2.06. Chapter 6 - The Choice
Chapter 6 - The Choice At the end of the history of the prophet’s activities, two choices present themselves - one for Jeremiah, the other for the people. Jeremiah can go to Babylon or remain in the land. The remnant of the people left in Judah by Nebuchadnezzar may stay there or go down to Egypt.
1. Jeremiah’s Choice (Jeremiah 39:10-14; Jeremiah 40:1-6)
After a frightful siege of eighteen months, Zedekiah flees from Jerusalem. The Chaldean army pursues him and overtakes him and his companions in the plains of Jericho. At Riblah, in Nebuchadnezzar’s presence, Zedekiah’s sons are slaughtered before his eyes. All the nobles of Judah are put to death. Zedekiah’s eyes are put out; he is bound with chains of brass and carried to Babylon. “And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the houses of the people with fire, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem” (Jeremiah 39:8). The rest of Judah, including those that had deserted to the armies of Nebuchadnezzar, are carried away captive to Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar had given special orders as to Jeremiah: “Keep an eye upon him and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto you.” The captain of the body-guard takes him out of the court of the guard. Yet, through an unaccountable error, he is bound with chains and found among the captives being transported to Babylon. The captain of the body-guard discovers him and delivers him from his chains. He invites him to go along to Babylon, where he would keep his eye upon him, and adds, “But if it seems wrong for you to come with me to Babylon, remain here. See, all the land is before you; wherever it seems good and convenient for you to go, go there” (Jeremiah 40:4).
Jeremiah is now reaching the end of his public ministry. He is probably at least sixty years old. Two choices are placed before him. He may go to Babylon where he will be able to enjoy the king’s favors; where he will find his friends Daniel, Ezekiel, and other captives carried away on a previous occasion; and where he will be able to spend the rest of his life in relative tranquillity. On the other hand, he may remain with the poor of the land in Palestine and exercise a ministry among them. It will probably not find a better acceptance than his previous prophesying, but will nevertheless provide, on God’s part, a last encouragement for these desolate remains of Israel. The Word of God speaks of several choices. Abraham, satisfied with the territory that Lot would not choose, invites his nephew to make his choice first. Instead of leaving the first choice to his uncle, Lot lifts up his eyes and looks at the plain of Sodom. We know the rest of his life. As for Moses, the Epistle to the Hebrews confirms that through faith he chose “rather to suffer affliction along with the people of God than to have the temporary pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25). Solomon does not ask for glory and riches, but for the wisdom necessary to carry out in the interests of the people the royal responsibilities that God had entrusted to him (2 Chronicles 1:7-12). Mary “has chosen the good part, that which shall not be taken from her,” the place at the feet of Jesus. In the life of every Christian many choices arise, some more important than others. Nebuzar-adan says to Jeremiah: “See all the land is before you; wherever it seems good and convenient for you to go, go there.” Doesn’t a young man face virtually the same situation when he is about to choose a career or a profession? At the end of his high school or college years various alternatives are offered to him. Which is the path that the Lord wants for him? His parents may advise him; an experienced brother may express his opinion; yet it remains the young believer’s responsibility to decide with the help of the Lord how he will spend the main part of his life.
Still more important is the choice of a wife. How necessary to continually pray for the Lord’s guidance - that He might lead each of us to that special one of whom He can say, “I will make him a helper comparable to him” (Genesis 2:18).
Finally, as to a place of fellowship, many believers are faced with the problem of choosing among several. Should they remain where they have been brought up? What a privilege if they become convinced that the place where they already meet is the place where the Lord Jesus gathers His redeemed around Himself! Other believers, however, are called upon to discern where the Lord wants to lead them, so that they might be found in His presence with His own. On these three choices hang “the issues of life” - choices that are not made in the head, but in the heart - in true dependence on the Lord as our faithful Friend.
Jeremiah remains silent; “he had not yet given an answer.” Nebuzar-adan no doubt expects him to gratefully welcome the attractive offer to settle in Babylon. From the silence of the prophet he concludes that the proposal is not accepted and so encourages Jeremiah to go to Gedaliah, or “wherever it seems good and convenient for you to go” (Jeremiah 40:5). He gives him provisions and a gift, and sends him away. Jeremiah comes to Gedaliah and abides “with him among the people that remained in the land.” He prefers to stay with the poor of the people of God in their destitution rather than to enjoy the favors of the king of Babylon. Perhaps there is not much to attract one in one’s own meeting - not many spiritual gifts, not an abundance of warm fellowship. If however, the Lord through His presence fulfills His promise to be in the midst of two or three gathered unto His name, is it not the place where one should stay, and (in dependence upon Him) endeavor to contribute some spiritual blessing?
2. The Choice of the People
Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, had been appointed governor over the cities of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. For a few months this grandson of the scribe is a good governor. Those Jews who had fled to the surrounding countries return with full confidence to the land of Judah and gather wine and summer fruits in great abundance (Jeremiah 40:12)
Jealousy, however, will spoil everything. A certain man of royal blood named Ishmael evidently thought that he should have been appointed governor. And so he kills Gedaliah along with all the Jews with him and the Chaldean men of war that had been left there by the king of Babylon. He then takes the survivors with him intending to go to the land of Ammon (Jeremiah 41:10). However, Johanan and the captains of the forces that were with him free the captives from Ishmael, who flees to Baalis the king of the children of Ammon. Johanan and those whom he has delivered seek refuge for a time in the inn of Chimham at Bethlehem, waiting for the opportunity to flee secretly into Egypt, for fear of the Chaldeans.
We do not know how Jeremiah happens to be in that place. But Johanan and those with him ask him to pray for them in order that “The Lord thy God may show us the way wherein we should walk, and the thing that we should do.” Now these men had already decided in the depths of their hearts to go down to Egypt. Their whole hope was that Jeremiah would confirm their secret purpose. The prophet promises that he would pray, “and it shall come to pass that whatsoever things the Lord shall answer you, I will declare it unto you” (Jeremiah 42:4). These men then promise to “hearken to the voice of the Lord,” whatever the answer will be. To choose first and then to pray - is this not a trap set by Satan before many a child of God? This is especially so when one’s heart is already committed to marry a person outside the will of God. Perhaps the person is unconverted or walking in a path where true Christian fellowship is not possible. Or perhaps this person will entice the believing partner into a worldly lifestyle. Whatever the reason, the person does not answer to the will of God for His own.
Advice is sought from one’s parents or possibly from an experienced brother: the situation is explained and prayer is requested. They raise again the question of the will of God and point to the dangers involved in such a marriage. However, the heart has already decided and will not turn back. Similar situations arise in matters other than marriage. How important to acquire the habit of seeking the Lord before making decisions in one’s heart. Then it will be natural to turn first to our well-known Friend in the decisive hours of life.
Ten days elapse before the answer comes to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 42:7). This allows time to reflect on the hypocrisy of asking prayer for direction. Then he gives them God’s definite answer: “If you will still abide in this land, then will I build you ... and I. will plant you ... Be not afraid of the king of Babylon ... for I will be with you to save you … and I will grant mercy to you.” If you go into Egypt, where you think you will see neither war nor famine, it is precisely there that they will follow hard after you. “The Lord has said concerning you, the remnant of Judah, ‘Go ye not into Egypt’.” The advice is clear. But since Johanan and his companions had already reached their decision, they quickly respond, “You speak falsely! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to sojourn there’” (Jeremiah 43:2).
Deeds follow these words. Johanan gathers all those left in the land - “men, women, and children, and the king’s daughters. and every person that Nebuzar-adan ... had left with Gedaliah ... and they came into the land of Egypt: for they hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.
Throughout his life Jeremiah has seen his prophecies rejected and his warnings despised. Now it has happened again. Nevertheless, he follows the people into Egypt and even there warns them by the Word of the Lord (Jeremiah 43:8-13). But all is in vain. They reply to him, “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you, but we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth” (Jeremiah 44:16-17). The prophet, rejected and despised like his Master will be, apparently finishes his days in that land of exile. No details are given in the Word. His end is as sad as his lonely life had been. Later, John the Baptist will finish his course in a similar way - put into prison and then beheaded.
Such servants have been eminently faithful, even unto death, They had their moments of weakness, but in the day of rewards their crown will be glorious. To the end, they have answered the call which God addressed to them in their youth.
Jerusalem has been destroyed, its walls torn down, the temple set on fire, the people slaughtered or transported into exile; the history of Israel seems to finish in blood and tears. But seventy years later a remnant will come back and rebuild the temple and the wall. Their descendants will sink deeply into legalism and traditionalism. When the promised Messiah comes among them, He is rejected. Once more Jerusalem is destroyed and the people scattered throughout the world. In our days we see how their “dry bones” are beginning to move and come together. Albiet the breath of the Lord will not come upon them until they acknowledge their Messiah (Ezekiel 37:1-28).
However, this “people terrible from their beginning and hitherto; a nation of continued waiting and of treading down, whose land the rivers have spoiled,” has continued to exist in an extraordinary way down through the centuries. The branches cut out of the olive tree will be “grafted in” again (Romans 11:23) “in order that they also may be objects of mercy” (Romans 11:31).
Above man’s acts of disobedience, rebellion and ingratitude; above his wretchedness and accumulated ruin, there abides the supreme resource enshrined at the end of the book of Lamentations. “YOU, O LORD, REMAIN FOREVER” (Lamentations 5:19; Hebrews 1:11).
Thinking Things Through
1. Consider some of the factors which would cause Jeremiah to remain with the poor of the land after the rest had been carried away captive to Babylon. Thinking of an important choice you have made recently, what were the underlying motives which caused you to decide as you did?
2. Jeremiah’s choice did not make life easier for him, nor give him ease and pleasure in his declining years. How did the wrong choices made by others adversely affect him? To what extent are we affected by the decisions of others such as family, friends, assembly, etc.?
3. Thinking back over this study in the life of Jeremiah, what is the most important lesson for your own life that you have learned from it?
* The book that bears this title is primarily concerned with the destruction of Jerusalem and the persecutions that Jeremiah himself suffered.
* These verses, like many others also, have a prophetic bearing on God’s judgment with respect to His people and His heritage.