Jeremiah 42

In Jeremiah 42, the remnant of Judah seeks guidance from the prophet Jeremiah after the fall of Jerusalem and the assassination of Gedaliah, the governor appointed by Babylon. The people, fearing Babylonian reprisal, ask Jeremiah to pray to God on their behalf, seeking direction for their next steps. Despite their promise to obey God's word, they seem to have already set their hearts on fleeing to Egypt. This chapter reveals the people's struggle with trust and obedience to God’s will amidst their fears and insecurities.

Jeremiah 42:1-10 (NKJV)
1 Now all the captains of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah, Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, came near
2 and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please, let our petition be acceptable to you, and pray for us to the Lord your God, for all this remnant (since we are left but a few of many, as you can see),
3 that the Lord your God may show us the way in which we should walk and the thing we should do.”
4 Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard. Indeed, I will pray to the Lord your God according to your words, and it shall be, that whatever the Lord answers you, I will declare it to you. I will keep nothing back from you.”
5 So they said to Jeremiah, “Let the Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the Lord your God sends us by you.
6 Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.”
7 And it happened after ten days that the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah.
8 Then he called Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,
9 and said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition before Him:
10 ‘If you will still remain in this land, then I will build you and not pull you down, and I will plant you and not pluck you up. For I relent concerning the disaster that I have brought upon you.

The people, led by Johanan and the other captains, approach Jeremiah to seek God’s guidance. They ask him to pray on their behalf, hoping God will reveal the safest path forward for the remaining survivors. Jeremiah agrees to seek God's will, promising to relay His answer without withholding anything. The people solemnly pledge to obey whatever God commands, whether favorable or challenging. After ten days, God responds, promising them security and restoration if they stay in Judah. God assures them He will protect them and rebuild their lives in the land, showing mercy despite their previous suffering.

Jeremiah 42:11-16 (NKJV)
11 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not be afraid of him,” says the Lord, “for I am with you, to save you and deliver you from his hand.
12 And I will show you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and cause you to return to your own land.”
13 “But if you say, ‘We will not dwell in this land,’ disobeying the voice of the Lord your God,
14 saying, ‘No, but we will go to the land of Egypt where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor be hungry for bread, and there we will dwell’—
15 Then hear now the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah! Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘If you wholly set your faces to enter Egypt, and go to dwell there,
16 then it shall be that the sword which you feared shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt; the famine of which you were afraid shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there you shall die.

God encourages the people not to fear the Babylonian king. He promises His presence, protection, and mercy if they remain in Judah. However, He warns them against seeking refuge in Egypt, a place they perceive as peaceful and secure. If they decide to go to Egypt, God warns that the very dangers they fear — war, famine, and death — will catch up with them there. This choice, God explains, would lead to consequences rather than the safety they desire.

Jeremiah 42:17-22 (NKJV)
17 So shall it be with all the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to dwell there. They shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. And none of them shall remain or escape from the disaster that I will bring upon them.’
18 “For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘As My anger and My fury have been poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so will My fury be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. And you shall be an oath, an astonishment, a curse, and a reproach; and you shall see this place no more.’
19 “The Lord has said concerning you, O remnant of Judah, ‘Do not go to Egypt!’ Know certainly that I have admonished you this day.
20 For you were hypocrites in your hearts when you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the Lord our God, and according to all that the Lord your God says, so declare to us and we will do it.’
21 And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God, or anything which He has sent you by me.
22 Now therefore, know certainly that you shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go to dwell.”

God further emphasizes the consequences of disobedience for those planning to go to Egypt. He warns that His fury, which once came upon Jerusalem, will fall on them if they seek refuge there. They will become a symbol of disgrace and sorrow. God reveals their insincerity, noting that despite their promise to obey, they had already made up their minds. Jeremiah concludes with a stern reminder that if they go to Egypt, they will face the very destruction they wish to escape, fulfilling God's judgment on their lack of trust and hypocrisy.