Call to Commitment

 

Gold refined in the fire

James 1:2-18

 

Trials and patience

      2.      My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 

            3.      knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 

            4.      But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 

James begins the instruction in his letter by pointing to the benefit that only comes from being put to the test in various ways. He teaches that a Christian should be joyful for it, because it produces patience. In Romans 5:3-4, Paul writes the same, but instead of using the term, count it all joy, he says, we glory in tribulations, and then gives a series of virtues, stemming from tribulation, in which the Christian should glory. He agrees with James in that it will work patience, then goes on to say that patience works character, and that in turn produces hope: “We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” 

 Peter uses the same term as James, various trials, which in themselves are not pleasant, but he views it as the testing of faith: “Now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire” (1 P.1:6,7). He compares it to the refining of gold by fire, which is done to take out its impurities, leaving it in its purest form. Therefore, tests are not given to see how much the believer can endure, but rather one which brings him into a higher, purer level of faith.

 The writer of Hebrews agrees with Peter that the immediate reaction to trouble is not joy, but pain: “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (He.12:11). Discipline is not necessarily a punishment for wrongdoing, but something that God works in us, because of the benefit that will result. We must learn to “count it all joy” in trials, concentrating on the benefits that can only be obtained through them.

 The apostles give us a perfect example of the principle of being joyful in tribulation, after they came back from the council, before whom they were whipped. They did not feel good, as they received the blows on their body, but “they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Ac.5:41). We learn from all these sources - Paul, Peter, Hebrews, the apostles in Acts, as well as James - that there are priceless treasures, produced by various trials. Knowing of them, we can find joy, when we go through them. Mark Mathes wrote the following words in a beautiful song:

“Sometimes it takes a mountain, sometimes a troubled sea,

Sometimes it takes a desert to get ahold of me;

Your love is so much stronger that whatever troubles me,

Sometimes it takes a mountain to trust You and believe.”

 Beginning with this introduction, we launch an expositional study of the general epistle of James. We will try to follow with a study in 1 & 2 Peter, 2 & 3 John, and Jude. We hope you will desire to enter this study, as students of Scripture, and as true Christians, hungry for the "milk of the word". Please open the map below to a larger vew, to be able to see the key in green, red and yellow of the three dispersions of the Jews.

Dispersion to Assyria, Babylon and in Acts

Introduction

 

Who was James?

“James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord  Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings” (James 1:1).

  The first verse itself of James’ letter provides the introduction to it, giving us the author and the people, to whom he wrote. The purpose of the letter will develop throughout the book, as the author addresses the needs of the Jewish Christians. The needs and desires of Christians down through the ages, give us reason to study its chapters for our profit, regardless of our personal backgrounds. The Holy Spirit places the book of James within the canon of Scripture for the edification of the church throughout its history.

 James introduces himself in the very first word, but to discover the author, we must identify him among the various men called James in the New Testament. That task is not entirely simple. First, we must eliminate the original disciple, James, the brother of John and son of Zebedee. We read of his martyrdom in Acts 12:1 and 2: “Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.” 

 This took place about 11 years after the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. At that time, Herod imprisoned Peter, who was supernaturally released by an angel, as the believers prayed for him. He appeared at the door of Mary, the mother of John Mark, without entering, but asked them to relay his liberation to “James and to the brethren” (Ac.12:17). This James, the writer, lived on, after James, the brother of John, was killed.

 There is another James among the twelve that Jesus appointed, often called James, the Less. He is identified as the son of Alphaeus and called the Less, probably because of the prominence of James, the son of Zebedee. He was the son of Alphaeus, certainly not the son of Joseph, the carpenter, as was the author of the book that we are about to study.

 Jesus’ townspeople mentioned his half-brothers by name, James, Joses, Judas, and Simon, as well as referring to His sisters. They thought that Jesus was the son of the carpenter (Joseph) and Mary (Mt.13:55-56), not recognizing His divine conception. Paul identifies James, in his letter to the Galatians, as a pillar in the Jerusalem church: “When James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars…” (Gal.2:9). He also identified James as an apostle and Jesus’ brother: “I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother” (Gal.1:19). He is the writer of this book.

 

 

 

The Fall of Jerusalem Recounted

1.      Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 

2.      He also did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 

3.      For because of the anger of the LORD this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, till He finally cast them out from His presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 

4.      Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the   month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around. 

5.      So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 

6.      By the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. 

7.      Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled and went out of the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden, even though the Chaldeans were near the city all around. And they went by way of the plain. 

8.      But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him. 

9.      So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he pronounced judgment on him. 

10.  Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. And he killed all the princes of Judah in Riblah. 

11.  He also put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in bronze fetters, took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death. 

12.  Now in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month (which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 

13.  He burned the house of the LORD and the king's house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire. 

14.  And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls of Jerusalem all around. 

15.  Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poor people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen. 

16.  But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers. 

17.  The bronze pillars that were in the house of the LORD, and the carts and the bronze Sea that were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried all their bronze to Babylon. 

18.  They also took away the pots, the shovels, the trimmers, the bowls, the spoons, and all the bronze utensils with which the priests ministered.

19.  The basins, the firepans, the bowls, the pots, the lampstands, the spoons, and the cups, whatever was solid gold and whatever was solid silver, the captain of the guard took away. 

20.  The two pillars, one Sea, the twelve bronze bulls which were under it, and the carts, which King Solomon had made for the house of the LORD the bronze of all these articles was beyond measure. 

21.  Now concerning the pillars: the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, a measuring line of twelve cubits could measure its circumference, and its thickness was four fingers; it was hollow. 

22.  A capital of bronze was on it; and the height of one capital was five cubits, with a network and pomegranates all around the capital, all of bronze. The second pillar, with pomegranates was the same. 

23.  There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates, all around on the network, were one hundred.

At the end of chapter 51, we are informed that Jeremiah has finished his book. This chapter is added later. It is also evident that Jeremiah was not alive to give the account concerning King Jehoiachin, at the end of this chapter, 37 years after the king was taken into captivity. It is, then, an appendix to the book, some think probably written by Ezra.

 It begins with a short biography of King Zedekiah, then recounts the story of the defeat of Jerusalem, from verse 4 to 16, already related by Jeremiah in chapter 39. You may want to return to that chapter to review my comments about this event. Various details are given throughout the book of Jeremiah and this account is also written in 2 Kings 24 and 25. 

 

Babylon mound

Chapter 51

 

The Lord orders the righteous fall of Babylon

 1.      Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, Against those who dwell in Leb Kamai, A destroying wind. 

2.      And I will send winnowers to Babylon, Who shall winnow her and empty her land. For in the day of doom They shall be against her all around. 

 3.      Against her let the archer bend his bow, And lift himself up against her in his armor. Do not spare her young men; Utterly destroy all her army. 

 4.      Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, And those thrust through in her streets. 

The judgment of Babylon is given major attention at the end of this book of Jeremiah, more than any other foreign nation. Babylon plays a major role, throughout the book, as the conqueror of Judah and as their captors. It was a mighty empire, the head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a great image, interpreted by Daniel, to be the prominent, over the three empires that follow.

 The Omniscient knows the history of this city and, beyond its physical majesty in Jeremiah’s day, is concerned with its spiritual roots. The spirit in its roots carries on down through the centuries, even after physical Babylon is in ruins, and survives nearly to the end of time. The Babylon of the book of Revelation is certainly not literal Babylon, but a city which continues in the spirit of ancient Babylon, representing its idolatrous religion, its economy, and its politics. This is the story behind these two lengthy chapters in Jeremiah.

 The city was founded by Nimrod, who also built Nineveh, capital of the Assyrian Empire (Ge.10:10-11). Nimrod was grandson of Ham and great-grandson of Noah. Being the builder of cities, which became so prominent in the earth, we can understand why he was given special attention, above his brothers, in Genesis 10:7-8. “He was a mighty one in the earth,” well-known in the primitive world after the flood, and mentioned in an ancient proverb: “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.” (Ge.10:9).

 Matthew Henry comments that “the first builders of cities, both in the old world, and in the new world here, were not men of the best character and reputation: tents served God’s subjects to dwell in; cities were first built by those that were rebels.” Nimrod’s position before the Lord, was not a favorable one, but that of a renowned rebel, who defied God. He was a hunter of men, not animals, meaning that he persecuted them to gain rulership over them. He set up his own government and his own idolatrous religion and so, Babylon became the Mother of Harlots (Rv.17:5). Nimrod, in some way, was involved in the construction of Babel, later called Babylon. Even from its inception, it was a center of humanistic ideology (Ge.11:1-7): “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves.” This ideology has come into play in our day: “Man, you can do anything that you set your heart on. Dream big dreams!” That is the language of humanism and of Antichrist. 

Ruins of ancient Babylon

Chapter 50

 

The value of faithful reporting

 1.      The word that the LORD spoke against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet. 

 2.      "Declare among the nations, Proclaim, and set up a standard; Proclaim—do not conceal it—Say, 'Babylon is taken, Bel is shamed. Merodach is broken in pieces; Her idols are humiliated, Her images are broken in pieces.' 

 3.      For out of the north a nation comes up against her, Which shall make her land desolate, And no one shall dwell therein. They shall move, they shall depart, Both man and beast. 

 A principle is taught in this chapter that we will attempt to learn. Paul encounters it and a false interpretation of it in Romans, because he taught that “by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Ro.3:20). Since we are justified without doing good works, some Jews interpreted Paul’s teaching to mean, "Let us do evil that good may come"? (Ro.3:8). The questions follow, ‘Is the glory of God promoted by sin? If so, should man be counted guilty for his sin? If not, then should he do all the sinning that he can, in order that God be glorified?’ Paul says that this is not gospel teaching; it is ridiculous, damnable doctrine, and Paul shows that God will righteously judge sin. It is true to a certain point that man’s sin does amplify the holiness of God, but He does not, for this reason, excuse it, but He will bring judgment upon it.

 Similarly, we have seen in these chapters in Jeremiah, that God has called evil Nebuchadnezzar His servant, because He has used him to carry out His judgment upon many nations, including Judah, because of their sin. The prophet advised Judah to submit to the emperor and they would find protection and even prosperity in Babylon. Serving and exalting God in His justice, is he to be excused from his own evil deeds? No, we will now see that Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon will be judged, because of their own sin.

 It is clearly factual that God has allowed the enemy, Satan, to exist for a reason. As an example, we read how he was permitted to test Job (Job 1:12, 2:6). God gave Paul a messenger of Satan to buffet him, “lest I should be exalted above measure” (2 Co.12:7). In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul teaches that the Lord will permit that Antichrist deceive the world, “because they did not receive the love of the truth… God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth” (2 Th.2:11,12). After he has played his part, Antichrist will be thrown into the Lake of Fire (Rev.19:20). God allowed a lying spirit to deceive the prophets of Ahab, to destroy the evil king (1 K.22:20-22). So, the Lord is sovereign over the kingdom of darkness, utilizes it to perform His will, then condemns it to everlasting fire. 

 

Ammon, Edom (Moab, Philistia)

 Chapter 49

 

 Ammon, son of Lot (Verses 1 – 6)

 1. Against the Ammonites. Thus says the LORD: "Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then does Milcom inherit Gad, And his people dwell in its cities?

 2.      Therefore behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "That I will cause to be heard an alarm of war In Rabbah of the Ammonites; It shall be a desolate mound, And her villages shall be burned with fire. Then Israel shall take possession of his inheritance," says the LORD. 

 3.      "Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is plundered! Cry, you daughters of Rabbah, Gird yourselves with sackcloth! Lament and run to and fro by the walls; For Milcom shall go into captivity With his priests and his princes together. 

  4.      Why do you boast in the valleys, Your flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? Who trusted in her treasures, saying, 'Who will come against me?' 

  5.      Behold, I will bring fear upon you," Says the Lord GOD of hosts, "From all those who are around you; You shall be driven out, everyone headlong, And no one will gather those who wander off.  

6.      But afterward I will bring back The captives of the people of Ammon," says the LORD. 

Genesis 19 tells the story of Lot, first of all, how angels rescued him from Sodom (1-22). It goes on to tell of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (23-29) and finally relates the story that concerns us in this chapter and the one before it (30-38). We remember how Lot was blessed in the Promised Land, his possessions multiplying, until there was not room in the land for both Abraham and him. Abraham advised him to choose a land for himself and Lot chose the plain of the Jordan River, but in his nomadic lifestyle, he journeyed as far east as Sodom, an extremely sinful city.

 God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot flees for his life, along with his daughters, but his wife looked back to the city, where they had left all their possessions, and she was consumed by the destruction. Again, remember that Jesus instructed us concerning the danger, which is also sin, of looking back towards our former lifestyle and fortune… “Remember Lot’s wife”.  Lot is afraid of the mountain country, where his safety lies, and begs the angels to let him reside in Zoar, at the end of the valley. However, in time, Lot’s fear of Zoar, was greater than his fear of the mountains, so the three went to live in a mountain cave, apparently stripped of all his possessions.

 This man, who had prospered so wonderfully in Canaan, now lives in a cave, destitute of flocks, herds, tents or servants. His chosen land, with its cities, has been destroyed. In the last chapter, we learned of the plot of the daughters of Lot, who persuaded their father to drink until he became totally drunken. It was this part of the sin, with which he cooperated.  Perhaps, it was not difficult for him, after he was brought to poverty. 

 

From Nebu, Moses viewed the Promised Land

Chapter 48

 

(Verses 1 -9)

   1.   Against Moab. Thus says the LORD of hosts the God of Israel: "Woe to Nebo! For it is plundered,  Kirjathaim is shamed and taken; The high stronghold is shamed and dismayed—

   2.     No more praise of Moab. In Heshbon they have devised evil against her: ‘Come, and let us cut her off as a nation.’ You also shall be cut down, O Madmen! The sword shall pursue you;

  3.      A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim: ‘Plundering and great destruction!’ 

  4.      “Moab is destroyed; Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard; 

  5.      For in the Ascent of Luhith they ascend with continual weeping; For in the descent of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction. 

  6.      “Flee, save your lives! And be like the juniper in the wilderness. 

  7.      For because you have trusted in your works and your treasures, You also shall be taken. And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, His priests and his princes together. 

  8.      And the plunderer shall come against every city; No one shall escape. The valley also shall perish, And the plain shall be destroyed, As the LORD has spoken. 

  9.      “Give wings to Moab, That she may flee and get away; For her cities shall be desolate, Without any to dwell in them.         

Lot’s wife left him no sons, but only two daughters. On the day that she looked back upon wicked Sodom, the liquid lava of its destruction reached her (Ge.19:26). The Lord Himself told of the future days of Jacob’s trouble and the danger of delay, in looking back upon lost possessions, adding, “Remember Lot’s wife” (Lk.17:32). His daughters, concerned about remaining unmarried for the rest of their lives, as well as the preservation of their family name, planned an incestuous relationship with their father (although the law of incest was not in play until Moses). The result was a son to the oldest daughter, named Moab. The son of Abraham’s nephew, Lot, was the patriarch of this nation, east of Israel (Ge.19:37).

Moab was bordered by Ammon, the nation descended from his brother, as well as the Canaanite nation of the Amorites, on the north and, Edom, descended from Jacob’s son, Esau, on the south. Towards the end of the Israelite journey in the wilderness, a Moabite king, Balak, hired a prophet, Balaam, to curse Israel (Nu.22:36-24:25). This attempt failed miserably, Balaam blessing Israel instead, four times, but a plot to entrap Israel into fornication and idolatry, did not fail. As a result, 24,000 Israelites died under God’s judgment, by a plague (Nu.25:1-9). 

Modern Gaza City. Population: 600,000

                                Chapter 47

1.      The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before Pharaoh attacked Gaza. 

2.      Thus says the LORD: "Behold, waters rise out of the north, And shall be an overflowing flood; They shall overflow the land and all that is in it, The city and those who dwell within; Then the men shall cry, And all the inhabitants of the land shall wail.

3.      At the noise of the stamping hooves of his strong horses, At the rushing of his chariots, At the rumbling of his wheels, The fathers will not look back for their children, Lacking courage,

4.      Because of the day that comes to plunder all the Philistines, To cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains; For the LORD shall plunder the Philistines, The remnant of the country of Caphtor. 

5.      Baldness has come upon Gaza, Ashkelon is cut off With the remnant of their valley. How long will you cut yourself? 

6.      "O you sword of the LORD, How long until you are quiet? Put yourself up into your scabbard, Rest and be still! 

7.      How can it be quiet, Seeing the LORD has given it a charge Against Ashkelon and against the seashore? There He has appointed it." 

 The judgment of the Philistines takes its proper place after Egypt, because they follow the great empire, along with its Pharaohs, as enemies of Israel. Egypt dominated and enslaved the nation, but the Philistines were an enemy near at hand, on their southwest border, continually harassing and threatening them. The history of Israel is intertwined with that of the Philistines.

 

Pharaoh Necho

                                    Chapter 46

 

 Preparation of the Egyptian army for war

        1.      The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the nations. 

 2.      Against Egypt. Concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, which was by the River Euphrates in Carchemish, and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: 

 3.      "Order the buckler and shield, And draw near to battle! 

 4.      Harness the horses, And mount up, you horsemen! Stand forth with your helmets, Polish the spears, Put on the armor! 

 5.      Why have I seen them dismayed and turned back? Their mighty ones are beaten down; They have speedily fled, And did not look back, For fear was all around," says the LORD. 

 6.      "Do not let the swift flee away, Nor the mighty man escape; They will stumble and fall Toward the north, by the River Euphrates. 

 7.      "Who is this coming up like a flood, Whose waters move like the rivers? 

 8.      Egypt rises up like a flood, And its waters move like the rivers; And he says, 'I will go up and cover the earth, I will destroy the city and its inhabitants.' 

 9.      Come up, O horses, and rage, O chariots! And let the mighty men come forth: The Ethiopians and the Libyans who handle the shield, And the Lydians who handle and bend the bow. 

We say so often that the Scriptures are the revelation of God and He is revealed in them in myriads of ways. I would like to mention three great topics, among many, which we have encountered in the book of Jeremiah that describe His ways. I mentioned one in the last chapter: 1) There are prophecies to the individual, as the word to Baruch, earlier to the Ethiopian eunuch, proving the Lord’s interest in each person. 2) In the following chapters, we will study prophecies to other nations, besides Israel, to show that God is the Lord of the whole earth and is interested in every nation. 3) We will notice in the way this book ends in chapter 52:31-34, that God wants to leave the reader on a positive note. He not only does this at the end of Jeremiah, but it is His practice throughout the Bible. The Lord wants to show that He is very compassionate and merciful, as James describes Job’s final days on earth, in the last chapter of his letter (Jm.5:11).

 Beginning in this chapter and continuing through chapter 51, Jeremiah joins with Isaiah and Ezekiel in giving several prophecies to nations outside of Israel. Daniel´s prophecies, as well, were on an international level, particularly aimed at four world powers – Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. Let’s not forget that Jonah and Nahum’s word was exclusively for Nineveh, capital of the Assyrian Empire. Obadiah’s word was for Edom and other prophecies to foreign nations are interspersed in the minor prophets.

 To outline the rest of the book, this chapter concerns Egypt; chapter 47, the Philistines, Tyre and Sidon. In chapter 48, there is a prophecy for Moab and chapter 49 concerns a variety of nations… Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, and Elam. Chapters 50 and 51 have to do with Babylon and finally, chapter 52, reiterates the conquest of Jerusalem. Then, there is a remarkable ending to the book, the Holy Spirit being careful not to end the book without mentioning King Jehoiachin’s release from a Babylonian prison, and brought to the emperor’s table for the rest of his days. 

 

Charles Spurgeon

Chapter 45

 

A personal word, recorded for all to heed    

  1.      The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the instruction of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, 

2.      "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: 

       3.      'You said, "Woe is me now! For the LORD has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my                                 sighing, and I find no rest." ' 

4.      "Thus you shall say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land.      

5.    And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh," says the LORD. "But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go." ' "

This chapter goes back to the time, when wicked Jehoiakim reigned in Judah and the Lord instructed Jeremiah to write his prophecies in a book. To briefly review the account in chapter 36, we will recall that the prophet dictated to Baruch all that the Lord had given to him concerning the future of Judah. The work took at least nine months, and up to a year or more to finish, because it began in the fourth year of Jehoiakim and Baruch read from it in the fifth year and ninth month.  You may remember that the king burnt the first work, so Jeremiah and Baruch wrote it the second time. It has been preserved from that time to the present, and in 2023, we study and learn from it.

 This short chapter is a word specifically for Baruch, God showing concern for an individual. It is comforting to know that this is true and is proven throughout the Bible. The Lord, not only watches over the nation of Israel, but moves in the lives of each individual. Sometimes His word to them is written, more often it is simply a private benefit for each person. At the end of the Gospel of John, we have a written account of Jesus dealing with Peter. John follows, as Peter walks with Jesus, and Peter asks, “What about this man?” The Lord shows to him, that His work in the life of another person, is not anyone else’s concern, answering, “What is that to you? You follow Me” (Jn.21:21-22). The portion should be a great encouragement for the least of His followers, proving that God takes personal interest in him.

 God’s word to Baruch, on the other hand, is a lesson for the world of God’s people to know, because it is written in the Bible, so we will learn from it today. It gives us an idea of Baruch’s attitude in the difficult time of King Jehoiakim and God’s counsel to him (1 and 2). Baruch is a man with potential to achieve success in life.  

 

Pharaoh Hophra (Louvre Museum)

Chapter 44

 

 The Lord reminds the Jews in Egypt of the calamity in Jerusalem

  1.      The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who dwell in the land of Egypt who dwell at Migdol, at Tahpanhes, at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying, 

 2.      "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'You have seen all the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and on all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are a desolation, and no one dwells in them,

3.      because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke Me to anger, in that they went to burn incense and to serve other gods whom they did not know, they nor you nor your fathers. 

 4.      However I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, "Oh, do not do this abominable thing that I hate!" 

 5.      But they did not listen or incline their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense to other gods. 

 6.      So My fury and My anger were poured out and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as it is this day.' 

 7.      "Now therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, out of Judah, leaving none to remain, 

 8.      in that you provoke Me to wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to dwell, that you may cut yourselves off and be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?

I find the timeline of events that occur interesting, as this chapter begins, so please allow me to review them. The biblical account is very precise, dating the final conquest of Jerusalem, as having taken place on the 11^th year, the 4^th month and 9^th day of the reign of Zedekiah. The date in World History is not as precise, but certainly gives reasonably accurate times concerning these events. Historically, Jerusalem was overcome in 590-586 B.C.

 Almost immediately, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah governor of Judah. Only two months later, he was murdered by Ishmael, who took with him the important people left in Gedaliah´s care. The captains of Judah’s army, led by Johanan, pursued Ishmael, failing to capture him, but were able to free the prisoners. These people, including the royal princesses, daughters of Zedekiah, became his followers. Temporarily they went to live near Bethlehem, in a place called Chimham. 

 

See the city of Tahpenhes, marked in red

                                   Chapter 43

 

Johanan rejects Jeremiah’s prophecy

  1.       Now it happened, when Jeremiah had stopped speaking to all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, all these words, 

 2.      that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, "You speak falsely! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.' 

 3.      But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon." 

 4.      So Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces, and all the people would not obey the voice of the LORD, to remain in the land of Judah. 

 5.      But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to dwell in the land of Judah, from all nations where they had been driven— 

 6.      men, women, children, the king's daughters, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah. 

 7.      So they went to the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the LORD. And they went as far as Tahpanhes. 

 

A pretended search for God’s will

 1.      Now all the captains of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah, Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, came near 

 2.      and said to Jeremiah the prophet, "Please, let our petition be acceptable to you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, for all this remnant (since we are left but a few of many, as you can see), 

 3.      that the LORD your God may show us the way in which we should walk and the thing we should do." 

 4.      Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, "I have heard. Indeed, I will pray to the LORD your God according to your words, and it shall be, that whatever the LORD answers you, I will declare it to you. I will keep nothing back from you." 

 5.      So they said to Jeremiah, "Let the LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the LORD your God sends us by you. 

 6.      Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God." 

 7.      And it happened after ten days that the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah. 

 8.      Then he called Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, 

 9.      and said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition before Him: 

This is the third chapter that has to do with the captains of Judah´s army. Ishmael is not among them now, but is with the Ammonites. The protagonist, whom we have studied, is Johanan and we have watched his character develop. In the beginning, he acted as a good patriot and uncovered Ishmael´s evil plot. He was rejected by the Governor Gedaliah, who died, because he refused to believe and react according to the word of Johanan. We have mentioned previously that rejection of his counsel and the vindication, when it proved valid, had a negative effect on the captain. The rejection produced bitterness and the vindication unveiled pride, and now we will see how these characteristics influence him.

 After the governor died, Jeremiah´s word was highly valued in Judah, which, of course, is now living under the Babylonian conquest. Jeremiah was respected by the emperor and other Babylonian officials. In the last chapter, we observed that Johanan feared repercussions from Nebuchadnezzar, because of the assassination of the governor that he had appointed (41:18). Would he blame all the captains for the deed of Ishmael? 

 

Ancient cistern at ruins of Mizpah

Chapter 41

 

Ishmael’s nonsensical massacres            

  1.      Now it came to pass in the seventh month that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family and of the officers of the king, came with ten men to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. And there they ate bread together in Mizpah. 

 2.  Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men who were with him, arose and struck Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, and killed him whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.

 3.      Ishmael also struck down all the Jews who were with him, that is, with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of war. 

 4.      And it happened, on the second day after he had killed Gedaliah, when as yet no one knew it, 

 5.      that certain men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, eighty men with their beards shaved and their clothes torn, having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD. 

 6.      Now Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went along; and it happened as he met them that he said to them, "Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam!" 

 7.      So it was, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah killed them and cast them into the midst of a pit, he and the men who were with him. 

 8.      But ten men were found among them who said to Ishmael, "Do not kill us, for we have treasures of wheat, barley, oil, and honey in the field." So he desisted and did not kill them among their brethren. 

 9.      Now the pit into which Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had slain, because of Gedaliah, was the same one Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain. 

 10.  Then Ishmael carried away captive all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah, the king's daughters and all the people who remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive and departed to go over to the Ammonites.

The story of Israel´s army captains continues in this chapter in the seventh month of the 11^th year of King Zedekiah. They began to maneuver after Nebuchadnezzar penetrated Jerusalem on the ninth day of the fourth month. This chapter begins over two months after the city was conquered and burnt. At the end of the last chapter, we had just learned, through one of the captains, Johanan, that another captain, Ishmael, is plotting against the new governor, Gedaliah. Gedaliah refused to believe Johanan and was in denial of the evil intended by Ishmael. It is the only fault that we have learned about the governor, but this chapter will expose the seriousness of refusing to face an unpleasant reality. May the people of God take warning, because this trait in Gedaliah led to his death. We do ourselves and the church no favor, by ignoring or tolerating the potential of evil in the human heart.  

Jeremiah taught us that the heart is perverse and deceptive (17:9), something the Lord showed to him and also something that He taught him, providentially, as he observed the fate of his friend, the governor. See how Ishmael took advantage of the naivety in this good man and subtly carried out his conspiracy. He was emboldened, because he possessed royal blood and was held by his conceit, because of his past position in Judah. He comes to Mizpah with ten men to dine with Gedaliah (1).

The governor learned too late that you cannot surmise that everyone has good intentions and will act for the good of his country and people. Unfortunately, many are possessed by an egotistical yearning for power. Please understand that some people with this attitude are inside the church in our day. The apostle John knew of one: “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us” (3 Jn.9). In his second epistle, he warned of dangers that come to believers and the action that must be taken concerning them: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house or greet him” (2 Jn.10). John was not only a great advocate of brotherly love, but a lover of divine truth: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 Jn. 4). Paul wrote that love “rejoices in the truth” (1 Co.13:6).