Jeremiah 44

Jeremiah 44 describes the Lord's final warning to the remnant of Judah who had fled to Egypt. Despite the judgment they had witnessed in Judah due to idolatry, the people in Egypt continued to worship foreign gods. Through Jeremiah, God warns them of the consequences of this disobedience, but they defiantly reject His message. The chapter emphasizes the serious consequences of idolatry and disobedience, showcasing the people's hardened hearts even after witnessing God's judgments firsthand.

Jeremiah 44:1-10 (NKJV)
1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who dwell in the land of Egypt, who dwell at Migdol, at Tahpanhes, at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,
2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘You have seen all the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and on all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are a desolation, and no one dwells in them,
3 because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke Me to anger, in that they went to burn incense and to serve other gods whom they did not know, they nor you nor your fathers.
4 However I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, “Oh, do not do this abominable thing that I hate!”
5 But they did not listen or incline their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense to other gods.
6 So My fury and My anger were poured out and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, and they are wasted and desolate, as it is this day.’
7 Now therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, out of Judah, leaving none to remain,
8 in that you provoke Me to wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to dwell; that you may cut yourselves off and be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
9 Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
10 They have not been humbled, to this day, nor have they feared; they have not walked in My law or in My statutes that I set before you and your fathers.’

In these verses, God speaks to the Jews who have taken refuge in Egypt, reminding them of the destruction of Jerusalem due to idolatry. Despite His repeated warnings through prophets, they continued to worship other gods, which led to the desolation of their land. Now, even in Egypt, they persist in this rebellion, ignoring the lessons of the past and failing to show humility or obedience. God warns them that their continued idolatry in Egypt is an affront to Him, bringing about consequences that will isolate them and make them a reproach among nations. Their failure to repent reflects a hardened heart, resistant to God's correction.

Jeremiah 44:11-14 (NKJV)
11 “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will set My face against you for catastrophe and for cutting off all Judah.
12 And I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to dwell there, and they shall all be consumed and fall in the land of Egypt. They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine. They shall die, from the least to the greatest, by the sword and by famine; and they shall be an oath, an astonishment, a curse, and a reproach!
13 For I will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence,
14 so that none of the remnant of Judah who have gone into the land of Egypt to dwell there shall escape or survive, lest they return to the land of Judah, to which they desire to return and dwell. For none shall return except those who escape.’”

God declares His judgment on the remnant in Egypt, warning that they will face the same fate as those in Jerusalem. They will suffer from war, famine, and pestilence, leading to widespread death. This punishment is a consequence of their disobedience, and it is intended to be a stark reminder of God’s intolerance for idolatry. The few who might survive are an exception, emphasizing the severity of God's judgment against the majority who persist in their sinful ways, making clear that He will not allow rebellion to go unpunished.

Jeremiah 44:15-19 (NKJV)
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, with all the women who stood by, a great multitude, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying:
16 “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you!
17 But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble.
18 But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.”
19 The women also said, “And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands’ permission?”

The people respond defiantly to Jeremiah, refusing to heed his message. They argue that their past prosperity was due to their worship of the "queen of heaven" (likely a pagan deity). They associate their hardships with ceasing this idolatrous worship, showing their distorted belief that these rituals brought blessings. The mention of women highlights that this idolatry was widespread and practiced with the consent of their husbands, indicating collective rebellion. This open defiance reveals their deep-seated attachment to pagan worship, choosing their own understanding over God’s commands.

Jeremiah 44:20-23 (NKJV)
20 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the people—the men, the women, and all the people who had given him that answer—saying:
21 “The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land—did not the Lord remember them, and did it not come into His mind?
22 So the Lord could no longer bear it, because of the evil of your doings and because of the abominations which you committed. Therefore your land is a desolation, an astonishment, a curse, and without an inhabitant, as it is this day.
23 Because you have burned incense and because you have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord or walked in His law, in His statutes or in His testimonies, therefore this calamity has happened to you, as at this day.”

Jeremiah rebukes the people for their misguided beliefs, reminding them that their past idol worship led to Jerusalem's destruction. God’s patience ran out due to their abominations, resulting in the land’s desolation. The current suffering is a direct outcome of their sins and disobedience, yet the people fail to see the link between their rebellion and its consequences. Jeremiah’s response seeks to realign their understanding, showing that prosperity and peace come from obedience to God, not idolatry, but their hearts remain hardened.

Jeremiah 44:24-30 (NKJV)
24 Moreover Jeremiah said to all the people and to all the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt!
25 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘You and your wives have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands, saying, “We will surely keep our vows that we have made, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” You will surely keep your vows and perform your vows!’
26 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “The Lord God lives.”
27 Behold, I will watch over them for adversity and not for good. And all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end to them.
28 Yet a small number who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah; and all the remnant of Judah, who have gone to the land of Egypt to dwell there, shall know whose words will stand, Mine or theirs.
29 And this shall be a sign to you,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for adversity.’
30 “Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy who sought his life.’”

Jeremiah delivers God’s final judgment, declaring that the people’s vows to worship the "queen of heaven" will bring about their ruin. God announces that no one in Egypt will invoke His name in a hopeful manner, as He has turned His favor from them. Only a small remnant will survive and return to Judah, confirming that God’s word is absolute. The downfall of Pharaoh Hophra will serve as a sign of His power and as a reminder of the fate that befalls those who oppose His will. This chapter concludes with a somber warning of the consequences of choosing idolatry over God.