Reasons For The Captivity

Transcript

GRS 2-117
6/29/2008
Reasons for the Captivity
2 Chronicles 36, Jeremiah 40-45
Gil Rugh

We have come to the conclusion of the book of Second Kings; and we have noted the climax of the southern kingdom. And with the end of the southern kingdom we noted the kingdom in Israel comes to an end. The nation Israel doesn’t come to an end, but the kingdom in Israel does. There now is no longer a king over Israel. In fact since the fall and removal of the last king in Judah in 586, there has not been a king on the throne of David.

As we noted Herod as the New Testament opens; Herod the great is titled king of the Jew, but he is not even a Jew; he is an Idumean. So with the fall of Judah, we really have an end to the Davidic kingdom, the line of David on the throne. We will have no one there until the Messiah returns. I want to direct your attention to Second Chronicles Chapter 36, for a moment; were the writer of the Chronicles gives at least three reasons for the fall of the southern kingdom. The northern kingdom went into captivity. Remember to the Assyrians in 722 BC.

Then the Babylonians came and they had three different deportations; starting in 605 BC, firs time the Babylonians came in and deported people from Judah the southern kingdom. Then back in 597 you had second deportations were Nebuchadnezzar returned and carded more captives of to Babylon. Then 586 is the final the third and final deportation. In the first deportation 605 Daniel and his friends were carried to Babylon. In the second deportation in 597, Ezekiel the prophet is transported to Babylon; and after five years in Babylon he turn 30 years age and he will begin his prophetic ministry to the exiles in Babylon; and then 586 with the end of the kingdom.

Second chronicles Chapter 36 gives three reasons for the Babylonian captivity. And I thought I would just look at these with you remind ourselves of what has happened. Chapter 36 verse 11, remind that Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king and he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet who spoke for the Lord. He also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar who had made his swear allegiance by God. But he stiffened his neck, hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel.

There is the first reason listed here, which is really a climax of Zedekiah the final king of Judah; has a stubborn hardened heart, and he is the leader of the nation. He is unwilling to turn to the Lord. He is unwilling to hear what the prophets had to say. This is a reoccurring theme as God reminds them I kept sending you my prophets, I kept sending you my prophets I send you my prophets, my servants the prophets, but you wouldn’t listen, you wouldn’t listen. So you are left to realize God had no choice, but to bring judgment. So Zedekiah the last king reveals the sad state of the nation; as he refuses to hear the prophets.

Secondly as verses 14 and go on, verse 13; this stiff neck of Zedekiah. Verse 14, furthermore all the officials of the priest, the people were very unfaithful following all the abominations of the nations; they defiled the house of the Lord, which he had sanctified in Jerusalem. The Lord the God of their father send word to them again and again by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they continually mocked the messengers of God despised his words and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord aroused against his people, until there was no remedy.

You see the king, the priests, the people; they are all alike. They all manifest the same hardened unrepentant heart. And the third reason an uninteresting reason it gives a time line for the Babylonian captivity of seventy years. Down to verse 20, those who had escaped the sword from the sword he carried away to Babylon; referring to Nebuchadnezzar, any of the prominent people that he didn’t kill, he carried away to exile in Babylon. They were servants to him until and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia. Note this; to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days of desolation it kept Sabbath, until seventy years were complete.

Now come back to the Book of Exodus Chapter 23, Exodus Chapter 23; and of course this is in the section were God is giving the law; the Mosaic Law to Moses. And as part of that law note verse 2; while you are in Chapter 23, you shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in to dispute as to turn aside after a multitude to pervert justice; you shall not be partial to poor man in his dispute. Now tendency to be a swing from one extreme to other, do a favor to rich or do favor of the poor; God says I want justice in proper favor shown to no one. But come down to verse 10, you shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield, but on the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the needy of your people may eat and so on. So you have a seventh years, which is called a Sabbath year. So that you don’t do your planting, your harvesting, all of that. That’s a year of rest for the land.

Come over to Leviticus Chapter 25. Just after Exodus Leviticus Chapter 25; Chapter opens up; The Lord then spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai saying, speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, when you come into the land which, I actually give you, shall give you than land shall have a Sabbath to the Lord, six years you shall sow your field, six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop, but during the seventh year the land shall have a Sabbath rest, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard; further instructions on that. In the midst of all the instructions going on in the law this is one of them.

Turn over to Leviticus 26; and here are, he started the Chapter by talking about all the blessings that God will bring if they obey him. And if you obey my statutes then I will give you abundant harvests and so on. If you don’t obey my laws then I will bring devastating withering judgment on you. Verse 14, picks up the judgment side; if you do not obey me, do not carry out all these commandments instead, you reject my statutes, if your soul abhors my ordinances, so not to carry out all my commandments, so to break my covenant, I in turn will do this to you; I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption fever that will waste away the eyes cause the soul to pine away; you will sow your seed uselessly, your enemies will eat it up. I will set my face against you so that you will be struck down before your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, you will flee when no one is pursuing and so on.

In the list of all of this verse 32; I will make the land desolate, so that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled over it. You, however, I will scatter among the nations will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate your cities become waste. Then the land will enjoy its Sabbaths, all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies land; then the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. All the days of its desolation, it will observe the rest which it did not observe on your Sabbaths, while you were living on it.

Picking up the blessings that would come from Chapter 26 verse 2; if you keep my Sabbaths; all the Sabbaths the weekly Sabbath, the yearly Sabbath and so on. The Lord warns them, if you don’t keep land Sabbath every seventh year I will tell you what I will do; I will bring judgment on you and your enemies will carry you away from the land. So you won’t be able to plant. You won’t be able to harvest, and I will take all my Sabbaths while you’re away. That’s exactly what’s happening at the Babylonian captivity.

Turnover to the book of Jeremiah; Jeremiah, we are going to look a little bit of Jeremiah tonight. Jeremiah Chapter 25 first; you know Daniel the prophet and Daniel Chapter 9 verse 2 said; remember Daniel is in Babylon. He was carried away in the first deportation in 605, and he tells us in Daniel Chapter 9 verse 2; that while he was studying what Jeremiah the prophet had written, he came to understand that the Babylonian captivity would last seventy years. And so here in Jeremiah Chapter 25, verse 11; this whole land will be a desolation and horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, declares the Lord, for their iniquity, the land of the Chaldeans; I will make it an everlasting desolation. I will bring on that land all my words and so on.

So here he tells seventy years or the Babylonian captivity. Turn over to Jeremiah Chapter 29, verse 10; for thus says the Lord, when seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill my good word to you, to bring you back to this place. So as we read in Second Chronicles Chapter 36, verse 21; the people had failed to keep the Sabbath of the land every seven years. 490 years had gone by and they had failed to keep every seventh year. There were 490 years that adds up to seventy years. God says now it's time for me to take my Sabbath that you were to set aside every seventh year, since you didn’t; I am taking them all at once; 490 you divide this seven by seven you get seventy. You owe me seventy years I take them all at once, what a devastating judgment.

You know we have talking in our study earlier today about the word of God being truth and everything God says is important. You come through the hundreds of laws in the Mosaic Law, be easy to say well I don’t know that this is one of the most important ones. I mean there is not a lot of space given to it, and to list with a lot of other laws and I would think the laws of worship, the laws of moral conduct are must more important than these laws. But every one of God’s laws are important to him, not one # can fail from the law to all has been fulfilled. You know you just can't decide this is important, this is not, this is the important this is not; anybody who thought that every seventh year was an important to God was making a disastrous mistake, because now it comes time for God to take all of his Sabbaths at one time.

While you are Jeremiah, back up to Jeremiah Chapter 1; we will look at some Chapters out of Jeremiah. But I want to note the first Chapter of Jeremiah with you. This is the call of Jeremiah that’s the first Chapter is given to that and then beginning with Chapter 2 and all the way through Chapter 45 I think, you have Jeremiah dealing with the judgment, God is going to bring on Judah and the judgment coming. Just a reminder of the call of Jeremiah verse 4; now the word of the Lord came to me saying, before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I consecrated you, I have appointed you a prophet to the nations. I said, Alas, Lord God behold, I do not know how to speak, because I am a youth. But the Lord said to me, do not say, I am a youth, because everywhere I send you, you shall go, all that I command you, you shall speak.

And Jeremiah was young his ministry is going to extend over some fifty years. So he is a young man at this call, but God says that has nothing to do with the issue here, because you don’t have to be an accomplished speaker, because you only have to tell them what I tell you to say, don’t be afraid of them. Now note this, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord. He stretched out his hand, touch my mouth the Lord said to me; I have put my words in your mouth. I have appointed you this day over the nations, over the kingdoms to pluck up, to break down, to destroy, to overthrow, to build and to plant. Remarkable call of the man, who is going to spend his life in trouble, we know him as the weeping prophet.

For good reason he wrote the lamentations of Jeremiah as well following this books, going to spend time in dungeons, mired in the muck of the cisterns, and constantly rebuked, rejected to the very end of the account of his life, and yet you see here he is appointed over nations, over kingdoms. You don’t get that idea if you just read it from a human perspective. Here is a guy who was a failure, humanly speaking no one really listen to him. Down to the very end, after forty years of ministry in Judah, you know what no one will listen to him that he is God’s representative.

Verse 12 tells us God says, I am watching over my word to perform it. Those are awesome words. I am watching over my word to perform it. I guarantees that every single word that Jeremiah speaks as God’s representative will be accomplished and carried out. Verse 17; now gird up your loins and arise, and speak to them all which I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, or I will dismay you before them.

Now behold, I have made you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests and to the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord. God tells him right upfront, you have got a hard ministry ahead; and the fact that I will be your fortification is what guarantees you will survive through this ministry. But the call to be a prophet was not a call to an easy road.

Turn over to Ezekiel; Jeremiah never was carried away into exile. We will look at that in a moment. Daniel was in 605, Ezekiel was 597, 598 in that exile; Jeremiah will continue his ministry among the remnant that remain in the land. Ezekiel will carry on his ministry in Babylon, of course as will Daniel. Look at that Ezekiel Chapter 2; here you have the call of Ezekiel; similar kind of framework, you are dealing with. Here he is going to be with people who have been deported from the land, have experienced this judgment of God; you think they would be open to hear.

What has God said Chapter over, thus son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you, he spoke to me the spirit as he spoke, the spirit entered me set me on my feet; I heard him speaking to me. He said to me Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against me; they and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day.

The devastating judgment; they have been deported from the land. They have experienced this judgment. Now here they are in a foreign land ruled by their enemies, and God says you know what, they transgressed against me to this very day. I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children and you shall say to them thus says the Lord God, as for them whether they listen or not for they are a rebellious house, they will know that a prophet has been among them; and you son of man neither fear them nor fear their words, though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions, neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house. You shall speak my words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious.

Now you son of man listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious at. Let me kind of I didn’t count how many time the word rebellious is used here, as characterizing people. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you. So the word of God is given to him, he eats and takes it in. Chapter 3 opens up you; son of man, eat what is you find, eat this scroll; go speak to the house of Israel.

Then verse 4; son of man, go to the house of Israel speak with my words to them. For you are not speaking to a people of unintelligible speech or difficult language, but the house of Israel; not to many people of unintelligible speech or difficult language whose words you cannot understand, but I have send you to them who should listen to you, yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to me, surely the whole house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate.

Behold, I have made your face as hard their faces, your forehead as hard as their forehead, like emery harder than flint, I have made your forehead. Don’t be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house. It sounds like what God said to Jeremiah, doesn’t it, don’t be dismayed, because if you fear them you need to fear me more than you fear them. And a proper fear of me will keep you from fearing them; and I have made you a hard headed man. So you can go to a stubborn and obstinate people.

Verse 10; moreover son of man, take into your heart all my words which I speak to you, listen closely; go to the exile to the sons of your people, speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not; thus says the Lord God. Again think to me and this is; here you have the devastating judgment that’s come on the northern kingdom in 722. Then you have Babylonians come and conquer Israel and carry them away into captivity in 605, carry them away again in 597. There is a third deportation that comes; none of these makes any impact on the people.

God’s going to send Ezekiel now with his messages, but you know they are not going to listen to you. Jeremiah is going to be left behind with the poor as the land has been devastated after the final captivity in 586, and God says you go and I put my words in your mouth and you tell them what I say, but they are not going to listen to you. You know what a sad state of affairs, even the devastating discipline and judgment of the Lord doesn’t change their hardened sinful hearts.

Come back to Jeremiah Chapter 40. What is happening in this section of Jeremiah; is he is unfolding, events up we are only coming up to Chapter 40 with the fall of Jerusalem. And his conversation we looked at some of this with Zedekiah the last king of Judah; he told Zedekiah look, submit to the word of the Lord, submit to the king of Babylon and you can remain; you wouldn’t knew it Zedekiah ended up with his sons, slaughtered before his eyes, and then his eyes put out by Nebuchadnezzar. He is carted away a blind man to Babylon.

Chapter 39 recorded the capture of Jerusalem; and verse 11 of Jeremiah 39. Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, saying; take him and look after him, do nothing harmful to him, but rather deal with him just as he tells you. We are not told how Nebuchadnezzar knows about Jeremiah, but Jeremiah has send message, his prophecies they have been carried to Babylon.

So there are people who have, you know gone over to the Babylonians from Jerusalem. They may have said; there is a prophet in Jerusalem saying, you are going to win, you will conquer the people, were at given the details of how Nebuchadnezzar knew about Jeremiah and his prophecies, but he does and it ends up, Jeremiah is treated much better by the Babylonians and he is the by the Jews; another sad state of affairs. Jeremiah the prophet of God comes to the people of God they have nothing to do with them. They just treat him, they throw him in prison; they try to kill him.

The Pagan Nebuchadnezzar comes and he says; look after him, gives instruction to his right hand man so to speak; and whatever he tells you, you do. So he has now that Jeremiah interested to Gedaliah whom the Babylonians appointed governor of the land. There no king now, but Gedaliah is appointed as governor. Gedaliah has been a supporter of Jeremiah, and he has followed the line of Jeremiah when Jeremiah said; submit to the Babylonians and it will go well with you. Gedaliah has been friend of Jeremiah, and he followed Jeremiah’s council.

You come down to Chapter 40; the word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan captain of the bodyguard had released him from Ramah, where he had been taken but, taken him bound in chains among all the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah, who are being exiled to Babylon. So evidently in the initial sweep on this occasion, Jeremiah is also caught up bound and takes into Ramah. But Nebuchadnezzar gives word that Jeremiah is to be set free and too careful properly, and you just let him tell you what he wants done. So that seems to be connection here.

We are told what Nebuchadnezzar set up in verse 11. We are given more of the details; that at first he had been caught up, as you would imagine Babylonian sweeping through Jerusalem. This is a military operation. Now as the captives are brought to Nebuchadnezzar at Ramah for deportation, he gives word regarding Jeremiah and other captives are dealt with there as well, some are going to be executed. The captain of the bodyguard, verse 2; had taken Jeremiah and said to him the Lord your God promise this calamity against this place, and the Lord has brought it on and done just as he promised. Because you people sinned against the Lord and did not listen to his voice, therefore this thing has happened to you.

I mean once you love to know how he got all this information became such, so convinced that God had just fulfilled his prophecies. We are not told, but he is familiar with them. Again he may have heard it from exiles. He may have heard it from some of those who had come over to Babylonians, before the fall of Jerusalem. But he has no problem saying, Jeremiah you know this happen just as the Lord your God promised. I am freeing you today from the chains which are on your hands. If you would prefer, you can come with me to Babylon, if you come to Babylon; I will see that you are taken care of.

I mean Nebuchadnezzar has given the word; Nebuchadnezzar’s the king, he is the ruler of the mighty Babylonian empire. When he says, you see the Jeremiah is taking care of, then this captain of the bodyguard says, you can come to Babylon and you don’t come as an exile, you come as one who will be provided for. So that’s an opportunity. I will look after you, but if you would prefer not to come with me to Babylon never mind look, the whole land is before you; go wherever it seems right good and right for you to go.

I mean Nebuchadnezzar had told him remember, up in verse 12 of Chapter 39; rather deal with him just as he tells you. So when Nebuchadnezzar tells you to do something, you do it exactly as he tells you. So all Nebuzaradan says is, you know the choice is yours, you want to come to Babylon, I will see that you are taking care of in Babylon, you want to stay here, that’s fine you stay here, and even see that he’s provided for there, there obviously Jeremiah chooses to stay.

So verse 6, Jeremiah after the captain of the bodyguard, the end of verse 5, gave him a ration and give he let him go; and Jeremiah went to Mizpah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land. So there you have Jeremiah remaining in the land. He never goes to Babylon and he ministers among the remnant left in the land. Everyone knows that Gedaliah has been appointed governor of the land, and he is in charge of all those left.

Verse 7 and we are told at the end of verse 7; those of the poorest of the land who had not been exiled to Babylon, because this is the third deportation; the third time Nebuchadnezzar had to come against Jerusalem. There is not going to be a fourth. So his judgment on Jerusalem and on the people is complete and the only people left in the land are those of the poorest, are the least capable of rebellion. But there is going to be rebellion.

Verse 9, then Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore to them and to their men, saying, do not be afraid of serving the Chaldeans; stay in the land, serve the king of Babylon, that it may go well with you, that’s Jeremiah ’s line. So he is in hearing to the word of God, the Babylonians are God’s instrument. God calls Nebuchadnezzar on a number of occasions, my servant Nebuchadnezzar; and at this point Nebuchadnezzar is just godless Pagan, but he is God’s servant doing God’s will in being instrument of judgment on the Jews.

So Jeremiah’s instructed them Gedaliah follows Jeremiah’s instruction if you will and says; we just submit to the Babylonians and things will go well. I am going to stay at Mizpah and I will be representative before the contingent of Babylonians that are left here, and I will represent you, you go live in your cities do that; Jews that had fled to surrounding regions Moab, Ammon, Edom in verse 11, when they heard that, you know the exile had been accomplished, there had been a remnant left in Judah, these exiles these other lands start to filter back from the Transjordan region Ammon, Edom and Moab.

So they come back. Verse 12, all the Jews from the places to which they have been driven away came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah; and Johanan all the commanders of the forces that were in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. Now get Johanan and comes and brings the word, you know there is a man who has determined, he is going to kill you. Why don’t you give me the word, I will go out and kill him and we will take care of it, no one needs to know.

Gedaliah is a man that’s open to Jeremiah’s council and we are not told you wonder why didn’t he ask Jeremiah, is there any truth to this, what is the word of the Lord on this, but Gedaliah perhaps lack some leadership skills and is to trusting whatever; there is a man named Ishmael and he is not supportive of the Babylonians, part of the reason will be clear down in Chapter 41 verse 1; in the seventh month Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama of the royal family, and one of the chief officers of the king.

So here is a man of the royal family, obviously he is not happy. Now there’s been devastating judgment on the king; and the royal family is no more so to speak. Well he is not willing to live with that. At the end of Chapter 40; we were told Gedaliah response as you are lying about Ishmael, he doesn’t intend to kill me; and so Ishmael comes with ten men and comes to Mizpah and they are having a meal together, and Ishmael kills Gedaliah.

And we are told the end of verse 2; he put to death the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land. He also struck down all the Jews who were with him, with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and also the Chaldeans who were found there, men of war. So this is a surprise action, even the Babylonian contingent is cut off guard here, no one is excepting any kind of trouble this soon. I mean it's only been two months, since you know Nebuchadnezzar has left Gedaliah in charge.

And then verse 4; on the next day after the killing of Gedaliah, when no one knew about it, eighty men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, from Samaria their beards shaved off, their clothes torn, their bodies gashed, they are coming to bring offering to the house of the Lord. Ishmael meets them he goes out weeping as though he in sorrow for the tragedy that’s come on the land. He says come to Gedaliah, he want to meet you. Well he’s already killed Gedaliah. So when they come into Mizpah, he executes all eighty of these men and throws their bodies in a well.

Then verse 10; Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people who were at Mizpah, and he is crossing over to the sons of Ammon there east of Jordan, east of Israel and Judah, but Johanan remember the man who warned Gedaliah. He assembled the force and goes after Ishmael, and Ishmael succeeds in escaping with aid of his men into the region of Ammon. But Johanan brings back everyone who had been taking captive by Ishmael. He was going to take them all to the land of Ammon; and Johanan brings them back.

Now they have a problem. Ishmael has killed Gedaliah the commander that Nebuchadnezzar put in charge. He’s also killed some of the Babylonian soldiers. So, now what’s going to happen when Nebuchadnezzar has to send his army back; so it's a frightful time, so they go and stay in a town by Bethlehem; Verse 17, with the plan to go to Egypt, because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid, since there was a rebellion against the king of Babylon, since they kill Gedaliah who is Nebuchadnezzar’s representative.

What are going to we do verse Chapter 42; then all the commanders of the forces, all the people both small and great approached and said to Jeremiah the prophet, please let our petition come before you, pray for us to the Lord your God, that is for all this remnant; because we are left, but a few out of many, as your own eyes now see us; that the Lord your God may tell us the way in which we should walk, the thing that we should do.

It sounds like finally, you just had to get down to the poorest and the most beaten down few; and they’re now ready to humble themselves before the prophet of the Lord, and receive the word of the Lord. Just tell us what God says we should do; Jeremiah the prophet said to them; I have heard you. Behold, I am going to pray to the Lord your God in accordance with your words; and I will tell you the whole message which the Lord will answer you. I will not keep back a word from you. Then they said to Jeremiah; may the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us, if we do not act in accordance with the whole message which the LORD your God will send to us. Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you. So, that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the Lord our God.

Ten days later the word of the Lord comes to Jeremiah. Jeremiah assembles all the people and says; thus says the Lord, verse 9; the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition before him; If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down, and I will plant you and not uproot you; for I will relent concerning the calamity that I have inflicted on you. Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you are now fearing; do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you to save you and deliver you from his hand. I will also show you compassion, so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own soil. But if you are going to say, we will not stay in this land, so as not to listen to the voice of the Lord or God saying, no, but we will go to the land of Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the sound of a trumpet or hunger for bread, and we will stay there; then in that case listen to the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, if you really set your mind to enter Egypt and go in to reside there, then the sword, which you are afraid of, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, about which you are anxious, will follow closely after you there in Egypt, and you will die there. All the men who set their mind to go to Egypt to reside there will die by the sword, by famine by pestilence; they will have no survivors or refuge from their calamity that I am going to bring on them.

For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, as my anger and wrath have been poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. You will become a curse, an object of horror, an imprecation and a reproach; and you will see this place no more. The Lord has spoken to you, O remnant of Judah; do not go into Egypt. You should clearly understand that I have testified against you. For you have only deceived yourselves; for it is you who sent me to the Lord your God, saying, pray for us to the Lord our God; and whatever the Lord our God says, tell us so, and we will do it. So I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the Lord your God, even in whatever he has sent me to tell you. Therefore you should now clearly understand you will die by the sword, by famine, by pestilence, in the place where you wish to go to reside.

Almost seems like a no-brainer, no choice; stay in the land, obey my word I will take care of the king of Babylon. I will put in his heart to treat you well. You have no problem. I will even lift my judgment from you. So that the land can be blessed again and you can have crops and all or you can chose to go to Egypt, and I will hunt you down and destroy you anything; these are Jews, these are the people of God, these are the people that came to Jeremiah and says; we don’t care whatever God says for good or evil, we will do it.

Jeremiah knows what they are going to do; they are going to Egypt. Why would you even say tell us what the Lord said, you have no intention of doing it; and just in aside how many times that we have been in that position. Lord what would you have me to do, I want to do it, but in our heart we have already made up our mind; and we are going to do it. And if the Lord, you know is supportive of that; alright although we are going to do it, we just made up our mind, we just want to confirm it one way or the other.

As soon as Jeremiah whom the Lord their God had send had finished telling all the people, all of the words of the Lord their God. This is Chapter 43, verse 1; that is, all these words he has told them everything. God couldn’t be any clever; Azariah and Johanan and all of the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, you are telling a lie. The Lord our God has not sent you to say, you are not to enter Egypt to reside there, but Baruch the son of Neriah is inciting you against us. It's Jeremiah scribe, remember we took Jeremiah’s dictation to write down the word of the Lord.

You are conspiring to give us over into the hand of the Babylonians, so they will put us to death or exile us to Babylon. I mean why did you go to Jeremiah, if Jeremiah said yes, God say go to Egypt; good we want to obey the Lord we will go to Egypt, but people don’t want to hear, what they don’t want to hear. And when the word of God tells me to do something, I really don’t want to do, I am scrambling to find excuses and reasons to do otherwise.

How many times a person been in sin, you confront them with the word of God, they come to you and say; I want to do what God wants me to do, you show them from the word; what God says they must do; they will walk out the door and do what they want to do. I mean I say that because look at read this, I say # you talk about sin makes you stupid. I mean how stupid can you be; you think the Lord can't hunt you down; you think he won’t do what he said you will do, and the alternative is don’t go anywhere; just stay here and let me bless you.

But we have got our mind made up, we confined all #. So now Jeremiah is a false prophet. You are telling a lie, you really side with the Babylonians and you’re just using this as an excuse to keep us here till the Babylonians get here, so they can kill us, because we killed your friend Gedaliah. And I think Baruch your scribe is behind this and he is looking for revenge, because Baruch’s had a hard life.

We don’t have time I will draw your attention to that. So what happens, they are going to Egypt. So Johanan and all the commanders down in verse 5, took the entire remnant all those who had come back to Jerusalem from Moab and Ammon, and so on; all these people they gather them up, every person and they enter the land of Egypt. And also they take Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah. They entered the land of Egypt verse 7.

And in Parentheses here; for they did not obey the voice of the Lord, they went as far as Tahpanhes. But you can't escape to Lord, are you going to hide in Egypt from the Lord. So you know what happens when they gets to Tahpanhes; then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying. Now you got to understand Jeremiah’s predicament. I mean being God’s spokesman is an awesome honor, but there is no honor for men for being God spokesman. You know what he got to do, you got to tell them Nebuchadnezzar is going to come and get you in Egypt.

So they do object lesson. Jeremiah is to take some large stones in your hand verse 9, hide them in the mortar in the brick terrace which is at the entrance of Pharaoh’s palace in Tahpanhes, in the sight of some of Jews; and say to them, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, behold, I am going to send and get Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, I am going to set his throne right over these stones that I have hidden; he will spread his canopy over them.

Nebuchadnezzar is coming and going to crush the Egyptians. And you know what, right here at the palace of Pharaoh, I have put some stones in this while you know why, this is exactly where Nebuchadnezzar is going to set up his throne, now put the canopy the shields him over his throne right here. He will come and strike the land of Egypt those who are meant for death will be given over to death, those for captivity to captivity, those for the sword to the sword; I shall set fire to the temples of the God’s of Egypt, burn them take them captive. He will shatter the obelisks of Heliopolis, which is in the land of Egypt; the temples of the God’s of Egypt. You know in his previous incursions Nebuchadnezzar hasn’t, he’s bottled up Egyptians, but he’s going to extent the Babylonian empire. He can't escape the Lord; you can't escape the agent of the Lord.

So Chapter 44 the word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jews living in the land of Egypt who were living in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, the land of Pathros, saying, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, you yourselves have seen all the calamity I have brought on Jerusalem and so on, because of their wickedness which they committed so as to provoke me to anger by continuing to burn sacrifices to serve other God’s whom they had not known, neither they, you, nor your fathers. Yet I sent you all my servants the prophets, again and again, saying, oh, do not do this abominable thing which I hate, but they didn’t listen or incline their ears to turn from their wickedness, so to not to burn sacrifices to other God’s. Therefore my wrath and my anger were poured out and burned in the cities of Judah in the streets of Jerusalem, they have become a ruin and a desolation as it is this day. Now then thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, why are you doing great harm to yourselves.

I mean look at and say look at God’s don’t doing to us, God says; why are you doing this to yourself, it's sin that necessitates judgment, and you are bringing you are provoking me to anger and what are they doing in Egypt; you are making sacrifice to other God’s in the land of Egypt.

Verse 8 and verse 9, have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, the wickedness of your wives. But they have not become contrite even to this day nor have they fear nor walked in my alarm my statutes which I set before you. Thus says the Lord God of hosts the God of Israel, the Lord of hosts the God of Israel; I am going to set my face against you for woe, even to cut off all Judah. I will take away the remnants; who have and set their mind in entering the land of Egypt to reside there, they will meet their end in the land of Egypt.

Verse 13, I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem; there will be no refugees or survivors for the remnant of Judah who have enters the land of Egypt. Verse 15, then all the men who are aware that their wives were burning sacrifices to other God’s, along with all the women who were standing by, as a large assembly, including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying; and he talk about the defined people. As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we are not going to listen to you. But rather we will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, by burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven, pouring out drink offerings to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings, our princes did in the cities of Jerusalem, in the streets of Jerusalem.

Worshipping the queen of heaven, in the article in the paper on the religious section yesterday; that formal worship has continue down to our day. The statute being consecrated by a bishop in this city; and the worship of queen of heaven which is so repulsive to the living God continues, these people, we are going to continue to do it, we are going to continue to burn sacrifices of the queen of heaven, pour our drink offerings to her, because then we had plenty of food. Then we will well off. Then we didn’t have trouble.

But since we stop burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven, pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything have met our end by the sword and by famine. And, said the women, when we were burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven were pouring out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands that we made for sacrificial cakes in her image and poured. In other words what happen so many of us have lost our husband, you know why we quit burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven. So Jeremiah responds that this is just bringing greater calamity on you, and this is why you came under judgment, because of your sin and persistent rebellion.

Verse 21, as for the smoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah, the streets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, and so on. The people of the land, did not the Lord remember them, did that all this come from his hand, so the Lord was not and no longer able to endure it, because of your evil deeds, your abominations. Verse 23, because you have burned sacrifices have sinned against the Lord not obeyed the voice of the Lord that’s why all this calamity, you misidentified it. I mean how confusing twisted can people who are supposed to be the people of God become.

Then Jeremiah said to all the people including all the women hear the word of the Lord; all Judah who are in the land of Egypt, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, as follows; as for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths fulfilled it with your hands, saying, we will certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven, queen of heaven, queen of heaven. Verse 17, verse 18, verse 19, verse 25, it goes the focal point of their worship.

Now there is going to be even greater judgment verse 27, I am watching over them for harm and not for good, and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will meet their end by the sword, by famine until they are completely gone. Verse 29, this will be the sign, declares the Lord, I am going to punish you in this place, you’ll know that my words will surely stand against you for harm. Thus says the Lord, I am going to give over Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt to the hand of his enemies, to the hand of those who seek his life, just as I gave over Zedekiah king of Judah the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

You see God sovereign over the nations. The Pharaoh of Egypt God determines when he reign and when his reign is over. Nebuchadnezzar; he is used of the Lord. I mean we talk about Israel being God’s people under his care and oversight, you understand God rules overall. We talked about sometime ago in the kingdom universal kingdom of God he rules in his creation.

And so you come to Chapter 45 and I mentioned Baruch. And we end with this, because after Chapter 45 with verse 46, really till the last Chapter of Jeremiah you have basically prophecies against the different nations, because remember Jeremiah has been set over the nations. So the God’s judgment on Egypt, God’s coming judgment on Babylon and other nations. But a word to Baruch; and remember the people said Baruch must be steering up Jeremiah and be behind this idea that we should stay in Judah.

This is the message which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah; when he had written down these words in a book at Jeremiah’s dictations, well here is the man who gets the word of God directly from God through Jeremiah and he is the penmen. Here is what God says; thus says the Lord God of Israel to you, O Baruch; you said, ah, woe is me, for the Lord has added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning and have found no rest.

A reminder and not only tough being a prophet it's tough being the secretary of a prophet. I mean here God says I have heard you Baruch; and what have you said, woe was me; the Lord has added sorrow to my pain I am weary with my groaning I found no rest. I mean Jeremiah; I mean Baruch is just you know, what will I do; I mean thus you have to say to him. Thus says the Lord, behold, what I have built I am about to tear down, what I have planted I am about to uproot, that is, the whole land. That really makes me feel better.

I thought the Lord has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning. I found no rest. Now the word of the Lord comes and he says I am about to tear down what I have planted and about the Baruch. Now whole land is going to be destroyed, but what’s the encouragement. But you; are you seeking great things for yourself, do not seek them; for behold, I am going to bring disaster on all flesh, declares the Lord, but I will give your life as a booty in all the places where you may go.

You know what Baruch; I am going to give your life. I am going to protect you and preserve you and keep you. God is gracious. God is aware of all his groaning, all his weariness; all his pain. God doesn’t say you are exaggerating. He gives a word of encouragement, you are not going to die; I am going to see you through it. But that doesn’t mean it's going to get easy, because things are going to get worse.

You know there is one more thing to be said and as we conclude. Well go back we will take it at the end of Second Kings. We could do it at the end of Jeremiah. Well go back to Second Kings; just one note to show God’s faithfulness and reminder that he has not forgotten his people. Second Kings Chapter 25, verse 27; now it came about in the 37th year of the exile of Jehoiachin, and incidentally the preceding verses cover just in summary fashion what we just read through the Jeremiah; came about the 37th year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah.

Jehoiachin had only reign for three months. He has been exile in Babylon imprisoned for 37 years. In the 12th month on the 27th day of the month that Evil-Merodach and the name will be Amelu-Marduk and he is a worshiper of the God Marduk. He is the son of Nebuchadnezzar. He assumed the throne in 562 upon the death of Nebuchadnezzar. In the year that he became the king he released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. He spoke kindly to him, set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon. Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes had his meals in the kings present regularly all the days of his life and for his allowance regular allowance was given to him by the king of portion for each day, all the days of his life. He is released, he’s recognized as a true king.

So the book of Second Kings began with the reign of Solomon, and now it closes with both the northern and the southern kingdom under the devastating judgment of the Lord. But God hasn’t forgotten his covenant with David; and here a legitimate successor of David is recognized as a true king and given that honor. So even as the history ends on this down note there is a bright light at the end and that is a reminder; God has not forgotten his people. He has not forgotten his covenant and he has restored Jehoiachin not to the throne in Judah, but he is in throne in Babylon and recognized as legitimate king of Judah. So the grace of God persists.

In all of this read the Book of Jeremiah take time; it's 52 Chapters, but read through and note in all of this # as God talks about his judgment, he does remind them. I will never forget Israel; my promises to Israel will be fulfilled, day and night are in a testimony that I won’t go back on my word to Israel. So the judgment on Israel is not the last word. Now God’s promises will be fulfilled, but it's hard to go against the Lord. Sin never makes life easy; sin always make life hard, and Israel for the last 2500 years has experienced the judgment of God, because of their hardened heart what could God do, but in the end he will draw them to himself.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord for your grace. Thank you for your judgment. Thank you for the record. You are serious about your word; every smallest detail of what you have said will be accomplished as you have said it, all the promise blessings, all the promise curses, there is no escape from you the living God. Those who persist in rebellion will be brought to destruction. Those who bow in faith and obedience will experience undeserved blessing.

Thank you for your saving grace. Thank you for your promises to Israel. Thank you Lord that each and every one of the promise blessings will yet be fulfilled. May we as your people today learn the lessons, take the heart; had a holy and righteous fear of sin. May our greatest fear would be that would be we would be dishonoring to you, disobedient to you. May we not fear men; may we fear you the living God, and the desire to honor you with our lives. Even in our conduct in the days of the week before us. We praise you for the privilege of being the people of God in Christ’s name, Amen.