The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Jeremiah 41-44
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 8: Exile: God Disciplines His People
Background Information: Jeremiah 41-44
Ishmael, a member of the royal line, continued to stubbornly disobey God in spite of the Babylonian conquest. He killed the appointed governor, some worshippers from the north, and some Babylonian soldiers. Johanan, a military commander among the remnant who had remained in Judah, was afraid of Babylonian retribution, so he wanted to flee with some of the remnant to Egypt. When a nation has been conquered, you would expect bad actors to rise up in the chaos. You would expect confusion and fear in the face of all the unknown. What Scripture shows us next is somewhat unexpected. In spite of all of God’s warnings, in spite of all of their suffering, the people had not changed. Johanan went to Jeremiah, who had proven to be a reliable spokesman for God. He asked Jeremiah to advise them concerning the will of God for the next steps. His words to Jeremiah appear to communicate readiness to hear and obey the Lord (Jeremiah 42:5). It sounds, at first glance, like they had finally learned to submit to the will of God. Jeremiah told them to stay put under Babylonian rule. He told them that If they stayed, they would live, but if they went to Egypt, then all that they had hoped to escape would follow them there. Their response was, “You are a liar!” and they fled to Egypt, taking Jeremiah (against his will) with them. Historically, we know that Nebuchadnezzar would, in a few years, send a punitive military unit into Egypt to punish the rebels. They could not hide from God and the tool of his judgment. Incredibly, when Jeremiah confronted them in Egypt about their continued idolatry, they attributed their suffering to the fact that they had not been idolatrous enough. They said that they had done well when they worshipped the pagan goddess, and it was when they stopped that the real trouble began. This is exasperating to read. It may seem impossible that people could be this stubborn and this stupid. But consider that these events happened over many years; we all have very short memories. How many times in your life have you experienced the negative consequences of sin and have sworn you will never say, think, or do that again? How many times has time, numbed you to sin and its consequences? How many times have you have gone back to those same old sinful patterns? Be exasperated as you read, but also be grateful for the gospel and ongoing forgiveness for our ongoing foolishness.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for refugees in our city looking for housing. Ask God to provide and pray for those serving these refugee families to have opportunities to share the truth of Jesus.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.