Do you remember the show, “Let’s Make a Deal”? The premise was that there were always a few good deals but many more duds. People had to make choices without having any idea which was which. The people hearing Jeremiah’s words had a choice before them: stay put with God’s blessing or leave for Egypt and face doom. They knew which was the “dud” but chose it anyway.
The people wanted to do their own thing so much they made the bad assumption Jeremiah was lying about what God said. Anybody who knows Jeremiah’s character would also know he would never give false testimony. I’m sure there were plenty of times when Jeremiah would rather have delivered an entirely different message. God knew from the beginning Jeremiah would be a reliable one to speak for him.
These leaders must have been believable for the people to blindly follow them to Egypt after hearing what Jeremiah said. How do you think Jeremiah felt to be taken away against the wishes of God himself? If he wondered if God would abandon him, Jeremiah must have been relieved when he received another message once they arrived in Egypt — although that message was dreadfully dire.
The people thought they were escaping the threat of harm from the Babylonians. But Jeremiah’s new prophecy said otherwise. As the people had ignored Jeremiah before, they are probably not paying attention this time. Living in denial is not a safe place to be. Was Jeremiah lying again? For what reason would Jeremiah lie about something like this?
Can you remember a time in your life when you chose to ignore God’s direction? Maybe you weren’t sure it was God. Maybe, like the people now in Egypt, you wanted something so bad that you ignored good counsel advising you to “watch out!”
We have so many messages bombarding us every day. It has become harder to discern trustworthy sources. The Bible is our only dependable source. Not everyone agrees with that, but it is my belief. If messages compete with or are contrary to the Bible, we know they are false or “duds.”
Are you searching for truth in God’s word? Psalm 9:10 says, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.” The wisdom of God is available to us. Proverbs 28:26 says, “Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.”
Take some time to sit quietly with God today being mindful of how magnificent his word is at revealing how much he loves us.
Let’s pray … Lord, thank you for your word and how it speaks to me each day. I can learn from the words I read, the characters you introduce me to, and the love I feel from you in each inspired word. Use me to show this beauty to others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
