The People Disobeyed And Went to Egypt
September 4, 2020
Commentary
Isn’t it strange after forty years or more of Jeremiah’s ministry of highest integrity, they dared to say, “You are telling a lie. God didn’t send you” (vv. 1-2). They justified it by blaming someone else. “Baruch did it” (v. 3). The flesh loves to transfer blame. So the people come down to Egypt despite the word of God (vv. 4-5). This people, who had been delivered from Egypt 900 years before the power of God, is now back in Egypt again, back in the land of bondage.
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah down in Egypt, at Tahpanhes (vv. 6-8). The word of God is never bound. The word comes to Jeremiah and tells him again to do one of those strange things which are graphic illustrations of truth. He is to take large stones and hide them in the mortar of the pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, as a testimony to the fact that Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon would come down to Egypt and spread his royal canopy above these stones (vv. 9-10) . The thing they were trying to escape in Judah, they would find in Egypt. This people had a testimony that God would confirm his word to them. They would find in Egypt what they were fleeing from. Later the king will attack Egypt, kill many of its people, set its tempted on fire and either burn or carry off their idols (vv. 11-12). Then Nebuchadnezzar will pick the land clean, just like a shepherd picking the lice off his clothes and he will return safely home (v. 13).
Application
The people decided they were going to move to Egypt no mstter what God said. Lord help me to not be so determined to have my way that I go against God’s way for my life.
Jeremiah 43:1– 13 (NET)
1 Jeremiah finished telling all the people all these things the Lord their God had sent him to tell them. 2 Then Azariah son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah, and other arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie! The Lord our God did not send you to tell us, ‘You must not go to Egypt and settle there.’ 3 But Baruch son of Neriah is stirring you up against us. He wants to hand us over to the Babylonians so that they will kill us or carry us off into exile in Babylon.” 4 So Johanan son of Kareah, all the army officers, and all the rest of the people did not obey the Lord’s command to stay in the land of Judah. 5 Instead Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led off all the Judean remnant who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered. 6 They also led off all the men, women, children, and royal princesses that Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, had left with Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan; this included the prophet Jeremiah and Baruch son of Neriah. 7 They went on to Egypt because they refused to obey the Lord, and came to Tahpanhes.
8 At Tahpanhes the Lord’s message came to Jeremiah: 9 “Take some large stones and bury them in the mortar of the clay pavement at the entrance of Pharaoh’s residence here in Tahpanhes. Do it while the people of Judah present there are watching. 10 Then tell them, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says, “I will bring my servant King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will set his throne over these stones that I have buried. He will pitch his royal tent over them. 11 He will come and attack Egypt. Those who are destined to die of disease will die of disease. Those who are destined to be carried off into exile will be carried off into exile. Those who are destined to die in war will die in war. 12 He will set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt. He will burn their gods or carry them off as captives. He will pick Egypt clean like a shepherd picks the lice from his clothing. He will leave there unharmed. 13 He will demolish the sacred pillars in the temple of the sun in Egypt and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.”’”
Illustration: What Motivates Us to Obey
The Lord takes us all to obedience school. Sometimes, he uses the Law to motivate. But He would much rather use the Gospel to get his people to obey. Both obedience philosophies get results. Basically we are talking about the difference between Law motivation and Gospel motivation. In our lives, sometimes we do things, like hitting the brakes when you see a cop car, that would be obeying out of Law motivation. It is the fear of punishment that motivates you to slow down. But now let’s say that you are driving your children in the car with you. You are so happy for the gift of a family that God has given you, that you want to drive as carefully as possible, and so you don’t even think about breaking the speed limit. That would be Gospel motivation. (Lou Nicholes – Missionary)