Jeremiah 43:4, commentary and pictures

Jeremiah 43:4 belongs to the history of the two years before Jerusalem fell. It records that Johanan the son of Kareah, with all the captains of the forces and all the people, the remnant left in Judea after the captivity, refused the voice of the Lord to dwell and remain in the land of Judah. Their refusal rejected the direction God gave through Jeremiah after they had inquired of him, and they instead chose to go down to Egypt.

In this rejection Jeremiah was cast off by his own people and found refuge in Africa. The disobedient charged that Jeremiah was not speaking the word of God but what Baruch, who worked very closely with him, influenced him to speak against them. That charge of human influence upon God's chosen medium was a great and serious sin showing suspicion, unbelief, and rejection of Jeremiah as a true prophet, for which God punished those wicked men with utter destruction.

The same unbelief toward those God calls and the same charge of outside influence against the manifestation of the spirit of prophecy is made today, yet God never chooses a medium to speak directly to a people while allowing a contrary influence to pass itself off as His Spirit and work. Their refusal illustrates praying without truly meaning to follow God's direction.