Jeremiah 42

The prophet asked to pray for the people and he did 1
The Lord told Jeremiah that they should stay in the land 7
If they refused to listen they would die 13
Text
Comments
.1 ¶ Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near,
 2 And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:) 
 3 That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.
  Jezaniah  See je4008.
.4 Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.
 5 Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.
 6 Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.
  6 - We will obey Compare ex1908. See on v20.
.7 ¶ And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah.
 8 Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,
 9 And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him;
.10 If ye 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 unto you.
 11 Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.
 12 And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.
  10 - Build The same plan as previously given je0110, is1807, is0406.
  12 - Return to your own land If taken to Babylon they would return or if remaining they would be free to live in their homes throughout the land and return to their fields.
.13 But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God,
 14 Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell:
 15 And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there;
.16 Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.
  13 - Saying No ... go ... Egypt The Lord knew what they were thinking and that they would finally decide refuse the Lord's promises and go to Egypt.
  16 - Then it shall come to pass ... die A clear and sobering prediction.
 17 So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them. 
.18 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.
  18 - As mine anger ... hath been "As ye have already, to your sorrow, found Me true to My word, so shall ye again" (JFB) je0720, je1816. Execration means a detestable or evil thing.
 19 The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day. 
.20 For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.
  20 - Dissembled "They consulted God, like many, not so much to know what was right, as wishing Him to authorize what they had already determined on, whether agreeable to His will or not. So Ahab in consulting Micaiah (1Ki 22:13). Compare Jeremiah's answer (Jer 42:4) [v4 above] with Micaiah's (1Ki 22:14)." (JFB)
 21 And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you.
 22 Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn.
  22 - Know certainly A stronger sentence than in v16. Deep seated wickedness disregards every appeal and warning. Let us keep our hearts true before God by a constant attitude of prayer and commitment 1th0517.
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