The people who went to Egypt, taking Jeremiah and Baruch with them, lived near the capital city. One day the Lord told Jeremiah to take some large stones in his hands and go to a brickkiln, and hide the stones in the clay. The men of Judah, who had come to Egypt were no doubt at work there, making bricks for the king, and Jeremiah was to let them see him hide the stones.
Then he was to tell them that the king of Babylon, whom they had feared, would come against Egypt, and set up his camp, and throne over the spot where the stones were hidden, for he would conquer the city and rule there.
So the people were not as safe in Egypt, as they would have been if they had stayed near Jerusalem, as God had said. They knew God’s care and power, yet were worshiping idols the same as the Egyptian people. Jeremiah spoke to them of their sin, telling them God had said,
Yet the women of Judah foolishly burned incense in honor of the Egyptian idols.
At last these people all met together, a large number, and told Jeremiah they would not listen to God’s words; but would certainly do whatever thing cometh forth out of our own mouth”, meaning they would do as they pleased. Those were sad, wicked words.
Jeremiah told the people they would suffer when the king of Babylon came to Egypt, and that only those who believed the warning, and fled back to Jerusalem, could live.
Go told Jeremiah to write that Moab and other nearby nations would also be conquered because of their great wickedness, and that at last Babylon, too, and its idols should he destroyed. Jeremiah wrote the words God said about Babylon, and gave them to a man going there, telling him to read the words to the people; and then to fasten the roll, or book, to a stone, and throw it into the river, and say,
“Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise.” Jet, 51:64.
These things show that the Lord wanted it made very plain to all the nations what sorrows their sins would bring them.
We are not told how long it was before Egypt was conquered, nor how many escaped to Jerusalem, nor what happened to Jeremiah and Baruch. But God has kept the words He told Jeremiah to write all the many years since, and we learn from them how surely His warnings always prove true; yet how willing He is to forgive and bless, if people will only believe Him.
Do you think we are ever as careless as those people, and do as we wish, instead of as God has said?
What bold words did the men and women say to Jeremiah? (Jer. 44:16-1916As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. 17But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. 18But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine. 19And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men? (Jeremiah 44:16‑19)).
ML 04/05/1942