Explore the Bible: God is Trustworthy

• The Explore the Bible lesson for August 13 focuses on Jeremiah 42:7-22.

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One of my children got married a few months ago. As you would expect, several family members and friends from out of town traveled here to East Texas to be a part of the services. In making plans to come out, they had to find a hotel where they could stay. So, they reached out to me. In response, I described the two towns with hotels and the parts of those towns which were the best to stay in.

The fact I lived in area, had a track record with the various locations and was a family member or close friend made me trustworthy. Interestingly, though they asked, some ignored my advice and did not have the best experience in the places they chose to stay. Apparently, being trustworthy does not always instill trust.

In our passage for this week, God comes to Judah through Jeremiah again—this time after the fall of Jerusalem. Some in the post-fallen Jerusalem thought going down to Egypt was the best option. God is warning these individuals that such a trip would only end in death. Though God has shown his word as true regarding the fall of Jerusalem and his omniscience meant he certainly would know what was to come, the individuals being addressed were struggling to trust him.

Option 1 (Jeremiah 42:7-12)

The background to this passage reveals a people who are wondering what is next. The city has fallen, many of their friends and family have been taken into captivity, and they are wondering what will happen next. Apparently, at least two groups had formed around the debate. One group was committed to going down to Egypt, believing it would be a place of safety from the Babylonian empire. The other group was waiting for a word from God about what to expect.

The previous chapter tells us the military leaders and officials already had made plans to go down to Egypt. So, as Jeremiah calls the people together to relate the word of the Lord, he already is facing an uphill battle. Through Jeremiah, God instructs the people to stay put. He even goes so far as to say he is ready to reverse the judgment he has expressed and turn it into a blessing. Such a switch is consistent with what he said about his relational nature back in chapter 18. All they needed to do was trust and obey.

What barriers stand between us and trusting someone, even someone who has a track record of success? What does it say about God, that even at this point, following the destruction of Jerusalem because of Judah’s sin, he is willing to change their fortunes?

Option 2 (Jeremiah 42:13-18)

Having put forward the carrot, God now presents the stick. God tells the people the fear of Babylon’s return that was motivating their actions would be the consequence of following through with their plan. God is presented as the Lord of angel armies as a means of expressing both hope and judgment. Those armies could be used to protect or to judge. Their mention is simply a reminder that Jerusalem ultimately did not fall to Babylon, but to God’s judgment.

If Jerusalem could fall to God’s judgment, so could Egypt. Such a conclusion should have been evident to the people involved since Nebuchadnezzar had risen to power primarily through the defeat of Egyptian forces at the battle of Carchemish in 605 B.C. Would Egypt fare any better in the present circumstance when Babylon has become more powerful and Egypt less so? God’s promise that such a defeat was imminent should they go down there should have made the reality even more certain.

Do you think people are more responsive to threats of judgment than promises of blessings, why or why not? How does this passage speak to the issue of reaping what you sow? How would you personally describe the relationship between God’s sovereignty and people’s responsibility as it relates to what God says in this passage?

Warned (Jeremiah 42:19-22)

The people had sought God’s direction. God had granted that direction. The people were now going to ignore it. Jeremiah’s point is that the people cannot claim ignorance and that judgment is all that remains. Like the people in the opening story above, they asked someone who was knowledgeable and who they on some level trusted, but in the end, they decided to go their own way. It should have been no surprise to them, therefore, that they ended up exactly where God told them they would.

Why do think these particular individuals decided to go against such a clearly stated word from God? While we do not have such a directly worded prophetic statement from God, we have some clear guidance from God about matters we face. What are some areas that you particularly struggle with obedience? What are the tools God has given us to be able to be more obedient?

Timothy Pierce, Ph.D., is associate professor of Christian Studies at East Texas Baptist University.