Jeremiah 40
-God came and spoke with Jeremiah
after he had been released from Ramah when he had been taken with the exiles
from Jerusalem and Judah. He receives at this time some encouraging words from
Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, because of prophecies, which had
come against the people of Israel due to their sin against the LORD and not
listening to the Voice of God (Jeremiah 40:1-3). Now Jeremiah was being freed
from the chains, and the whole land was before if he wanted. Or, he could go to
Babylon as he was invited to come with the promise that he would looked after.
He was given the choice of what seemed right to him. So in the end, Jeremiah
was given respect and endured in the Promised Land as a true and steadfast man
of God who knew his King and was bold in his character and prophetic word. He
choose to stay with his new freedom and was given a ration and a gift from the
captain of the bodyguard (Jeremiah 40:4-5).
-Then Jeremiah went to Mizpah to
Gedaliah, who became the leader under Nebuchadnezzar in the land of Israel.
Gedaliah encouraged the people to stay in the land and serve the king of
Babylon that it may go well with them. He told them to gather in wine, summer
fruit, and oil for their storage vessels and live in the cities that had been
taken over. All the Jews who were in Moab, Edom, and all the other countries
returned from all the places they had been driven, and they gathered in wine
and summer fruit in great abundance (Jeremiah 40:6-12).
-At this point, Gedaliah gets a
warning from Johanan that the sons of Ammon lead by Baalis was sending a man
named Ishmael to take his life, but Gedaliah did not believe them. Johanan
wanted to protect the appointed leader of the land of Israel and go kill
Ishmael, but Gedaliah thought it to be a lie and refrained him from doing
violence (Jeremiah 40:13-16). *Application* Premonitions and intrigue are
constant in biblical accounts and often in our lives. Listen to the warnings
that people of God are giving you in matters. It could save your life. Gedaliah
dies shortly after this unheeded warning (Jeremiah 41:1-2).
Verse to Memorize: Jeremiah 40:4
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