I don’t know if you’ve ever had people come and they want your advice, and they know that you’re a believer, and they know that you trust in God, and they ask you to pray for them, and pray that God would give you insight into what they should do in a certain situation. And God, in his word, reveals to you what their problem is, and you share the answer with them. And then they proceed to go, no, you’re not telling the truth. That’s really not what my problem is. When someone does that, it’s really a mark of a couple things.
Number one, pride. Because even though God has revealed in his word and through his people the truth, people don’t want to hear it. Instead, they’d rather believe lies.
And instead, they’d rather look at their own reason, and try to determine how they can solve their problems through their own cunning and manipulation and trusting in what they perceive are the things they should trust in. The other thing that will happen is that people not only are filled with pride, but rebellion. And pride is a mark of rebellion.
We know that Satan was the first sin that we see that is recorded. That Satan caused Satan to fall was his pride and arrogance, and it led to his rebellion against God. He no longer viewed that God was the one who knew all things, and that God had created all things, and that God stood above his creation, and that his whole creation, including Satan himself, should bow down to him. But instead, he said, I shall be like the Most High. And it marked the beginning of rebellion. Man’s biggest problems that he has are pride and rebellion.
He is unwilling to bow the knee to Christ, nor is he unwilling to humble himself before the Lord and accept God’s truth as the way and the means by which he should live. As we come to chapter 43, it’s interesting as you look at this chapter. In chapter 42, Jeremiah had told the people to come to Jeremiah, as we saw in chapter 41 and 42, and they come to him, the remnant that was left in Judah by Nebuchadnezzar and they came to him and said, Go to the Lord and intercede on our behalf and see what we should do, and we will do whatever God wants us to do. What the Lord tells us to do, that we’ll do. Well, in chapter 43, we’re going to see what they say.
Before we look at that chapter, let’s just bow in prayer. Heavenly Father, as I come before you this morning, may each one of us realize that the greatest problem that oftentimes each of us struggles with is pride. Because at the heart of our rebellion is a desire to think that somehow we have got the answers even though you have revealed to us the truth. And instead of wanting to follow the truth, oftentimes we seek to do the opposite, which is a mark of rebellion and a mark of defiance and a mark that we think we are God in determining what is best for us. Lord, help us to understand and learn from the rebellion of the people of Judah and help us to see the response of Jeremiah. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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, 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:
So I want you to see the first thing that they do is attack what God has revealed to Jeremiah. Now if you remember from last Sunday afternoon’s study, what Jeremiah told the people as he came and he told them, The Lord has revealed to me that what you should do is you need to stay here and Nebuchadnezzar will take you into Babylon and there you will be safe. They didn’t believe him and instead of going into Babylon with the rest of those from Judah that Nebuchadnezzar had already taken, they’re saying you’re speaking falsely, you’re speaking lies to us. Now why would they say that? Because they think that they know better than God.
Now number one, the scriptures tell us that God is the one that raises up kings and tears them down. God is the one that knows the hearts of men and God will use individuals and people to come into our life to not only discipline us but also draw us closer to him. One of the things that is amazing as we’re going through the study of Daniel on Sunday mornings is to look at the life of the four young men who trusted in God when led away to Babylon and we’re going to see some amazing things that God reveals to them in Babylon. These people could have experienced the same thing.
Others that were in Babylon could have experienced the same thing. Had they been looking to the Lord, humbling themselves before him, seeking to be used by God and seeking to walk in God’s ways no matter what the circumstances. Fanny Crosby is a woman who suffered great health problems, was blind, was bedridden much of her life and yet if you listen to her hymns that she wrote, the poetry that she wrote that was put to music, it’s amazing, it’s uplifting.
Oftentimes she talks about what she sees and what she’s seeing by faith. And she talks about that this life isn’t the end but it’s only the beginning and the preparation for eternity and that one day she will be with her Lord and she shall see him. And if there’s ever anybody that should have been depressed or discouraged, it would have been her.
But she wasn’t. Some of the greatest hymns that have ever been written have come out of issues of great sorrow. It Is Well With My Soul was written by Mr. Stafford after he’d lost his children when the ship that they were on going to England and he had stayed behind in the United States had sunk. His wife who was with their girls was spared and when she got to England she wrote him alive alone in a telegram. When he was crossing on a ship because they didn’t have planes back then so he had to take a ship to England to be with his wife and when the ship that he was on got to the place he asked the captain when he gets to the place that the ship went down can you come and tell me and the captain came and told him this is the place. And that’s when the song It Is Well With My Soul, the poem, came to his heart.
Oftentimes trials in our life can lead us closer to God and can lead us into a deeper relationship with him if we will put trust and look to him that he has for us the answers and the truth. The problem with the people left in Jerusalem that had gone to Jeremiah and asked him to talk to the Lord and now they’re in Mishpah and they’re waiting to see what God would have them do. He tells them wait and go into Babylon and they say you’re a liar Jeremiah and instead they say that God didn’t say go not to sojourn in Egypt and then they begin to blame not only Jeremiah
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.
And so he blames Baruch for influencing Jeremiah to tell them to follow what the Lord has said and that it’s Baruch not God that’s told them that they are not to go to Egypt but they are to go to Babylon. Often times that’s what we do too is we will look at someone and say well I don’t believe you because you really don’t understand the truth and you’re listening to other people and you’re not listening to God.
Jeremiah was presenting them the words of the Lord. They didn’t want to hear what God had to say because they perceived in their mind what they thought was the truth. And what they were looking at was the fact that Egypt had been the power up until, had been one of the major powers up until that time but the Lord is going to bring and use Nebuchadnezzar to destroy Pharaoh and Egypt and they will take over that portion of the world as the new power and God is using Nebuchadnezzar and it’s interesting we’re going to see in a moment he says Nebuchadnezzar my servants.
Nebuchadnezzar is being used by God even though at this point in time Nebuchadnezzar isn’t acknowledging God. He doesn’t acknowledge the God of the Bible. One day he will.
But as he’s doing all of this God is using him to bring chastisement upon Israel and judgment against Egypt. And we’re going to see in a moment what that judgment is about. So let’s take a look at what’s all of this transpiring and why would God say don’t go to Egypt because Nebuchadnezzar would rather go to the Chaldeans.
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.
Then to go into Babylon. And remember they initially had been told that they were just to stay in Judah and God would bless them if they stayed there. Now one of the things we’re going to see in one of the next passages is that there was land and people from all the other lands that had come out Jewish people, Judeans, Judeans that had come out from all the nations around them.
They’d be the nations of Ammon and Moab and Edom. And they’d come out because they had fled there when they saw the Chaldeans coming and they were besieging Jerusalem and they were destroying some of the smaller cities and villages outside of Jerusalem. These people had fled to these other countries.
Now when Gedaliah had been established as the new governor of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar these people had come back. Then we remember that Ishmael had come in who was really a traitor and someone who desired to destroy the people of Judah instead of help them. But he came back and pretended to come back to have alliance with Gedaliah but he really came back to kill him and to destroy all the leadership that was left in Judah and he began to do that.
And then these princes rose up against him and drove him back into the land of Ammon and so that he was no longer influencing them or coming against them but he’d done his damage. And now they believe that not only should they not stay in Judah as God had told them they shouldn’t go to Babylon as the Lord had revealed but rather they should go to Egypt. Let’s take a look at what else happens.
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;
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.
And so the people that are in charge, this Johanan and his other royal they’re looking at Jeremiah and Baruch as see you were in agreement with Gedaliah and Gedaliah was killed and so we’re not going to trust you and we’re not going to believe you even though we asked you to intercede on our behalf.
So they came unto the land of Egypt for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord. Thus came they even to Tappanese. Now this is a city that was a city that was a city that was where Pharaoh had a palace and it was a city that Pharaoh had built for himself.
It wasn’t where the capital of Egypt was but it was a major city where Pharaoh would be. They felt safe there. They’re coming to the places in Egypt that Pharaoh would protect and so they went first to this and then we’re going to see that they went to some other cities in Egypt but they felt safe there.
As I mentioned in some of the other studies if you look at the scripture whenever you see Egypt you see the world and the scriptures talk about Egypt and in the Old Testament when people go down to Egypt Egypt is a symbol of worldliness and that which is in rebellion against God. When the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt remember the first thing they did is when they got to Mount Sinai and Moses went up to get the law while he was gone and he was up there they became distraught and said he’s not coming back we should have never left Egypt and they built the golden calf Aaron built the golden calf out of gold that they brought to him and the golden calf was a symbol of one of the gods of Egypt and they began to worship that and they said we need to go back to Egypt.
Whenever they would become filled with really discouragement they would say why did we ever leave Egypt when they got tired of eating manna and they said we want something besides manna we should have never left Egypt we had all this wonderful food in Egypt and they forgot about the suppression and how that they were enslaved in Egypt and how that they had been prevented from worshipping God in Egypt and they hadn’t seen the power of God until he delivered them while they were in Egypt but yet they wanted to go back there.
Often times Christians we can become that way too as things come into our life which are problems and we face difficulties do we look to the Lord and trust in him knowing that he is greater than our circumstance greater than our difficulty will hear and answer our prayers and deliver us out from what we’re saying is going to destroy us. That’s everything that God had told them I will deliver you just follow
They wanted to go back to a worldly system a non-godly system a system that was in total rebellion against God instead of obeying God. That’s often times what we do we look to the wrong answers. I can think of people that have come and they’re Christians, they’re believers and they’re struggling with spiritual and emotional issues. You tell them get into the Bible and read God’s word and you need to be in church and you need to spend time with the Lord. Instead they’ll go to an ungodly counselor and that ungodly counselor will even discourage them from being with Christians, because you don’t want to be influenced by those people. You need to listen to me and they’ll listen to the words of the ungodly counselor. Instead of God’s word, instead of fellow Christians who are telling them the truth. That’s exactly what these people were like here.
The truth was being revealed to them but instead they wanted to return to the world and they believed the world system but they wouldn’t believe that God was more powerful than Egypt. That God was more powerful than the Chaldeans. Often times we look and say God isn’t big enough to deal with my problems. I’ve got to go to the world and have them tell me what to do. Now we see here that he says.
7 So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.
8 Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,
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;
Now what does that mean? Well he was to take two large stones and when he says hide them he was to take them and place them into the brick entry if you would in front of Pharaoh’s house and we’re going to see why he was to do this remember God had Jeremiah do a lot of things that were really things that foretold of how God was going to deal with the nation of Israel how he was going to deal with situations. Remember he took the girdle and buried it and then went back and got it and showed how the girdle had rotted and it wasn’t worth anything.Then he said you’re the girdle basically you were that which was very useful to God and now you’re not useful at all that was Judah he had done other things where he had used examples this is another example and what he’s doing is he’s taking these stones and he’s putting them at the entry to Pharaoh’s house and really what they’re doing is they’re going to be a place that are going to be prominent and you’re going to see them as they’re going to be different than all the brick around them. Now what’s the purpose of those stones? well the scripture tells us what the purpose of those stones is and he says.
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.
In other words who’s going to come to Egypt and set up his throne and set up his seat of judgment it’s going to be Nebuchadnezzar. They are fleeing from going to Nebuchadnezzar because they think Egypt’s going to save them from him but instead God’s having Jeremiah take these stones and put them there and he says tell the people the purpose of these stones is that there will be a place where Nebuchadnezzar can come and he will set up his throne in front of Pharaoh’s palace in this city. Not only that he’ll put over this beautiful covering that he has it’ll be like a kind of like a a canopy if you would a multicolored canopy that would mark the fact that he’s the one that is the ruler and he is the one that is there judging and he is the one that they’re giving out his orders from this place Pharaoh isn’t going to be able to stop him because he will have conquered Pharaoh he will be the one that’s in control and who does God say that Nebuchadnezzar is? My servant. These people weren’t God’s servants they were in rebellion to him Nebuchadnezzar was being directed by the Lord to do these things and what the Lord was showing through these stones was that the day would come and that the prophecy was true. That what the words that Jeremiah had shared were what was going to come about and the people should realize it and then he goes on and he says in verse 11
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.
Now remember what did God tell them first of all if you stay in the land they’re going to bless you. That’s what he told them first then when they wouldn’t do that then he said. Okay, you’re going to leave then you have to go to Babylon and then when they said I don’t want to go to Babylon then he said if you go anywhere but to Babylon if you go down to Egypt the very things that you are afraid of are the things that are going to happen you’re going to experience. Pestilence. You’re going to experience the sword. You’re going to experience death.
Those are the things that you are afraid that you’re going to find in Babylon but that’s what you’re going to find in Egypt. He says that’s what you’re going to find those are the things that will come because Nebuchadnezzar will come and he will judge but he won’t only judge the Egyptians he will judge the rebellious Judeans who would not listen to me and you will experience the very things that you feared. If you remained in Judah and that’s why you fled to Egypt but Egypt won’t be able to help you and I will not help you.
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. 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.
And he says and I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt now one of the things that the Judeans had done when they had gone down to Egypt is they were saying that we trust in the gods of Egypt more than we trust in our God that’s really what it boiled down to when people will come and they will say well I’ll believe in for example I’ll believe the psychiatrist or the psychologist more than the word of God what they’re saying is I’ll trust in the world more than I trust in God and I don’t trust in the God of the Bible when people go out and they decide to do their own thing. Listen to people and they go out and make unwise decisions .What they’re doing when they do that is they’re not trusting in God’s word nor trusting in the Lord they’re trusting in the world that’s what these people had done. Really they’re trusting in the gods that are behind it the apostle Paul talks to us about that when he writes in the letter to the Galatians and the Galatians were struggling with getting caught up in worldliness. Going back to the ways of the world. He’s saying you have been given a new spirit and the spirit of God and he can go and he talks about the fruit of the spirit and the fruit of the flesh which do you manifest? Which do you trust in? which do you want to be seen in your life? if you trust in the world and listen to the world the fruit of the world the flesh’s activities are going to manifest themselves in your life. If you trust in God the fruit of the spirit will manifest itself in your life and Paul says as Christians we should look to God.
So that the fruit of his spirit should be there and we should manifest all the characteristics of his spirit and reflect his son’s character. That’s what he’s saying here when you trust in the gods you trust in is what your life will reflect and these people were trusting in the gods of Egypt. God is going to come down and he’s going to destroy all the gods of Egypt he’s going to have Nebuchadnezzar come down and he’s going to destroy these gods now what was the other time that God had destroyed the gods of Egypt? When he delivered the nation of Israel out of the land of Egypt he had 10 plagues. If you do a study on those 10 plagues and then look at what were the major gods of Egypt at the time that Israel was enslaved in Egypt you will discover the 10 plagues came against the 10 gods of Egypt and every plague showed that God was greater than that god that god wasn’t a god at all and the last god that he destroyed was Pharaoh who was viewed as god who could not save his own son but his son being the first born was killed just as every other first born in the land of Egypt was killed and Pharaoh couldn’t do a thing because he was no god he was a mere man