Jeremiah 43
Choose Wisely Your Next Step! (Part 2 of 2)
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, May 13.
The prophet faithfully gave the Word of the Lord to the officials in Jeremiah 42:7-22, laying out for them the right next step. There could be no possible confusion about the will of God for the people, but the officials were not happy about God’s direction for them. The prophet told them that if they went into Egypt, they would suffer even greater hardship, but if they remained in the Promised Land, God would work through their enemies to bless and preserve them. But it got worse, in Jeremiah 43:2-3, the officials accused the prophet of being complicit in a conspiracy against them, “You are telling a lie! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You are not to enter Egypt to reside there’; but Baruch the son of Neriah is inciting you against us to give us over into the hand of the Chaldeans, so they will put us to death or exile us to Babylon.” Essentially, they said to Jeremiah, “This can’t be from the Lord; you are conspiring against us!”
As a herald of the gospel of Jesus Christ and teacher of God’s Word, I can only imagine how frustrating this must have been for Jeremiah. He had been timely and accurate with his prophetic ministry to them, indominable and incorruptible in His fidelity to the Word of God. He demonstrated his fierce loyalty to the people by remaining with them in hardship, even after he was promised travel protection and a better life elsewhere by a Babylonian official. But the remnant wouldn’t walk in the counsel of the Lord because it didn’t line up with what they had already decided was right in their own eyes (4-7).
Seize the moment and walk in step with God when He gives you clear guidance, remembering to treasure God’s Word in your heart, so that you may not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11).
God bless you!
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YOUTUBE:
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