Daily Devotions
Jeremiah
"That the LORD your God may show us the way"
Text: Jeremiah 42:3
APPROACHING JEREMIAH
The remnant in Judah finally decided that they must consult with Jeremiah. They were in a fix. The captains had rescued the captives. That was a good thing to do. But the rebel forces would still be dealt with severely by the Babylonians if they were caught. What should they do next? Where do they go from here?
“Now all the captains of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah,
Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest,
came near and said to Jeremiah the prophet,
‘Please, let our petition be acceptable to you, and pray for us to the LORD your God,
for all this remnant (since we are left but a few of many, as you can see),
that the LORD your God may show us the way
in which we should walk and the thing we should do.'”
Jeremiah 42:1-3
1. “Now all the captains of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah,
Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, came near”
a) Two of the captains were named.
i) Johanan the son of Kareah.
ii) Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah.
b) The people
i) Some were very poor (called “the least”).
ii) Some were much better off (called “the greatest”).
All came to Jeremiah to seek his counsel.
2. “And said to Jeremiah the prophet, ‘Please, let our petition be acceptable to you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, for all this remnant (since we are left but a few of many, as you can see)'”
a) They approached Jeremiah.
b) They asked Jeremiah to pray for them.
c) They spoke of God as “The LORD your God”.
d) They were very conscious that they were now “a remnant”.
e) They feared that all would be slain by the Babylonians.
f) They asked for Jeremiah’s intercession knowing that their prayers
may not be heard by God.
3. “That the LORD your God may show us the way in which we should walk and the thing we should do”
a) They asked that the LORD would show them.
i) The way in which to walk.
ii) The things they ought to do.
b) They expressed:
i) Their lack of knowledge.
ii) Their need for God’s protection and instruction.