Call to Commitment

 

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. 

I think we should continue to examine this “small-god” concept that we began in the last chapter, to see if we can learn more about the relation between it and the behavior that stems from it. The purpose before us, then, is to capture the relationship between a perception of God and the way people pass their time on earth. Paul has much to say on this subject in Romans 1. For instance, in verse 23 and 24 he said that mankind “changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man – and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness…” We should be able to see in these two verses, a low concept of God, followed by a perverse lifestyle. He shows the same cause and effect in verses 25 and 26 and finally demonstrates the same in a single verse, which is 28. I hope you will take time to look into these three declarations.

 As Christians, I trust that we are looking for the exact opposite, a life lived in obedience to God for His glory, stemming from a wholehearted, deep search for Him by scriptural illumination. Ah, brother or sister, we want to dig into the treasure house of Scripture until, through the Holy Spirit, we discover the awesome nature of the Lord, become intense worshipers, finding the purpose of our existence.  I assume that any believer, involved in a study of Jeremiah, is doing so with that aim in mind. At the same time, do I have to remind you that there are Christians, who live superficially, because they have never dug into His attributes. 

 We only have two obedient men of God in this chapter, whom we would like to emulate: Jeremiah and, to a lesser degree, Baruch. However, one of the ways, in which we can be motivated to a God-centered lifestyle, is by observing the low concept and its consequences from people on the opposite end of the spectrum. We have plenty of them, not only in this portion, but in the entire book. 

 As the chapter begins, Jeremiah just finished the message that God gave to him, after he had been looking to Him in prayer for ten days. The first thing that comes to my attention, which we cannot ignore in the first verse, is that God twice comes to them as their God. The Lord yearns to claim these people, who have been left in Judah, after many of their countrymen have been transported to Babylon. It is in response to Jeremiah going to prayer for them. The Lord sends the prophet back to them. God’s patience and mercy is beyond description.

 Now, we have to see the people’s response, which is so typical, not only of the Jews, but of all humanity throughout history. We do not find the name, Azariah, anywhere else in the book, but very probably, he is another captain, and then we have the protagonist, throughout these pages, Johanan. The adjective that best describes this body of people is that they are proud: “All the proud men.” The fact that mankind is proud, gives us the characteristic most responsible for his self-destruction and the ruination of his soul. Pride is evil, and it is behind all the obnoxious things that he thinks and says. I cannot overemphasize the damage that pride causes, nor am I capable to sufficiently present the case against it. To be sure, God hates it! 

 The fact that they have little appreciation for the sovereignty of God, stands out clearly in their response to Jeremiah. Pride raises its ugly head, exalting the viewpoint of this small remnant of a defeated army and populace of Judah, over the prophet and all of heaven. “We’re right and you’re wrong!” Understand that the God that they perceive as their own – our God (2) - is not perceived on the same level of the God of verse 1.

 They are not at all disposed to accept His word and they never were. Do you remember their words from the last chapter? “Whether it be pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send you…” (42:6) Add to pride, the fact that these people are liars, who have no fear of saying one thing, and then deciding differently, even though they have also said, “Let the Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the Lord your God send us by you”  (42:5).

 In their stubborn self-will, they find it easy to break their word, so add trucebreakers (2 T.3:3), also, to their disgusting lack of character. The most fearful thing, behind all these traits, is that they are defying an almighty and holy God. We did not have to go far into this chapter, before their low concept of God comes to the surface. We will soon see that they will behave accordingly.

 They must find a reason for their sudden reversal in disobeying the counsel of God, so they lay the blame on the prophet. If they will not listen to God, they will discredit His spokesmen. They say that it was not God that he listened to, even after ten days of prayer, but Baruch. You remember Baruch, don’t you? I enjoyed studying that man, who worked closely with Jeremiah, in writing a book. He was not a servant of Jeremiah, but a man of influence, an equal on the human level. Although a disciple of the prophet, he seemed to have a relationship, resembling that of Paul and Timothy. He was so zealous in bringing God’s word to His people, especially to the high officials in Jehoiakim’s court. However, for these hypocrites to be right, someone else must be wrong, and so they try to discredit Jeremiah and Baruch (3).

 This is a prime example of people, who disobey God and fall into sin. Like Jonah, His way does not appeal to them and they want to escape. This will not end well (4). Their only way back to Egypt is by disobedience and sin. The ways of God and the ways of man do not run parallel, and there is no chance of going the way of self and God’s way at the same time. “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord” (Is.55:8). Therefore, He says, “Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord” (Is.55:7). Let every person know that he must leave his ways, in order to return to the Lord (5).

False leaders, walking according to the will of the flesh, always want a congregation. They will look for a following to gather around them. These were rightfully Gedaliah’s people that Ishmael stole away. Johanan and his captains chased Ishmael away, and took the people with them (6). They promised to follow God, but they ended up in Egypt, a type of the life of sin, trusting in the world (7).

 

 

Jeremiah prophecies that Nebuchaddnezzar will come to Egypt

 8.      Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, 

 9.      "Take large stones in your hand, and hide them in the sight of the men of Judah, in the clay in the brick courtyard which is at the entrance to Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes; 

 10.  and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will send and bring Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden. And he will spread his royal pavilion over them. 

 11.  When he comes, he shall strike the land of Egypt and deliver to death those appointed for death, and to captivity those appointed for captivity, and to the sword those appointed for the sword. 

 12.  I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt, and he shall burn them and carry them away captive. And he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd puts on his garment, and he shall go out from there in peace. 

 13.  He shall also break the sacred pillars of Beth Shemesh that are in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians he shall burn with fire." ' "  

 They went into Egypt “as far as Tahpanhes,” named after a historic queen.; they were not satisfied only to be in Egypt, they went to the resident city of the king and got deeply involved. Joseph, on the other hand, separated his people in Goshen. When the plagues fell upon Egypt, the land of Goshen was spared (8).

 Jeremiah is sent to the brick courtyard and Pharaoh’s house also was made of bricks. When the Jews see it, will any of them remember that their ancestors fed the brick kiln as slaves? As his people watched, Jeremiah hid stones under the bricks (9). The prophecy followed the illustration: Nebuchadnezzar would come to Egypt and set up his throne over those foundation stones. It was a sign that Pharaoh would fall, and the emperor would conquer.

 The Lord said that Nebuchadnezzar was His servant (10). This great empire would serve the Lord’s purposes in that day, as well as in His eternal plan in the history of the world. The emperor saw it in a dream and Daniel did, as well. It was a key point in prophecy.