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Jeremiah 40 (ESV)

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he took him bound in chains along with all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. ² The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God pronounced this disaster against this place. ³ The Lord has brought it about, and has done as he said. Because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey his voice, this thing has come upon you. ⁴ Now, behold, I release you today from the chains on your hands. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well, but if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, do not come. See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good and right to go. ⁵ If you remain, then return to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon appointed governor of the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever you think it right to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go. ⁶ Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.

REFLECTION:

Although Nebuzaradan, the captain of Babylon’s guard, did not know God, he admitted that Babylon’s victory was given by God. Some people acknowledge the existence of God and know that He performs miracles, but they are unwilling to personally accept Him, know Him, and experience God’s salvation, because doing so will have to pay a great price, giving up the way of life they have been accustomed to and the values ​​that gain them great benefits before. Jeremiah can choose where he reside at will. In Babylon, he can enjoy a comfortable life and have a certain amount of power; in Judah, he will continue to suffer. He may be loved by the Babylonians in Babylon, but he will be spurned by his exiled compatriots; in Judah it means living a life of poverty and loneliness, but it can show that he is not a perfunctory traitor. In the end Jeremiah chose to return to Judah and live in Mizpah. Mizpah is located a few kilometers north of Jerusalem. This place was not severely damaged during the war. So after the fall of Jerusalem, many remnants of Judah sought refuge here. Jeremiah chose to continue to serve these survivors, but also to serve God and experience God’s deeper edification. This past event warns us that knowing God is not only having knowledge about God and acknowledging His power, but also confessing sins and repenting, changing the old self-centered lifestyles and values, and throwing into God’s embrace without hesitation. Establish an intimate and deep relationship with God, and be constantly edified by God throughout our life.

PRAYER:

Ask God to enlighten you so that you can understand at what stage your knowledge of God stays? Is it just cognition in the mind, or you have established an intimate relationship with God and follow His guidance in everything? Pray that God will enable you to see where you are still imperceptibly influenced by the world’s values, and give you the strength to overcome your old self in those areas and renew your life.

HYMN:

Loving My Jesus – youtu.be/OnJFGtAXxGs