JEREMIAH LESSON 46


     We will begin this lesson in Jeremiah 43:1 "And it came to pass,
[that] when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people
all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had
sent him to them, [even] all these words,"

     In the last lesson, they had promised Jeremiah that whatever
message he gave them from God, they would follow it completely. Now
God has spoken through Jeremiah a message that is not pleasing to them
at all. The words were not Jeremiah's, but God's.

     Jeremiah 43:2 "Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and
Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto
Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee
to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there:"

     We see since they did not get the answer they wanted, they are
saying God did not send the message. Why did they come to Jeremiah in
the first place, if they did not believe him to be a truthful prophet?
They proclaimed Jeremiah a false prophet, when they said he spoke
falsely. It seemed there was a handful of proud men speaking for all
of them. They should have been aware that Jeremiah's unpopular
prophecies about Judah and Jerusalem had come true. They have no
reason to doubt him, now, except they do not like the message he gave
them. The leaders had already made up their minds to go to Egypt,
before Jeremiah prayed. They did not accept his warning, because it
went against their own desires.

     Jeremiah 43:3 "But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on
against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that
they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon."

     Their fear of the Chaldeans was greater than their fear of God.
Baruch had been a close friend of Jeremiah's. He had acted as
secretary to Jeremiah, when he wrote the prophecies down. There are
two apocryphal books which have been attributed to the pen of Baruch.
Just why Baruch was thought to be for the Chaldeans is uncertain. Even
if he was, Jeremiah would not be influenced, because he is a prophet
of God. Jeremiah's instructions do not come from man, but God. I
believe this was just another excuse, because they wanted to go to
Egypt.

     Jeremiah 43:4 "So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains
of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD,
to dwell in the land of Judah."

     They did exactly what they had sworn they would not do. They went
against God's wishes. They would not live in Judah, as the LORD had
commanded them to.

     Jeremiah 43:5 "But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the
captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were
returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in
the land of Judah;"

     Johanan was their leader, and this time is leading them to
destruction. It is so dangerous to listen to anyone who discredits the
Word of God. God's Word is absolute Truth. We must know enough of
God's Word, so we cannot be fooled into following a false prophet.

     Jeremiah 43:6 "[Even] men, and women, and children, and the
king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzar-adan 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."

     They were just like sheep headed for the slaughter. They were all
following Johanan. All of those who had been spared from Ishmael,
were, now, following Johanan to their deaths. God will not force them
to believe Him. He will let them, of their own free will, choose the
world over Him.

     Jeremiah 43:7 "So they came into the land of Egypt: for they
obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they [even] to Tahpanhes."

     They all did exactly what the LORD told them not to do. They went
into Egypt. Tahpanhes was a city at the Egyptian frontier. They would
not go further into Egypt, until the Pharaoh sends a welcoming
committee.

     Jeremiah 43:8  "Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah in
Tahpanhes, saying,"

     Notice, that Jeremiah went with them to keep bringing messages to
them from God. They, probably, forced Jeremiah to go along, but really
it was the will of God for Jeremiah to go, to prophesy.

     Jeremiah 43:9 "Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in
the clay in the brickkiln, which [is] at the entry of Pharaoh's house
in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;"

     The hiding of the stones, perhaps, has something to do with the
hidden time of God's judgement against them. All of Judah sees
Jeremiah hide the stones. These stones will be a witness against these
disobedient children of God. The stones will be there, until all of
the prophecies against this people are fulfilled.

     Jeremiah 43:10 "And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts,
the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the
king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones
that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them."

     The very people they had been afraid of, will now follow them
into Egypt, where they had gone to find safety. There is no safety in
the world. The only true security is in God. Nebuchadnezzar's conquest
of Egypt occurs for more than one reason. One reason, of course, is to
fulfill this prophecy. The other is because Egypt is an idolatrous
nation. Judgement begins at the house of God, as it did in Judah, but
it extends to all who are disobedient to God. Egypt's worship of false
gods was a constant hurt to God.

     Jeremiah 43:11 "And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of
Egypt, [and deliver] such [as are] for death to death; and such [as
are] for captivity to captivity; and such [as are] for the sword to
the sword."

     This is the very same punishment God had Nebuchadnezzar to bring
on Judah and Jerusalem. God is no respecter of persons. For the same
sin, the punishment is the same.

     Jeremiah 43:12 "And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the
gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives:
and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd
putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace."

     This kindling of fire in the houses of the false gods is to do
away with them. This is very similar to what happens to the earth,
when the wrath of God is poured out on it. It is no problem for a
shepherd to wrap himself in his garment. It will be no problem for
Nebuchadnezzar to take Egypt.

     Jeremiah 43:13 "He shall break also the images of Beth-shemesh,
that [is] in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the
Egyptians shall he burn with fire."

     God is a jealous God. He will have Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the
false gods of Egypt, and burn them up. The Babylonians had their own
false gods. They did not recognize Egypt's false gods, so they destroy
them. At a later time, God will destroy Babylon's false gods too.






















                         Jeremiah 46 Questions


1.  What had the people promised in the last lesson, to get Jeremiah
    to pray for them?
2.  Who were two of the proud men specifically mentioned?
3.  What did they accuse Jeremiah of doing?
4.  Who were the proud men speaking for?
5.  When did the leaders make up their minds to go to Egypt?
6.  Why did they not accept the warning that Jeremiah gave them from
    God?
7.  Who did they accuse of influencing Jeremiah?
8.  Their fear of the ________ was greater than their fear of ___.
9.  Who was Baruch?
10. What books are attributed to the pen of Baruch?
11. Who was leading them to destruction?
12. Johanan had spared their lives from whom?
13. Where, in Egypt, did they stop?
14. Why did they not go further into Egypt?
15. Why did Jeremiah go with them?
16. What did the hiding of the stones mean?
17. Where was Jeremiah to hide them?
18. Who will the stones be a witness against?
19. Who will bring the actual punishment on these disobedient
    children?
20. Where does judgement begin?
21. What is their punishment to be?
22. Why does Babylon destroy Egypt's false gods?
23. God is a ________ God.