I love that image of Jeremiah as the fortified city, the iron pillar, and the bronze wall. I want to be that. I want us to be that! That’s one of the big reasons why I picked Jeremiah for our church this last year. So that we could develop that kind of prophetic courage as God’s people.

But it comes with a cost. Being truly courageous will often mean truly suffering. How often did Jeremiah suffer? How often did he weep? We’ve seen him be beaten. We’ve seen him be mocked and ridiculed. We’ve seen him be ostracized. We’ve seen his neighbors conspire against him. We’ve seen him be confined and imprisoned.

But I’m not sure that it ever got worse than the story we’re about to read. This is probably the lowest point in Jeremiah’s painful prophetic life. When he goes down into the mud. “Sunk in the Mud.”

Let’s see how he gets there and what we can learn from it for our own lives today. Let’s read. Chapter 37, verse 1.

“Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim. Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the LORD had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.” Let’s stop there as we begin.

Zedekiah was never meant to be king. His nephew was king. Jehoiachin also known as Coniah, the son of that rascal Jehoiakim was supposed to be king. But Nebuchadnezzar has taken Jehoiachin into exile and put his uncle Zedekiah on the throne. He the last son of David to sit there.

And he was terrible at it. He could never quite make up his mind. He had no courage. He was like a weather-vane. Whichever way the wind blew is the direction he was headed in. He went in whatever direction seemed right at the time...except when the LORD told him what to do. Then he always seemed to find an excuse to not do it.

Verse 2 says it all, right?  “Neither [Zedekiah] nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the LORD had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.” They never sang, “Here’s my heart, Lord! Speak what is true.”

Zedekiah may not have cut up the word of God and fed it piece by piece in the fire, but he was no better than his brother who did. Because he didn’t listen to the word of God.

Let’s make this application point number one of three this morning. And they’re all about having courage.

#1. HAVE THE COURAGE TO LISTEN TO GOD’S WORD.

Have the courage to truly listen to the word of God.

All of Zedekiah’s worst problems would have been solved if he had had the courage to do that. To listen to God’s Word.

And it does take courage. God often says things we don’t want to hear. And He asks us to change in ways we don’t want to change. Sometimes those changes are even painful. But they’re always good.

Have you made any changes this week after encountering chapter 36 last Sunday? Have you opened your Bible once again? Where are you at in your Bible right now? Can you answer that if you couldn’t answer it last week? Where are you at in your Bible? What is God saying to you these days in His Word? Do you have the courage to listen? To hear and to obey?

Zedekiah did not. And yet he had the temerity to ask God to help him! Look at verse 3.

“[They paid no “attention to the words the LROD had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet...] King Zedekiah, however, sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: ‘Please pray to the LORD our God for us.’”

That’s not courage, but it is chutzpah.

“I’m not listening to God, but I wonder if He might listen to you, Jeremiah. I have a little request. There are these Babylonians who were attacking us. And they’ve gone away. They have pulled back to fight against the Egyptians. Do you think you could ask the LORD to make that permanent? Just keep them away?”

Zedekiah keeps coming back to Jeremiah over and over again. And he always has these requests. These questions and needs. He knows that Jeremiah is a true prophet of God, and he keeps hoping that maybe the LORD would have a different message this time than the last time. Because he didn’t like what heard last time. And he wasn’t about to actually do what the LORD was saying he should.

He was a coward. No repentance, just a prayer that God would get them out of trouble.

Have you seen that before? Have you done that before? “Lord, I don’t want actually change, but would you bless me anyway?” “I don’t want to listen, but I still need your help.”

What’s amazing is that LORD often does come through. He is amazingly gracious. How many times has He rescued Jerusalem? But this is the end of the line. Verse 4.

“Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. Pharaoh's army had marched out of Egypt, and when the Babylonians who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem. Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet: 

‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of me, 'Pharaoh's army, which has marched out to support you, will go back to its own land, to Egypt. Then the Babylonians will return and attack this city; they will capture it and burn it down.'

‘This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, 'The Babylonians will surely leave us.' They will not! Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian army that is attacking you and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would come out and burn this city down” (vv.4-11).

In other words, “No, Zedekiah, you are not going to win.”

Jeremiah was not going to pray for them to get out of this jam once again. The LORD was going to use the Babylonians to overthrow the city and bring His judgment. 

I love the hyperbole of verse 11. Even if you wound every Babylonian, and they are all fighting with one arm bandaged up, they will still win and bring this city down. Because the LORD is doing it. Listen. You have failed to listen, and you will reap the consequences.”

This message did not make Jeremiah any more popular than he already was. For forty years, he’s been saying that this was coming, and now it’s here. And that has made for him some enemies. Look at verse 11.

“After the Babylonian army had withdrawn from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh's army,  Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the territory of Benjamin to get his share of the property among the people there. [Maybe laying the groundwork for the real-estate deal we learned about in chapter 32. That came later, but this might have been connected to it. Either way, the armies have retreated, so you can go in and out of the gates of Jerusalem, and Jeremiah tried to go out himself to head home to Anathoth and do some business. V.13] 

But when he reached the Benjamin Gate, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, arrested him and said, ‘You are deserting to the Babylonians!’ ‘That's not true!’ Jeremiah said. ‘I am not deserting to the Babylonians.’ But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary, which they had made into a prison. Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long time.”

That’s terrible! That Jeremiah would be accused of treason? Yes, he has told the leaders that they should surrender, but he’s not become a defector to the other side!

And without trial, he experiences police brutality. They put him in cuffs and then beat him. They womp on him and then they toss him in “the hole.” Why? Because he was a traitor? 

No. Because he stuck to God’s Word. 

#2. HAVE THE COURAGE TO STICK TO GOD’S WORD.

They were angry with Jeremiah because they didn’t like his message. If he had a different message, they’d be fine with him and find someone else to stick in their dank dark dungeon. But Jeremiah has been a broken record about the broken covenant for forty long years, and he’s not about to change now. Even though they try to break him. V.16 “Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long time.” Jeremiah is not a young man any more. He’s, what, around 60? He’s been preaching the same thing for 40 years, and now he’s in stuck in the hole. For a long time.

Eventually, Zedekiah wants to talk to him again. This is his pattern. Like a yo-yo. He brings Jeremiah up blinking from being in hole. V.17

“Then King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked him privately, ‘Is there any word from the LORD?’”

 

Isn’t that fascinating? Zedekiah is the king of Judah, and Jeremiah is locked in one of his dungeons, but the king is asking the prophet if God has a word for him. He knows! He knows that Jeremiah is legit.

And Jeremiah, “Yeah,” there is a word from God. V.17 “‘Yes,’ Jeremiah replied, ‘you will be handed over to the king of Babylon.’” That’s the word! Same word as last time. Same word as the time before that. You haven’t changed. You haven’t repented. You repented of your repentance! When the Babylonians took the pressure off, you and your cronies ran around town  kidnaping and re-enslaving your kinsmen. No, there is no new happy message for you, Zedekiah. Just the same one as always. “You will be handed over to the king of Babylon.” Deal with it.

Think about it, though. If Jeremiah had changed his message, he could probably have gotten out of the dungeon. Maybe even gotten a promotion! But instead, he stuck with God’s Word. He was an iron pillar, a bronze wall, a fortified city. He stuck with God’s Word.

Of course, that didn’t mean that he was literally made of iron and bronze. He was a man of flesh and blood. And this solitary confinement was killing him. So he complains to Zedekiah. Verse 18.

“Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, ‘What crime have I committed against you or your officials or this people, that you have put me in prison? [I’m innocent.] Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, 'The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land'?” (vv.18-19).

“He has attacked! Where is Hananiah with his breaking the wooden yoke? ‘Two years and it will all be over.’ They were wrong about everything. I’ve been right about everything. Why am I in prison?” (V.2).

“But now, my lord the king, please listen. Let me bring my petition before you: Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I will die there.’ King Zedekiah then gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given bread from the street of the bakers each day until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard” (vv.20-21).

Zedekiah knows that he’s in the wrong. So he gives orders for Jeremiah to be under house arrest, and that’s how Cousin Hanamel finds him in chapter 32 to try to get Jeremiah to buy that field. 

But Jeremiah’s troubles are not over. In fact, it’s going to get much worse. Chapter 38, verse 1.

“Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people when he said, ‘This is what the LORD says: 'Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. He will escape with his life; he will live.' And this is what the LORD says: 'This city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it'” (vv.1-3).

So Jeremiah was not trying to defect, but he has urged the people of Jerusalem to surrender. And he has said over and over and over again that the city is going to fall. He said that for forty years. He’s stuck with the word of God. He has been a broken record about the broken covenant and the broken and burnt city that will come of it. And these guys are fed up with it. They think that he’s the problem. Jeremiah is the problem. And they want to get rid of him. So they go to the king and make their case. Verse 4.

“Then the officials said to the king, ‘This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.’”

They are right and they are wrong. They are right that he is discouraging. He would never be allowed on Jerusalem’s K-Love. Jeremiah is not positive and encouraging 24/7. But they are wrong that he is seeking their ruin. He is seeking their good. And the word for “good” there in verse 4 is “shalom.” He is seeking their prosperity, peace, and welfare. His message has stayed the same because it’s true and good! But they hate that message, so they hate that messenger. And they are talking to the wishy-washiest king Judah ever had. So, he, like Pilate will later do, washes his hands of the prophet. Verse 5.

“‘He is in your hands,’ King Zedekiah answered. ‘The king can do nothing to oppose you.’” How weak. How pathetic! What a “profile in courage” Zedekiah is. He might not have had the power to overrule these guys. His hold in the throne was shaky, I’m sure. But he knew what was right and didn’t do it. He failed to have courage.

#3. HAVE THE COURAGE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT.

Zedekiah did not, and it mean that Jeremiah hit the bottom. Literally, the bottom of the cistern. Verse 6.

“So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king's son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.”

For me, that is one of the scariest verses in the whole book of Jeremiah. These guys were cowards, too. They wanted Jeremiah to be dead, but they didn’t want  actually have to kill him themselves. So they put him down below the dungeon. They put him into a cistern. Kind of like when Joseph’s brothers put him in the well, hoping that would do the trick for them.

A cistern was a big holding tank that was bottle-shaped. It was normally dug out of limestone with a small opening at the top and then a cavern carved out inside and the walls plastered so the water didn’t get in. It was for collecting rainwater underground.

And they lowered Jeremiah down into this pit and probably put the manhole cover, so to speak back over it. And it wasn’t full of water, but it wasn’t empty either. It had mud at the bottom. And Jeremiah sunk into the mud. Filthy, stinky, sticky, gross mud.

I cannot imagine how scary that was. Nightmares if you think about it too much. Jeremiah probably thought he was going to die there. Of starvation, of dehydration, or of drowning. He has to stand there. He can’t lie down. He’ll sink even further down if he lies down. How long would you last? How long would your sanity last?

We don’t know actually how Jeremiah handled this. 

Maybe he was like Paul and Silas singing in the prison! That doesn’t quite sound like Jeremiah, somehow. He wasn’t a “sing wherever I go kind of rejoicing guy.” But maybe he didn’t despair, either.

Maybe he sang songs of lamentation. Maybe he sang Psalm 69. 

“Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; 

deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters.

Do not let the floodwaters engulf me 

or the depths swallow me up 

or the pit close its mouth over me.

Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love;

in your great mercy turn to me.

Do not hide your face from your servant; 

answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.

Come near and rescue me; 

redeem me because of my foes” (Ps. 69:14-18 NIVO).

Maybe he sang that song of suffering.

Maybe he remember chapter 1 of his own book. Maybe he thought back to that day when he was just a lad and the LORD said, “‘They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the LORD” (1:19).

We don’t know.

We do know that just because you are courageous, doesn’t mean you will not suffer. Being called to be courageous does not always lead to a pain-free existence. Quite the opposite. 

Look the Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).

Look at the Lord Jesus Christ.

Look here at the Prophet Jeremiah.

Being courageous does not mean winning. Often it means suffering.

But what did we learn this time last year in 1 Peter? Peter said, “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed” (1 Pet. 3:14 NIVO). The blessing comes on the other side of the suffering. For Jesus, it came on the other side of death!

For Jeremiah, it took the form of an African man who courageously stood up to the king and did what was right. Look at verse 7.

“But Ebed-Melech, a Cushite, an official in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate, Ebed-Melech went out of the palace and said to him, ‘My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern, where he will starve to death when there is no longer any bread in the city.’”

That was a courageous move!

This fellow was a foreigner. He was from the Upper Nile region of Cush. He has found a place in the royal palace, and he’s decided that he must speak up to the king [!] about this great injustice that is going on.

And the king (wishy washy as he was) doesn’t order Ebed-Melech’s execution, he gives him authorization to rescue Jeremiah.

But is it too late? V.10

“Then the king commanded Ebed-Melech the Cushite, ‘Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.’ So Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went to a room under the treasury in the palace. He took some old rags and worn-out clothes from there and let them down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.  Ebed-Melech the Cushite said to Jeremiah, ‘Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.’ Jeremiah did so [I love that detail! It’s like a TV show! You can just see it.],  and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.”

I wonder how he felt then?! I wonder how he looked?

This is not the last that we’ll hear about Ebed-Melech. There is blessing for him, too, following his obedience, as we’ll see in the next chapter. But this next part is the last time that Jeremiah ever saw Zedekiah. They have one last meeting before it all falls apart. V.14

“Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and had him brought to the third entrance to the temple of the LORD. ‘I am going to ask you something,’ the king said to Jeremiah. ‘Do not hide anything from me.’

[Do you think that Jeremiah would feel like talking to Zedekiah at this point? He just allowed those guys to basically bury him alive. And now he wants to ask a question?!]

Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, ‘If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me.’ [You don’t do what is right!]

But King Zedekiah swore this oath secretly to Jeremiah: ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us breath, I will neither kill you nor hand you over to those who are seeking your life.’”

So Jeremiah answers his question. He doesn’t even have to ask it, because it’s the same one he always asking every time. “Is there a word from the LORD? Is there a way out of this trouble for me?” Yes, there is a way for this to go better for you than it would. V.17

“Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, ‘This is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live. But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be handed over to the Babylonians and they will burn it down; you yourself will not escape from their hands.'

[“Ugggh. That’s not what I want to hear. I supposed that’s what I’m supposed to do. But that’s scary!” V.19] 

King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, ‘I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me.’

‘They will not hand you over,’ Jeremiah replied. ‘Obey the LORD by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared. But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the LORD has revealed to me: All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you: ‘ 'They misled you and overcame you–those trusted friends of yours. Your feet are sunk in the mud [There’s our sermon title! It was actually Zedekiah who was in the most danger of being sunk down into the mud of disgrace]; your friends have deserted you.' ‘All your wives and children will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from their hands but will be captured by the king of Babylon; and this city will be burned down.’”

I know you’re afraid, Zedekiah. You have reason to be. This world is scary, and you are in a scary position. But do the right thing, do what the LORD says to do, and you will be blessed. Have the courage to do the right thing, no matter how scary it is, and you will experience the blessing of God!

If you don’t, you will sink the mud, and the LORD will not send an Ebed-Melek to rescue you. Do what is right.

Friends, do you need to hear that this morning? Is there something the LORD is calling you to do, and you’re scared to do it? You’re not sure what people will think or say? It might seem crazy to the people around you, even to your closest friends. Like, “Buy the field” crazy.

But you know what is right. Do it. It’s not sin to be afraid. Fear by itself is not sin. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is doing the right thing even though you are afraid. Do it. Do what is right.

Zedekiah could not bring himself to do it. He was paralyzed by his fear. He was more afraid of the people inside the walls than the people outside of the walls! And should have been more afraid of the LORD above than either of those.

So here’s how the story ends. It ends with Zedekiah’s indecision. He does nothing except ask Jeremiah to keep their conversation secret. V.24.

“Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, ‘Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you may die. If the officials hear that I talked with you, and they come to you and say, 'Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide it from us or we will kill you,' then tell them, 'I was pleading with the king not to send me back to Jonathan's house to die there.' [That’s true enough.] All the officials did come to Jeremiah and question him, and he told them everything the king had ordered him to say [and he kept the rest to himself]. So they said no more to him, for no one had heard his conversation with the king. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured” (vv.24-28).

Which we will learn about more fully, Lord-willing, next Sunday. Right now, we should note that Zedekiah doesn’t do anything. He doesn’t do what is right.

He doesn’t listen to God’s Word. 

He doesn’t obey.

He just sits there and hopes it all goes away.

That is not courage. That is a failure. And it’s the opposite of the way the LORD wants you and me to live. He wants you me to have the courage (by His grace) to listen to His Word, to stick to His Word no matter what, and to do what we know is right.

The next Son of David who will sit on the throne in Jerusalem, had that courage! The next Son of David who will sit on that throne listened to every word that came from His Father and stuck to God’s Words even though it led to His crucifixion. The next Son of David did what was right and the blessing of resurrection followed! And when He sits on His throne, He will always do what is right. His kingdom will be righteous in every way.

“‘The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness'” (Jer. 33:14-16 NIVO).

Jeremiah 33! The LORD has told us how it’s going to be.

***

Previous Messages in This Series:

01. "The Word of the LORD Came to Me" - Jeremiah 1:1-19
02. "I Bring Charges Against You" - Jeremiah 2:1-3:5
03. "Return to Me" - Jeremiah 3:6-4:4
04. “Oh My Anguish, My Anguish!” - Jeremiah 4:6-5:31
05. "Ask for the Ancient Paths" - Jeremiah 6:1-30
06. “This Is the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD!” - Jeremiah 7:1-8:3
07. "Is There No Balm in Gilead?" - Jeremiah 8:4-9:22
08. "Boast About This" - Jeremiah 9:23-24
09. "Like a Scarecrow in a Melon Patch" - Jeremiah 9:25-10:25
10. "Conspiracy" - Jeremiah 11:1-12:17
11. “My People For My Renown” - Jeremiah 13:1-27
12. "I Can No Longer Show Compassion" - Jeremiah 14:1-15:21
13. "I Have Withdrawn My Blessing, My Love and My Pity" - Jeremiah 16:1-21
14. "I the LORD Search the Heart" - Jeremiah 17:1-27
15. "Go Down to the Potter's House" - Jeremiah 18:1-19:15
16. “Insult and Reproach All Day Long” - Jeremiah 20:1-18
17. "Woe to the Shepherds" - Jeremiah 21:1-23:8
18. "I Did Not Send These Prophets" - Jeremiah 23:9-40
19. "“My Eyes Will Watch Over Them For Their Good” - Jeremiah 24:1-25:38
20. "This Man Should Be Sentenced to Death" - Jeremiah 26:1-24
21. “Under the Yoke” - Jeremiah 27:1-28:17
22. “I Know the Plans I Have for You” - Jeremiah 29:1-32
23. "I Will Surely Save You Out of a Distant Land" - Jeremiah 30:1-24
24. “I Have Loved You With An Everlasting Love” - Jeremiah 31:1-26
25. "A New Covenant" - Jeremiah 31:27-40
26. "Buy the Field" - Jeremiah 32:1-44
27. "Great and Unsearchable Things" - Jeremiah 33:1-26
28. "Go To the Recabite Family" - Jeremiah 34:1-35:19

29. "The Scroll" - Jeremiah 36:1-32

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