Jeremiah Taken to Egypt

After Gedaliah, the appointed governor of the remnant in Judah had been killed, the Jews panicked. They feared retaliation by the Babylonians and sought guidance from Jeremiah. Though they had asked him to seek the Lord on their behalf and promised to do whatever they were told, they must have already been making plans to flee to Egypt. That specific course of action was called out in Jeremiah's prophetic answer. So often we seek God's will after we have already begun to take matters in our own hands. We want Him to rubber-stamp what we are already doing and don't take kindly to anything contrary. This was what happened to the people of Judah. Their plan was in motion and they did not wish to re-direct. It was easier to deny the words of the prophet. Just as soon as they were told not to go to Egypt, we read that they were on their way...with Jeremiah counted among their number. I thought this was strange, given that Jeremiah had just delivered the message that everyone should stay in the land. Why was he there?

Some scholars think that he was taken captive, yet a powerful argument against that theory exists. Why would they want to bring someone who told them what they did NOT want to hear? They were only interested in "yes men". Could he have gone voluntarily, sharing the same fear of the Babylonians that gripped his kinsmen? This seems very doubtful. If he had wanted to escape the conditions in Judah, he could have gone to Babylon on the invitation of Nebuchudnezzar and been treated well. Plus, Jeremiah had been a loyal servant to the Lord and would not likely have reversed his commitment at that point. The most likely scenario is that God asked him to follow the people to Egypt and continue to be His mouthpiece.

When he arrived in Egypt, he immediately began delivering more messages from God! The first of which involved burying the Large stones in the pavement in front of Pharoah's house. Excavation of the city of Tahpahnes revealed an area in front of Pharoah's house that matches this description. The stones were part of imagery meant to communicate the coming destruction of Egypt at the hands of the Babylonians. Egypt was in fact conquered by Nebuchudnezzar in 568 BC.

Tomorrow's reading : Ez. 34-36:38