Daily Devotions
Jeremiah
"Heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done"
Text: Jeremiah 41:11
NEWS OF THE EVIL DEEDS OF ISHMAEL
The murder of Gedaliah could not be hidden for long. The capture of all the remnant at Mizpah began to spread. Action had to be taken!
“But when Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces
that were with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,
they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah;
and they found him by the great pool that is in Gibeon.
So it was, when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, that they were glad.
Then all the people whom Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah
turned around and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah.
But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men
and went to the Ammonites.”
Jeremiah 41:11-15
1. “But when Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces that were with him
heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done”
a) Johanan was the leading captain of the rebel forces that held out against the Babylonians.
b) He and the other leaders had learned about the evil deeds that Ishmael had done.
i) He had murdered people.
ii) He had made captives of others.
2. “They took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah;
and they found him by the great pool that is in Gibeon”
a) The captains took no chances.
b) They gathered every available soldier.
c) They began to track Ishmael down.
d) They found him by the great pool in Gibeon.
e) Both Mizpah and Gibeon were in the land of Benjamin.
3. “So it was, when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah,
and all the captains of the forces who were with him, that they were glad”
a) The captives saw the rescue party.
b) Johanan led the captains of the forces.
c) The remnant captives were very glad when they saw that rescue was near.
4. “Then all the people whom Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah
turned around and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah”
a) The captives from Mizpah attempted to escape from Ishmael.
b) They made a strong effort to reach Johanan and the other captains.
5. “But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the Ammonites”
a) Ishmael managed to escape.
b) He and eight others fled to the Ammonites.
c) Ishmael was a murderer and took advantage of the weak.
d) But when he had to fight against veteran soldiers, he fled.