The Promise to Obey, Tested
By E. HILLIARD
In the days of Jeremiah the prophet, when the people of Judah were carried into captivity, many, through the treachery of some of the royal seed, were slain, and the survivors were but few in number. In their distress some of the chief men, in behalf of the people, requested the prayers of the prophet. Apparently they were humble and ready to do anything that the Lord might require. They said, “Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the Lord thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:) that the Lord thy God may show us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.” Of course Jeremiah was willing, and even glad, to petition Heaven in their behalf. He promised to withhold nothing that the Lord might reveal to him. They called the Lord to witness between them and his faithful prophet that they would do whatever the Lord required, whether it pleased or displeased them; whether in their eyes it was good or evil, they would certainly obey the Lord. Jer. 42: 2-6. Jeremiah prayed earnestly to God, and within ten days his petition was answered. He called together the chief men who made the request, and placed before them God’s requirements, obedience to which would insure God’s protection and blessing. It appears, however, that their hearts were set on going down into Egypt, where they would see no war, hear no sound of the battle trumpet, and feel no pangs of hunger. The test was brought to bear on that upon which their hearts were most strongly centered. If they would abandon their Egyptian journey, the Lord promised to protect them from the king of Babylon, of whom they were sore afraid, and to bestow mercies and blessings upon them. Jer. 42:9-12. They did not know their deceitful hearts, and the Lord told them that they had dissembled when they requested the prophet’s prayers. Jeremiah said to them, “Ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the Lord your God, saying, Pray for us unto the Lord our God; and according unto all that the Lord our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.” Jer. 42:20. The prophet then faithfully declared unto them what the result would be if they went to sojourn in Egypt. Famine, pestilence, and the sword were their predicted punishment. Verse 22. They stood face to face with the God of heaven. It was he that they were contending with, and not Jeremiah the prophet. The only way that they could make an appearance of honesty was to blame the prophet. This they were not slow to do. “Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there: but Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hands of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.” Jer. 43:2, 3. This is a good example of how the prophets of the Lord, in all ages, have been treated by men who have professedly surrendered all to God and have claimed to be willing to be led by him, but who, when tested, have proved to be stubborn and abusive. Such have rejected the heaven-sent message, abused the chosen instrument, and justified themselves. Men, women, and children, under the leadership of the chief rebellious men, emigrated to Egypt. There they burned incense unto false gods. But the great and merciful God had pity on them. He sent unto them his “servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.” Jer. 44:4. There was still hope for all who would return to the land of Judah, all who would humble their souls before God. See verse 14, margin. But the men who knew that their wives had burned incense unto the queen of heaven (the moon) stubbornly rejected the warnings of the prophets. They said, “As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven: . . . for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. But 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.” Jer. 44:15-18. Poor deluded souls! They did not realize that the temporal blessings of heaven were bestowed upon them while they were worshiping false gods, that they might learn the forbearance and long-suffering of God, and that it is his goodness that leads men to repentance. When the Lord could no longer bear with their wickedness, his retributive judgments came upon them. Those who maintained their opposition to God were visited with famine and pestilence. Many of them were slain by the sword of their enemies. The very thing that they feared was at last sent upon them. No one but the Lord knows how to deal with the desperately wicked hearts of men. Let us surrender all to God. When we place all in the hands of him who died to redeem us, then we are prepared to follow wherever the Lord leads. It is by a continual surrender that we maintain peace and communion with God.