Jer 43:7 | KingComments | STEP | Jeremiah finished his message to the people ( ). He has spoken all the words of the LORD to them, words with which the LORD their God had sent him to them. Again, it says “all these words”. He did not withhold anything. Then comes the response ( ). Some leaders, collectively called “all the arrogant men”, oppose Jeremiah. Arrogance is the primal sin and is rebellion against God. It is the refusal to bow before God and His Word because one wants to be important oneself. They outright accuse Jeremiah of speaking lies, of being a liar. They flatly deny that the LORD sent him with the message that they must not enter Egypt. According to them, Jeremiah is not passing on the words of the LORD, but those of Baruch ( ). He is behind it. He has stirred up Jeremiah to bring this message of doom. How did they get the idea! From Jeremiah we hear no rebuttal, but God’s Spirit is clear: They “did not obey the voice of the LORD to stay in the land of Judah” ( ). The leaders of the remnant continued their wayward ways ( ). All who have come to them from all the nations to stay in Judah leave again, now to go to Egypt. Thus they lead all those left by Nebuzaradan with Gedaliah in Judah down an unholy road ( ). They drag them all along to destruction. Jeremiah and Baruch they also take with them. After so many years of prophesying and receiving hatred for it, after years of imprisonment, now he is also dragged off to Egypt. It is the tragedy of a man now grown old, appointed by the LORD to be a prophet to His people. So they arrive in Egypt, at Tahpanhes, in disobedience to the voice of the LORD ( ). What a tragedy! The descendants of Abraham are returning to Egypt, from which they were freed so long ago. With great difficulty they escaped slavery in Egypt only to return there, some 900 years later, as a defeated and hopeless remnant.

‏ Jeremiah 43:7

The Warning Despised

Jeremiah finished his message to the people (Jer 43:1). He has spoken all the words of the LORD to them, words with which the LORD their God had sent him to them. Again, it says “all these words”. He did not withhold anything. Then comes the response (Jer 43:2). Some leaders, collectively called “all the arrogant men”, oppose Jeremiah. Arrogance is the primal sin and is rebellion against God. It is the refusal to bow before God and His Word because one wants to be important oneself. They outright accuse Jeremiah of speaking lies, of being a liar. They flatly deny that the LORD sent him with the message that they must not enter Egypt.

According to them, Jeremiah is not passing on the words of the LORD, but those of Baruch (Jer 43:3). He is behind it. He has stirred up Jeremiah to bring this message of doom. How did they get the idea! From Jeremiah we hear no rebuttal, but God’s Spirit is clear: They “did not obey the voice of the LORD to stay in the land of Judah” (Jer 43:4). The leaders of the remnant continued their wayward ways (Jer 43:5). All who have come to them from all the nations to stay in Judah leave again, now to go to Egypt.

Thus they lead all those left by Nebuzaradan with Gedaliah in Judah down an unholy road (Jer 43:6). They drag them all along to destruction. Jeremiah and Baruch they also take with them. After so many years of prophesying and receiving hatred for it, after years of imprisonment, now he is also dragged off to Egypt. It is the tragedy of a man now grown old, appointed by the LORD to be a prophet to His people.

So they arrive in Egypt, at Tahpanhes, in disobedience to the voice of the LORD (Jer 43:7). What a tragedy! The descendants of Abraham are returning to Egypt, from which they were freed so long ago. With great difficulty they escaped slavery in Egypt only to return there, some 900 years later, as a defeated and hopeless remnant.