Jeremiah Brings To The People The Word Of YHWH (Jeremiah 42:7-22).
The break of ten days during which Jeremiah waited on YHWH brings out the importance of what is to be said. The run of cultic prophets spoke spontaneously, having stirred themselves up into ecstasy, but this was no spontaneous word from Jeremiah. He had to wait on YHWH for the genuine word of YHWH. The wait would meanwhile leave the people feeling uneasy in the light of the impending threat of Nebuchadrezzar. It suggests that God was testing their faith and giving them time to think over their situation. He knew that what He was about to command would be contrary to all their intentions.
We soon discover the reason for the waiting. YHWH's word was that, rather than fleeing to Egypt, they were to remain in Judah under His own protection. They must trust in Him not in Egypt (compare Isaiah 30:1-5). He further indicated, in terms reminiscent of Jeremiah's previous prophecies, that the judgment which Jeremiah had previously pronounced against Judah had now been reversed, and that if they remained in the land, rather than their being delivered up to Nebuchadrezzar, they would be established and would be delivered out of his hand. On the other hand if they chose to go into Egypt they would find themselves subjected to all the judgments from which they were trying to escape. The choice before them was stark. YHWH or Egypt.
The passage closes with Jeremiah, expressing his awareness in a kind of postscript that their decision has been to disobey YHWH, declaring that they will in fact prove disobedient, and will thus come under God's renewed judgment. It was not, of course, just the seeking of refuge in Egypt that was the problem. It was that once they had done so they would start to look to other gods, something which Jeremiah 44:15 ff. make clear is precisely what happened.
‘And it came about after ten days, that the word of YHWH came to Jeremiah.'
‘Ten days' may simply signify ‘a period longer than seven days'. In Genesis ‘three days' regularly indicated a short period, with ‘seven days' indicating a relatively longer period. ‘Ten days' may therefore have been the next stage up the scale (compare ‘ten times' in Genesis 31:41). But however that may be, the description indicated that Jeremiah had to wait some considerable period, well over a seven day period, for YHWH's answer, something unusual in the field of prophecy (compare, however, Jeremiah 28:11-12; Ezekiel 3:16). It was a reminder that with the genuine prophets YHWH's word was not just something that could be produced by religious manipulation, but was a genuine word from Him.
The impression we gain (Jeremiah 42:2; Jeremiah 42:4) is that Jeremiah was to spend much of the time in prayer and supplication. Then at YHWH's discretion His word came to Jeremiah. The wait should have convinced God's people that the word which came would be of vital importance. God was doing His best to bring home to them the importance of what He was about to say.
‘Then he called Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,'
Having received YHWH's word Jeremiah then solemnly called together the whole leadership, together with all the people who were in the camp, from the commanders and the king's daughters, to the lowest servants. The whole assembly of the people was to be there to hear YHWH's command.
‘And said to them, “Thus says YHWH, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your supplication before him,'
He reminded them that it was they who had sent him to ‘YHWH, the God of Israel', in other words to ‘their God', in order that he might pray before Him so that they might receive the true word of YHWH through him.
“If you will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up, for I repent me of the evil that I have done to you.'
The initial words are a reversal of the trend of Jeremiah's previous prophecies against Judah (see Jeremiah 1:10), and guarantee a fulfilment of His promises in Jeremiah 18:7-10; Jeremiah 31:4-5; Jeremiah 33:7. YHWH promises to fulfil in Judah what is also promised to the exiles outside Judah (Jeremiah 24:6), their ‘building up and planting'. It was an offer to bring about the fulfilment of the promises concerning the new covenant in Jeremiah 31:27-34 (see especially Jeremiah 31:28). YHWH promises them that if they will remain in the land and put their trust in Him He will ‘build them up and plant them' because as a result of His judgments He has been able to change His mind about their situation. We should notice in this regard that YHWH's ‘repentance' is always as a result of changed circumstances which enable Him to view things differently. He changes His mind because the situation has changed enabling Him to act differently, not because He had previously made the wrong decision or was sorry for what He had done.
Thus if they are willing to truly obey YHWH the beginning of the reversal of the judgments of God can commence, with a future bright in the light of the promises in Chapter s 30-31. They will be able to enter into a new covenant with YHWH, a covenant that changes the heart, the Davidic king will take his throne, and the whole land will become prosperous. It must not be overlooked that this was a prospective turning point in salvation history. Sadly it did not come to fruition.
“Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Do not be afraid of him, the word of YHWH, for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.”
YHWH assures the people that if they remain in the land they need not fear Nebuchadrezzar's revenge because on ‘the word of YHWH' they can be sure that He, YHWH, will deliver them out of Nebuchadrezzar's hand. And this even though they are afraid of him. So once more YHWH's people are called on to look to Him and trust Him to be their Deliverer and Saviour, and act accordingly, with the promise that if they are obedient they will enjoy His full protection.
“And I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you, and cause you to return to your own land.”
For as a result of YHWH granting them mercy (a word indicating a mother's tender care and compassion), they can be sure that Nebuchadrezzar will also consequently have mercy on them, the final consequence of this being that they can now return safely to occupy their own land under YHWH's protection, rather than seeking refuge in Egypt.
Indeed it is clear that by fleeing to Egypt they would in fact be giving Nebuchadrezzar the impression that they were guilty of being involved in Gedaliah's assassination, and in the murder of the Babylonians who had been stationed in Mizpah. Had they in fact remained and informed Nebuchadrezzar of the efforts that they had made to bring the murderers to justice they may well have been believed. But they were aware of what he had done to Zedekiah and the rulers of Judah, and panicked.
“But if you say, ‘We will not dwell in this land,' so that you do not obey the voice of YHWH your God, saying, ‘No, but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we will see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread, and there will we dwell,' ”
On the other hand they are warned that if they refuse to take this option of dwelling in the land, thereby flagrantly disobeying YHWH, but rather declare that that they will go into Egypt and dwell there in order to avoid war and the sound of war, and in order to avoid hunger, then they must face the consequences which he is about to pronounce.
“Now therefore hear you the word of YHWH, O remnant of Judah. Thus says YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel, If you indeed set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there,'
Jeremiah now gives a solemn pronouncement of what will happen to them if they choose Egypt. Returning to Egypt is constantly seen in Scripture as an indication of backsliding. Israel had hankered after Egypt in the wilderness (Exodus 16:3; Numbers 11:5; Numbers 14:4), and they had continued to do so ever since even though Egypt had in the end brought them nothing but hurt (see Hosea 11). Scripture constantly sees their hearts as being centred on Egypt (‘the fleshpots of Egypt' - Exodus 16:3), even though God had delivered them from it, that was why in the end the One Who represented Israel had to be called out of Egypt (Matthew 2:15). Deliverance from ‘Egypt' and all that it stood for is essential for salvation.
“Then it shall come about, that the sword, which you fear, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, of which you are afraid, will follow hard after you there in Egypt. And there you will die.”
For what would they find in Egypt? Would they find peace and security and wellbeing and life? No. Rather they would experience being overtaken by the sword and by famine and by death, the very things which they wished to avoid. Egypt could offer them no security.
“So will it be with all the men who set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there. They will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, and none of them will remain or escape from the evil that I will bring on them.”
This is what it will be like for all who set their faces on Egypt to go there. They will experience the judgments of sword and famine and pestilence (contagious disease), and none of them will escape from them, for YHWH Himself will bring them on them because of their disobedience. Sword, famine and pestilence are regularly described together as the means of God's judgments (Jeremiah 14:12; Jeremiah 21:7; Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremiah 24:10; Jeremiah 27:8; Jeremiah 27:13; Jeremiah 29:17-18; Jeremiah 32:24; Jeremiah 32:36; Jeremiah 34:17; Jeremiah 38:2; Jeremiah 44:13; Ezekiel 5:12; Ezekiel 5:17; Ezekiel 6:11-12; Ezekiel 7:15; Ezekiel 12:16). In Ezekiel 14:21, where they are supplemented by wild beasts, they represent YHWH's four judgments. They were the killers of the ancient world. And he emphasises that none will escape these judgments.
“For thus says YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel, As my anger and my wrath have been poured forth on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so will my wrath be poured forth on you, when you shall enter into Egypt, and you shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach, and you shall see this place no more.”
For their returning to Egypt will be as heinous a crime as that of the disobedience of the inhabitants of Jerusalem which brought YHWH's anger and wrath on them. In the same way will His wrath be poured out on those who enter Egypt. They will experience the Levitical and Deuteronomic curses of being viewed with execration and astonishment (Leviticus 26:32; Deuteronomy 28:37), of being a curse and a reproach. and they will certainly never see their homeland again.