Jeremiah 43:1-13
Remnant Goes to Egypt
1When Jeremiah had finished telling all the people all the words of the LORD their God—everything that the LORD had sent him to say—
2Azariah son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are lying! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to reside there.’
3Rather, Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to deliver us into the hands of the Chaldeans, so that they may put us to death or exile us to Babylon!”
4So Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces disobeyed the command of the LORD to stay in the land of Judah.
5Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took the whole remnant of Judah, those who had returned to the land of Judah from all the nations to which they had been scattered,
6the men, the women, the children, the king’s daughters, and everyone whom Nebuzaradan captain of the guard had allowed to remain with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as well as Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah.
7So they entered the land of Egypt because they did not obey the voice of the LORD, and they went as far as Tahpanhes.
8Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah at Tahpanhes:
9“In the sight of the Jews, pick up some large stones and bury them in the clay of the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace at Tahpanhes.
10Then tell them that this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will set his throne over these stones that I have embedded, and he will spread his royal pavilion over them.
11He will come and strike down the land of Egypt, bringing death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity, and the sword to those destined for the sword.
12I will kindle a fire in the temples of the gods of Egypt, and Nebuchadnezzar will burn those temples and take their gods as captives. So he will wrap himself with the land of Egypt as a shepherd wraps himself in his garment, and he will depart from there unscathed.
13He will demolish the sacred pillars of the temple of the sun in the land of Egypt, and he will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.’”
Berean Standard Bible
When Jeremiah finishes telling the people the LORD's word, Azariah, Johanan, and arrogant men accuse him of lying. They say Baruch is inciting Jeremiah against them so the Babylonians will kill them or carry them away. Their accusation does not answer the message; it attacks the messenger.
Johanan takes the whole remnant—men, women, children, the king's daughters, and Jeremiah and Baruch—to Egypt. They arrive at Tahpanhes, disobeying the LORD's command to remain in Judah. The people who asked for guidance now carry everyone into the refuge they had already preferred.
At Tahpanhes, the LORD tells Jeremiah to bury large stones in the clay pavement at Pharaoh's palace. He announces that Nebuchadnezzar will set his throne over those stones and strike Egypt. The place chosen for safety will become the place where Babylon displays its power.
The treasures and temples of Egypt will be burned, and the king of Egypt will be carried away. The sign does not mean every person who travels to Egypt in Scripture is disobedient; here the remnant goes there against a direct word because fear has overruled obedience.
Questions
1 How did the leaders answer Jeremiah?
AnswerThey accused him of lying and blamed Baruch instead of receiving the LORD's message.
2 Who went to Egypt?
AnswerJohanan took the whole remnant, including families, the king's daughters, Jeremiah, and Baruch.
3 What did Jeremiah hide at Tahpanhes?
AnswerHe hid large stones in the clay pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh's palace.
4 What would happen in Egypt?
AnswerNebuchadnezzar would set his throne there and strike Egypt, carrying away its king and burning its temples.
What This Means for Us
The people use accusation to avoid the embarrassment of being wrong. Their chosen refuge becomes the stage for the danger they hoped to escape.
When correction threatens your plan, examine the charge before attacking the person. Do not move an entire household toward safety simply because fear has made obedience feel unreasonable.
Prayer
God of truth, keep us from blaming messengers when your word confronts us. Give us courage to obey, wisdom in danger, and humility to admit when fear has chosen our refuge. Amen.