Jeremiah 43:1-7 (ESV)
Jeremiah Taken to Egypt
When Jeremiah finished speaking to all the people all these words of the LORD their God, with which the LORD their God had sent him to them, Azariah the son of Hoshaiah and Johanan the son of Kareah and all the insolent men said to Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie. The LORD our God did not send you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to live there,’ but Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may kill us or take us into exile in Babylon.” So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces and all the people did not obey the voice of the LORD, to remain in the land of Judah. But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to live in the land of Judah from all the nations to which they had been driven— the men, the women, the children, the princesses, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan; also Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah. And they came into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the LORD. And they arrived at Tahpanhes.
Disobedience is infused into the nature of mankind. Judah was taken captive by the Babylonians and a remnant was left in the land. God had promised, through the prophecy of Jeremiah, to care for and sustain this remnant. They had just seen their fellow country men carried off to Babylon because of their sins, but they were promised forgiveness and blessings if they just stayed in the land. They came to Jeremiah and asked him to pray to God for them. Jeremiah does so and delivers God’s message to them. The message was one of blessing and care by God, IF THEY STAYED IN THE LAND:
Jeremiah 42:10 (ESV)
If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you.
After hearing this message, they, instead, run off to Egypt. This disobedience was baked into their nature. Instead of obedience they responded to Jeremiah with insolence. God will punish them (see chapters 44-46). Just as man’s sin in woven into their nature, so too, God’s judgement is the core of His nature. His righteousness demands justice. His mercy and wrath are never out of sync with each other. When we choose disobedience vs walking by faith, God must exercise His judgment and wrath. Even on the remnant of His people. Failure to obey God results in discipline by God.
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