Jeremiah 43-44

CHAPTER 43

Jeremiah stopped talking to the people. They had accused him of lying about the Lord's instruction not to go to Egypt, and they were suspicious that Jeremiah had set a trap for them to be taken captive by the Chaldeans if they had remained in Judah. Therefore, they headed back out to Egypt, and they forced all the remnant and Jeremiah to go with them.

While they were in Egypt, the Lord told Jeremiah to tell the people that He will send Nebuchadnezzar, His servant, to strike the land of Egypt, delivering "to death those appointed for death, and to captivity those appointed for captivity, and to the sword those appointed for the sword." 

Also the Lord will cause the king of Babylon to burn the gods of the Egyptians, break the sacred pillars, and leave there the victor and in peace.

CHAPTER 44

The Lord spoke again to Jeremiah, saying (to the people): you saw all the calamity I had done to Jerusalem and Judah, which are now deserted and desolate, because of the people's disobedience and wickedness, burning incense to other gods; and I had sent to you prophets to warn you; and yet you have continued in disobedience to provoke Me to anger by burning incense to other gods in Egypt. 

Therefore, I will consume the remnant in Egypt by sword, famine, and pestilence, and they shall die. Only those who escape will return.

And yet, the men who knew their wives had burned incense to other gods arrogantly said they would not listen to Jeremiah, but will do whatever they want, to burn incense to the queen of heaven because when they did these things in Judah, they had food; now they no longer had food. And the women became  defensive of their idolatry, also.

Jeremiah explained that it was actually because of their disobedience and wickedness that caused the  calamity.

So, the Lord said they would die in Egypt -- except a small remnant who escape shall return to the land of Judah. And this shall be a sign to them, and He shall give Pharoah into the hand of the king of Babylon. 

COMMENTARY

This time the remnant would not obey God under any circumstances. Their hearts desired Egypt and to practice paganism. And it did not matter that the Lord explained how He was the one who permitted the desolation of Judah and Jerusalem. 

Nonetheless, He still pleaded with His people to return to Him. But man's willful rejection of God is an example of "the utter depravity of the human heart." 

credit: A Little Perspective