“What Jeremiah the Prophet Told Baruch” [Matt's Messages]

“What Jeremiah the Prophet Told Baruch”

Uprooted - The Words of Jeremiah

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

March 5, 2023 :: Jeremiah 45:1-5

I like to call him “Mr. Blessing.”

This chapter of Jeremiah is not about Jeremiah. Jeremiah is in it. He’s the prophet. He prophesies. But the prophesy of Jeremiah 45 is not for Jeremiah and only obliquely about Judah.

The prophecy of Jeremiah 45 is a personal prophesy given to Mr. Blessing, Baruch son of Neriah. His name, "Baruch," means “blessing.” This is not the first time we’ve met him in this book, but it will be the last.

Baruch son of Neriah was Jeremiah’s executive secretary. His administrative assistant. He’s the one who registered the deed for that field that Jeremiah bought from his crazy cousin Hanamel. He’s been Jeremiah’s right hand man for many years. He shows up at least 4 times in the book. 

The most famous thing Baruch ever did was write down the words of Jeremiah on the scroll. Remember the scroll? Chapter 36? We studied it together one month ago today. Jeremiah dictated 23 years worth of prophecies for Baruch to write down on a scroll and then read it from a balcony above the New Gate in the temple to all the people. That was Mr. Blessing.

You know what’s fascinating? Baruch might be the only person in the Bible whom we have their fingerprint. Some archeologists (not all of them) believe that we might have the actual fingerprints of Baruch son of Neriah from some clay document markers potentially dated to this time period in the kingdom of Judah. They actually have his name on them and somebody’s hardened fingerprint in the clay! Maybe Mr. Blessing’s!

If you are a Snack and Yack kid, you might want to draw a picture of a fingerprint down in the righthand corner. Or just a picture of Mr. Blessing himself. What do you think Mr. Blessing might have looked like?

One thing we know about him was that at one time he was very very sad.

Baruch was very sad. And when he was so sad, the LORD sent Baruch a message through the Prophet Jeremiah. And that became our chapter 45.

It feels a little out of place. It’s yet another flashback. It doesn’t flow historically out of chapter 44. It is not chronological. And chapter 46 starts something altogether different once again. 45 just sits here, a little five verse chapter stuck in a funny place.

But there are probably a number of reasons why this is the place it’s placed in our Bibles.

For one, Baruch was just mentioned last week in chapter 43. The people of Judah who wanted to go to Egypt blamed Baruch for inciting Jeremiah to lie and to say that they should not go down to Egypt so that Babylon could grab them. This chapter reminds us that Mr. Blessing wasn’t like that at all. He was no conspirator. He was faithful. He was truthful. The LORD speaks to him words of grace and encouragement.

And this chapter also gets us set up for chapters 46 through 51 because it talks about what God is going to do throughout the land and on all people (vv.4-5). And the next 6 chapters are about all people, about the nations, and what God is going to do with the nations.

And it also pulls a Paul Harvey and tells “the rest of the story” of Baruch son of Neriah. By the end of chapter 44 we knew about what happened to all 5 of the kings, and to Gedaliah, to Jeremiah, and to his African friend Ebed-Melech. Tying up the loose ends. This chapter gives us a final word on Mr. Blessing who was Jeremiah’s faithful scribe.

Those are some of the possible reasons why chapter 45 is right here in our Bibles.

What’s really important is to understand what it says.

And what it says is, “What Jeremiah the Prophet Told Baruch.” That’s our sermon title for today, and it comes from verse 1. Look at it with me, if you will. Chapter 45, verse 1.

“This is what Jeremiah the prophet told Baruch son of Neriah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, after Baruch had written on a scroll the words Jeremiah was then dictating:”

Do you see when this was? This is from the big event in chapter 36! This is 605BC. Still almost 20 years before the Fall of Jerusalem that we’ve been reading about the last couple of weeks in the Book of Failures. This is a flashback to the reign of wicked King Jehoiakim. And it’s from the very time when Baruch had scribbled the words of Jeremiah on the scroll.

Do you remember what happened to that scroll? Jehoiakim happened to that scroll! He made his assistant Jehudi read every single word of it, and then cut it up roll by roll and burnt the scroll in the fire. It was wintertime, and King Jehoiakim warmed himself by burning Baruch’s handwritten copy of the Prophecy of Jeremiah in his fireplace.

And where was Baruch at that moment? He was in hiding. They didn’t want the king to know where Baruch was or he might have been cut and burnt up, too. I think that’s one of the reasons why Baruch was so sad. You would be too. 

Anybody ever have something you’ve made lost or destroyed? I’ve written whole sermons or papers and pressed “delete” at the wrong time! It would be even worse if someone stole my message and burnt it up.

This was a scroll with 23 years worth of prophecies inscribed on it. The only copy in existence. Handwritten. Up in smoke. Deliberately.

But I think there may have been an even deeper reason why Mr. Blessing was so sad. I think it was sad just to think about what was written on that scroll! His boss, Jeremiah, was a broken record about a broken covenant and the broken nation and burnt city that was going to come of it.

And that’s what Baruch had to write down. Sentence after sentence. Twenty-three years worth of, “Repent! Why won’t you repent? If you keep doing what you’re doing, then judgment will fall. Exile is on the way. You are breaking the covenant and worshiping other gods. Repent! You are not going to repent. Jerusalem will be destroyed.” Twenty three years of that.

For the last 10 months, we have been reading those words once a week. Imagine having them to write them out longhand as they were coming from the mouth of Jeremiah. And think about them. And see them lived right before your eyes.

And nobody listens to them! Year and after year, the same message, and the same lack of repentance, and the same judgment coming on the way.

Of course Baruch is sad. It’s really hard to be a faithful prophet in a day of decline. We’ve seen that, right? Well, what must it have been like to be the assistant of a faithful prophet in a day like this? It had to hurt, too. It had to wear you out. 

Think about all of the times that Baruch was there with Jeremiah in his suffering.

Sometimes his boss was in the prison by himself. Down in the cistern stuck in the mud. Other times, Baruch was with him in prison taking notes. Sometimes they had to go on the run together and hide out from the wicked king. Later on, they were both taken hostage and drug off to Egypt against their wills. And blamed for all the trouble of it!

And nobody read their book. And when they did read it, they burned it. No wonder he was sad. Jeremiah was sad, and so was Mr. Blessing.

And, apparently, Baruch expressed that deep sadness either to Jeremiah or to the LORD or maybe both...and the LORD answered him. Trough Jeremiah.

All week, I’ve been saying that this sermon is “what Jerry told Barry.”

What Jeremiah told Baruch. What do think the LORD may have to say to Baruch? Well, it might surprise you. I’ve got three brief statements to summarize it, and they all apply to us today, too. Here’s number one.

#1. THE LORD KNOWS YOUR PAIN.

Look with me at verse 2.

“‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: You said, 'Woe to me! The LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.'’”

Can you feel how he feels? That’s a lot of pain in one verse. Look at all the pain words. “Woe...sorrow...pain...worn out...groaning...no rest." That’s heavy! Baruch was miserable. He did not feel like Mr. Blessing. The NET Bible translates “Woe to me!” as “I feel so hopeless.”

“This being an assistant to a prophet is hard work. There’s a real cost here. I hate Jeremiah’s message that I have write down. It’s so heavy. And they never listen. And they burn it. I’m so tired of it.”

And just think–this is still almost 20 years from when Jerusalem actually fell! If he felt this way in 605BC, how did he feel by 586?

He even puts the blame on God. “You said, 'Woe to me! The LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.'’” He’s not necessarily saying that the Sovereign God is bad, just that the Sovereign God has allowed a boatload of pain to sail into his life. And He has.

But the LORD knows about his pain. He has heard him. You see that from verse 3. We wouldn’t know that Baruch was hurting if the LORD didn’t tell us. 

He knows all about it. And He knows what it feels like Himself. Look at verse 4.

“The LORD said, ‘Say this to him: 'This is what the LORD says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot what I have planted, throughout the land.” What’s that mean? How is that an answer to Baruch’s lament? Yahweh is saying, “Yes, you do have pain. It does hurt. There is a terrible thing going to happen. In fact, I feel it (so to speak) even more deeply than you do.”

Notice what he says, “I will overthrow what I have built and uproot (there is our series title once again, ‘I will uproot’) what I have planted.”

What’s He talking about?

He’s talking about His beloved people.

He’s talking about His beloved Judah.

He’s talking about His beloved Jerusalem.

He has built it up. He has planted it. And now, in His perfect holiness, He has to destroy it! Yahweh has to tear it down and pull it up by the roots.

Now on an ultimate level God is impassible and can’t be hurt. He is completely blessed, full of eternal happiness that nothing can shake. We had a whole wonderful lecture on that glorious truth at the EFCA Theology Conference last month. But God allows Himself to be pictured as injured by the sin of His people. And He allows Himself to be truly described as grieving over the destruction of His beloved city. He knows pain.

And when He came as a man, then He experienced pain in a whole other way. Jesus Christ experienced all of the same kinds of suffering as Baruch did. Everyone who wants to be faithful to the Lord will experience suffering. Jesus Christ suffered and died on a cruel instrument of torture and death. He knows pain.

Do you need to hear that this morning? Maybe you are experiencing suffering right now because you are faithfully following Christ. It seems like nothing goes right for you. Here you are trying to do what is right, and nothing goes right for you. So many are against you. It can be really hard to be faithful. Are you tired?

That’s one of the reasons why we’re studying the book of Jeremiah–to see how following the Lord often comes with high price tag. He’s not called the Weeping Prophet for nothing. And here we have his weeping prophetic assistant. And Jesus wept over Jerusalem, too. He was “hurt” by their rejection. And if they rejected Him, how do we think we are going to escape?

Jesus said, “Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (Jn. 15:20 NIVO).

He knows pain. And He knows best.

#2. THE LORD KNOWS BEST.

Snack and Yack kids, you might want to put these sentences on one of those three lines on the hand out: The first was, “THE LORD KNOWS YOUR PAIN.” The second is “THE LORD KNOWS BEST.”

The Lord wants us to accept His good plan. Look at verse 5.

“Should you then seek great things for yourself? Seek them not. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the LORD, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.'’

Now, it sounds like the LORD is gently rebuking Baruch. And that is highly likely. Baruch probably had some aspirations and ambitions that were going to need to be dashed. His grandfather Maaseiah was the mayor of Jerusalem when Josiah was king. His brother Seraiah was a staff officer for King Zedekiah. Baruch came from a notable family of leaders. 

Baruch probably expected to be a leader himself one day. Maybe he’d be the next prophet? Maybe kings would turn to him for a word of counsel and word from God? But here he’s 23 years into his career, and nobody listens to him. He read his book to the people and no revival came. And that’s maybe part of why he’s sad. 

And the LORD says, “It’s okay. You don’t have to be a Somebody. You don’t have to be an influencer. You don’t have to be a celebrity. You don’t have to be a boss. You don’t have to be a big shot.”

The LORD says, “All of that is up to me. Don’t seek great things FOR YOURSELF. Your life is not about you. Seek them not.”

What did our Lord Jesus say? “[S]eek first his kingdom and his righteousnes...” (Matt. 6:33 NIVO). Not your kingdom or my kingdom.

One of the things I love about my upcoming sabbatical is how it reminds me that this church is not my church. And it’s not even your church. It’s God’s church. Somebody asked me this week at Stay Sharp how I will keep from worrying about my church while I’m away from y church. And I’m sure I won’t do it perfectly, but I will be saying to myself. “It’s not my church. We are not here seek Pastor Matt’s kingdom. We are seeking the Lord’s kingdom and the Lord’s righteousness.” It’s a great check to our ambitions. “Should you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not.”

However, this sentence could mean something else, too. The Hebrew could be translated something like, “Should you BY YOURSELF seek great things?” In other words, “Should you pray, Baruch, that all of these things I’ve said I would do to Judah would not come to pass? Should you pray that I would be even more patient with Judah’s sins and rescue them from Babylon one more time?

Those could be great things. Should you seek them? No. “Seek them not.” “For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the LORD.” He’s saying don’t bother praying for more patience. If they will not repent, I will pour out the boiling pot and bring my scalding justice on Judah. And not just on Judah but on all rebellious people.  On the nations! That’s what we’re going to see, Lord-willing, next Sunday. He has judgment waiting for His own people and all who stand in rebellion against Him.

God knows best. His plans are perfect, even the ones that hard to accept. Disaster is on the way for Jerusalem. There’s no good news to share. Not in the short run. In the long run, there’s all king of good things we learned are coming the Book of Hope (chapter 29-33).

The plans the LORD has for His people. Plans for shalom. Plans for a future.

The great reversal one day of all of these judgments.

The New Covenant that will be ratified with Jesus’ blood.

In the long run, there’s lots of good news. But in the short run of Baruch’s life, there’s only disaster. And that’s...right. The Lord knows best. You and I can accept whatever comes from the LORD’s hands, even the hardest stuff, because we know that He is all wise, all good, and perfectly just.

The Lord knows best. Do you believe that? The Lord knows best. And the LORD promises to bless.

#3. THE LORD PROMISES TO BLESS.

In the last few words, Jeremiah told Baruch that in spite of everything else going wrong around him, the LORD was going to bless Baruch with long life. Look at verse 5 once more.

“...but wherever you go I will let you [Baruch] escape with your life.”

That doesn’t sound like much, but think about all of the death and destruction around him. And Baruch escapes it all. It’s the exact same thing that the LORD promised Ebed-Melek because he trusted in the the Lord and rescued Jeremiah from the muddy cistern. The words are literally, “escape with your life as a prize of war.” You are going through a battle, and what you will win is your own life. Not much else, but that’s something in this situation.

And the LORD kept that promise!

Baruch lived through the time when he was hiding from Jehoiakim.

Baruch lived through the time when his boss was in prison and everybody hated him.

Baruch lived through the time when he was accused of pulling the strings to turn the people over to Babylon.

Baruch lived through the time when he was hostage in Egypt.

“...but wherever you go I will let you [Baruch] escape with your life.”

Some scholars believe that after Jeremiah died, Baruch might have made it back to Jerusalem or even to join the exiles in Babylon. 

Baruch was faithful. He stayed faithful. He kept doing his small part. He kept putting one foot in front of the other. Even through the slog. Even through the fatigue. Even through the pain. Even through the exhaustion.

One commentator I read this week said we all like to sing, “Dare to be a Daniel,” but the real challenge is can we “Bear to be a Baruch?” (Christopher J.H. Wright).

Baruch did. And He was blessed. He got to keep his life. 

And more than that, He was blessed to be used by God for all future generations. Because look at what we’re doing right now! We’re reading the Book of Jeremiah. How do we have this thing in our hands?

Remember chapter 36? After the scroll was burnt, what did God say to do next? “Write it all down again. And this time I’m going to add in some more.” The very reason we have the book of Jeremiah to read today in our Bibles is because of Baruch son of Neriah slogged away through the sorrow, through the pain, through the groaning, and through the exhaustion. He re-wrote the book of Jeremiah and kept it safe in all of his journeys!

Baruch sought first the kingdom, and what did Jesus say would happen when we do that? Don’t seek great things for yourself...” But seek first [the Lord’s] kingdom and [the Lord’s] righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matt. 6:33 NIVO). Your life and the gratefulness of all generations of believers who are reading the book of Jeremiah for ourselves today.

I guess there’s good reason we might call him, “Mr. Blessing.”

***

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
32. "Do Not Go to Egypt" - Jeremiah 42:1-44:30

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“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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