Read Jeremiah 40
Jeremiah Freed
40 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. 2 When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, “The Lord your God decreed this disaster for this place. 3 And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinnedagainst the Lord and did not obey him. 4 But today I am freeing you 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.” 5 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. 6 So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.
Gedaliah Assassinated
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, 8 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 Maakathite, and their men. 9 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. 10 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 olive oil, and put them in your storage jars, and live in the towns you have taken over.”
11 When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom and all the other countriesheard 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, 12 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.
13 Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.
15 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?”
16 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.”
Go Deeper
Many times in the midst of chaos, we look to everything except the Lord. Many times in chaos we follow anything except God’s plan. Jeremiah 40 shows us how following and trusting God’s plan allows us to receive the peace and blessings of God during moments of chaos. This chapter opens with an interesting encounter between Jeremiah and Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard for the Babylonian army. Nebuzaradan is releasing Jeremiah from his chains, Jeremiah was captured with the others following the fall of Jerusalem, and tells Jeremiah “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 (v. 2-3).” Nebuzaradan was not a follower of God, but he still recognized that judgment comes if you continually turn your back on God.
Following Jeremiah’s release from the chains of captivity, Nebuzaradan gives him a choice. Jeremiah can go to Babylon and live a life under the care of Nebuzaradan, or stay with the people that rejected Jeremiah’s message from God. Nebuzaradan is offering Jeremiah the chance of a lifetime. You can come with me and have everything you can imagine, or stay with the people that rejected you. Jeremiah chooses to live among the poor and those left in the land of Judah. This shows us a lot about the character of Jeremiah. He is not a vindictive person instead he is a person that has chosen to continue to deliver God’s message to the people of Judah.
Jeremiah chooses to continue to trust in God’s plan. He chooses to stay in the land of his people under the provision of God. Jeremiah 40:5 tells us that Nebuzaradan gives Jeremiah provisions and a present and that Jeremiah goes to Mizpah to live under the leadership of the new governor, Gedaliah.
While in Mizpah the remnants of the people left in the land of Judah came together. Many of these people were the ones that fled Jerusalem during the siege from the Babylonians. Now they have gathered together and Gedaliah reassures them that they need to serve the Babylonians and everything will be good again. Another amazing scene unfolds as the people are told to harvest wine, summer fruit and olive oil. This not only shows God is once again blessing the people, but also shows us a time of rejuvenation following very hard times for the people.
Jeremiah 40 goes on to show us how following God’s plan always works out as a blessing for us. Paul writes in Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Jeremiah is an example of this. His message is rejected by the people, God’s judgment comes to the people, and in the end Jeremiah is back in his homeland and enjoying the blessings of God.
Questions
- What does this chapter teach us about following God’s plan?
- How can we apply Jeremiah’s trust in God to our lives?
- If you had to make the same choice as Jeremiah, what would you have done?
Pray This
Father, help us to follow your plan without hesitation or doubt. In Proverbs you tell us to trust with all our hearts and you will direct our paths, please help us to do that daily.
Amen.
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5 thoughts on “Jeremiah 40”
Often I hear someone tell me or others “God closed that door”. But when things are hard pressed for the called to do something courageous and dangerous, it is obviously a struggle, a battle and looks basically foolish to others and this was so seen in Jeremiah’s life warning them to come back to God.
The character of Jeremiah is exemplary as one who stayed true to his God ordained path in spite of intense rejection. When what he has prophesied comes to pass, he doesn’t gloat or celebrate but humbly joins the exiles as they are deported from their homeland. But God sees his faithful obedience and provides both honor and favor to him. He was freed to live anywhere he wanted and displays humility as he chooses to make his home with the poor remnant left in Judah. His heart was so in tune with God that his earthly residence wasn’t his end goal, pleasing the Father was. We are hard wired to be self-centered grasping for anything that satisfies our flesh. What if instead we humbled ourselves and sought the Lord? It would bring a radical, deeply satisfying life that could change the world. May we, like Jeremiah, be obsessed with making our hearts a home where Christ is wanted, honored and appreciated.
BUT GOD being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us Ephesians verse 4 and then back to 3. among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind,.4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us
BUT GOD being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Eph 2:4-7
BUT GOD was there and showed Jeremiah His mercy, blessings and freedom. We have so much and take it all for granted so well. We fall and get up, fall again, get up again. We stumble and what then, we begin again. John Mark Comer stated “You must daily hold before your mind and imagination the beauty and possiblity of life in the kingdom of God.” Begin again, in the minutes of this day. “When you fall (and again, we will all fall), repent, yes, but dont get sucked into self-recrimination or shame. Fall back on God’s mercy. Let him pick you back up.”
God You are so rich in mercy towards me and I am so incredibly thankful!! BUT You GOD are always there holding out Your hand to help me up as I fall or stumble. Thank You for Your loving kindnessand grace. Thank You that I have Holy Spirit and that You are helping me stay my course. Thank You for a direct line of communication. God thank You for love goggles to see others as You do, ears to hear and listen to You and those around me. thank You that I speak Your words in these minutes of this day and I am in a constant state of renewing my mind to You and Your Word in Jesus name amen.
Haven’t really thought much about Gedaliah before. Although he represents the enemy, he seems like a reasonable and engaged ruler. Truly concerned for the welfare of those they have conquered!
Our compassionate God is worthy of our trust. We know that His Word will always prove true as well as His promises. Jeremiah pronounced God’s judgement upon the people of his time for their wickedness. He was concerned with false and insincere worship and failure to trust Yahweh. HC is boldly delivering this same message to us. We are a people under the just judgement of God, but Christ restores and reconciles us through His sacrifice on the cross. Praise God. Amen!