In chapters 39 to 44 of Jeremiah
it speaks of Judah (Yahudah) and Jerusalem been attacked and destroyed by
Babylon as prophesized by Jeremiah the prophet. It speaks about Yahudah been
exiled to Babylon, of the people staying in the land and of people fleeing to
Egypt.
Let us read what
happened in this period to the people of Judah or correctly Yahudah and find
that not all people were exiled out of the land of Yahudah.
Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and they besieged it in the 11th
year of King Zedekiah’s reign of Judah – Jeremiah 39:1-2. Read Jeremiah 52:4-11 for more details.
King Zedekiah’s family
and leaders were killed with the Kings eyes removed plus placed in prison until
his death – Jeremiah 39:4-7
and Jeremiah 52:7-11.
The King before
Zedekiah who also sinned against Yahuah, King Jehoiakim was placed in prison
and released after the besieged of Yahudah and Jerusalem – Jeremiah 36:30-31 and Jeremiah 52:31-34.
A total of 4600 people
of Yahudah were exiled to Babylon – Jeremiah 52:28-30. Many people in Yahudah and Jerusalem were
killed and many fled to neighboring lands – Jeremiah 39:9 and Jeremiah 52:15.
But a few people or
families were left behind in the land of Yahudah to become farmers and vine dressers.
Farm land were mostly given to the poor people of Judah – Jeremiah 39:10 and Jeremiah
52:16.
From this study we
know that families, mostly poor were left behind in Yahudah (Judah) to work the
fields. All this was in Yahuah’s plan to leave a remnant in the land – Jeremiah 42:9-12.
What is known of these
families and where are they today.
As mentioned above a few
families from Yahudah were left behind in the land of Yahudah to be farmers and
vinedressers.
Gedaliah, son of
Ahikam was made governor over the cities of Yahudah by the king of Babylon
after they took over the land of Yahudah (Judah) – Jeremiah 40:5. Gedaliah was one of the
princes of Yahudah, a grandson of king Josiah’s nobles.
Jeremiah the prophet
stayed with Gedaliah when released from prison (Jeremiah 26:24 & Jeremiah 39:14) and went back
to Gedaliah when the chief of the guard from Babylon gave him a choice as to
where he could go (Jeremiah
40:2-6).
It was all in Yahuah’s
plan to let a remnant of people of Yahudah stay behind in the land after the
Chaldeans (Babylon) besieged the land. Yahuah said in Jeremiah 38:2 people must leave Jerusalem
before the attack on the city and give themselves over to the rule of
Chaldeans. Yahuah gave this instruction again in Jeremiah 42:10-12 to the same people that was
governed by Gedaliah.
A strange event
happened next.
The armies of Yahudah
that fled Jerusalem during the attack heard that Gedaliah and various families
were allowed to stay in the land and so they came to visit them – Jeremiah 40:7-8. Among
the men were Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of
Kareah plus many other men – Jeremiah
40:8.
Who were Ishmael and
Johanan: both were from Yahudah. Ishmael was of the royal seed (Jeremiah 41:1) who fled
to the Ammonites and was close to king Baalis of Ammon – Jeremiah 40:14. Not much
is known of Johanan except that he was a captain of Yahudah.
Johanan warned Gedaliah
that Ishmael was planning to kill him and the people with him, but Gedaliah did
not believe Ishmael would do this to him – Jeremiah 40:14 & 16.
But Ishmael and his
men did kill Gedaliah and other people with him – Jeremiah 41:1-3. He also killed some men that came
from Samara and Shiloh to visit Gedaliah and the temple – Jeremiah 41:5-7.
All the remaining
families that were living in the land with Gedaliah were taken captive by
Ishmael – Jeremiah 41:10.
But Johanan and his
men went to fight against Ishmael and his men to free the captive families – Jeremiah 41:11-15.
It seems in all this
Jeremiah the prophet was with these families when Ishmael killed Gedaliah.
Johanan and all the
people asked Jeremiah to pray for Yahuah’s blessing and guidance in what would
He want them to do next – Jeremiah
42:1-6.
After 10 days,
Jeremiah received an answer from Yahuah – Jeremiah 42:7-9.
They had two options
Option 1 was the blessing if they stayed in the land of
Judah.
Jeremiah 42:10-12 If you will still remain in this land, then I will build you up, and
will not tear you down. And I will plant you, and will not pluck you up. For I repent
as to the evil that I have done to you. Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon,
of whom you are afraid. Do not be afraid of his face, declares Yahuah, for I am
with you to save you and to deliver you from his hand. And I will show mercies
to you, so that he may have pity on you, and cause you to return to your own
land.
Option 2 was a curse if they went to Egypt.
Jeremiah 42:13-17 But if you say, We will not live in this land or obey the voice of Yahuah
your Elohim, saying, No, but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall
see no war or hear the sound of the ram's horn, and we will not hunger for bread,
and there we will live; then hear now the Word of Yahuah, O remnant of Judah,
So says Yahuah of Hosts, the Elohim of Israel: If you surely set your faces to go
into Egypt, and go to live there, then it shall be, the sword which you feared
shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt. And the famine which you were
anxious about shall cling to you there in Egypt, and you shall die there. So it
shall be to all the men who have set their faces to go into Egypt to reside
there. They shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the plague. And none
of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring on them.
Jeremiah's warning
from Yahuah is quite clear; stay in Yahudah (Judah) and Elohim will protect them
or go to Egypt for help and die.
But the proud men,
Azariah and Johanan (captains of Yahudah army) said Jeremiah was not telling
the truth and convinced the rest of the army and people to disobey the word of
Yahuah and go to Egypt – Jeremiah
42:2-7.
Jeremiah warned the
people again who went to Egypt but ignored him and instead worshipped idols in
Egypt – Jeremiah 44:1-13.
Jeremiah 44:15 through to 29 is the punishment that came upon those who
went to live in Egypt.
But in all this
disobedience, Yahuah still shows mercy on a remnant of people from Yahudah as
we read in Jeremiah 44:14
so that none of the remnant of Judah which has gone into the land of Egypt, to
reside there, will be a refugee, or a survivor, or turn back to the land of
Judah to which they are lifting up their soul to return back to live there, for
none shall return, except those who escape. Jeremiah 44:28 And he who escapes the
sword shall return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Yahudah (Judah), few
in number.
A remnant survives and
returns to Yahudah.
What is the lesson for
us: Listen and follow the word of Yahuah only.
