#1098 Jeremiah 40 Good and Right

 

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he took him bound in chains along with all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. 2 The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God pronounced this disaster against this place. 3 The Lord has brought it about, and has done as he said. Because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey his voice, this thing has come upon you. 4 Now, behold, I release you today from the chains on your hands. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well, but if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, do not come. See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good and right to go. 5 If you remain, then return to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon appointed governor of the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever you think it right to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go. 6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.

7 When all the captains of the forces in the open country and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land and had committed to him men, women, and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been taken into exile to Babylon, 8 they went to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 9 Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. 10 As for me, I will dwell at Mizpah, to represent you before the Chaldeans who will come to us. But as for you, gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and store them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.” 11 Likewise, when all the Judeans who were in Moab and among the Ammonites and in Edom and in other lands heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as governor over them, 12 then all the Judeans returned from all the places to which they had been driven and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah. And they gathered wine and summer fruits in great abundance.

13 Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and said to him, “Do you know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam would not believe them. 15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah at Mizpah, “Please let me go and strike down Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life, so that all the Judeans who are gathered about you would be scattered, and the remnant of Judah would perish?” 16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “You shall not do this thing, for you are speaking falsely of Ishmael.” Jeremiah 40 ESV

Jeremiah 40 Jeremiah Remains in Judah

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment. Matthew 8: 5-13

1-6. Let him go from Ramah - It would appear that Jeremiah had been mixed in with other captives who were being grouped for deportation.

“Somehow Jeremiah had been rounded up with the others, and when liberated he had been shackled despite Nebuchadnezzar’s orders for considerate treatment.” (Harrison)

The Lord your God - This must be painful, not only for those other captives present, to hear, but also for Jeremiah. He has preached to his own people, but his own did not receive it, yet an enemy of Israel understood the prophecies. The older I get the less "I told you so's" mean to me, even when it comes from the other person's mouth, who cares, it would have been better that neither of us suffered your decisions, and I have made poor choices myself. It is like, "I'm sorry", what good is it to say if I have no intention to change the behavior or stifle my pride?

“A strange speech to come out of such a man’s mouth. How could the captives present hear it, and not be affected with it? Thus Balaam’s ass sometimes rebuked his master’s madness, but to little good effect.” (Trapp)

Go wherever you think it is good and right to go - He is given a choice, and this is very unusual. This is a matter of respect, and it is to a man that is actually concerned with choosing good and right. It is a lot to weigh, and the treatment he has received from his own countrymen has not been as good.

…23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Truly I tell you, you will not reach all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!… Matthew 10: 23-25

7-16. Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans - He is making it clear to these men that he accepts this fate as God's judgment, and is repeating what Jeremiah has been saying for some time.

For you speak falsely of Ishmael - Gedeliah seems to rely here on his own intuition, his past encounters with Ishmael, and he trusts his own assessment. The truly sad thing is that the prophet of the Lord, Jeremiah, lives with him. It is strange that he doesn't seek Jeremiah's advice, or it is not recorded that he asked Jeremiah to go and inquire of the Lord. I really think he goes on his own gut, much like Josiah did when he went against Pharaoh Neco.