Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Jeremiah 42
Jeremiah 42:3that the Lord your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do.”
The people ask for God to show them the way they should go, appearing humble and ready to listen to divine guidance.Jeremiah 42:10If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you.
God offers a beautiful promise of restoration, using the imagery of building and planting to show His desire to bless those who remain in the land.Jeremiah 42:20For you have dealt deceitfully against your own selves. For you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, 'Pray for us to the Lord our God, and whatever the Lord our God says, declare to us and we will do it.'
Jeremiah exposes the people's inner deceit, revealing that they had already made up their minds before they ever asked for God's advice.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Desperate Plea for Divine Direction
Following the assassination of the governor Gedaliah in Jeremiah 41, the remaining Jews are terrified that the King of Babylon will return to punish them. They gather together, from the most important leaders to the poorest citizens, and approach Jeremiah. They ask him to pray for them, acknowledging they are only a small 'remnant' or leftover group from a once-great nation.
The Ten-Day Wait for an Answer
Jeremiah agrees to pray but makes it clear he will report God's answer exactly as he receives it, without holding anything back. The people respond with a solemn oath, calling God as a witness that they will obey whether the answer is 'good or bad.' They wait ten days - a period of testing - before God finally speaks through the prophet with a clear choice.
The Choice Between Two Paths
In Jeremiah 42:1-22, the scene is set among the ruins of Judah where a frightened group of survivors seeks a word from the Lord. They stand at the border of a decision: stay in the land God gave them or flee to Egypt for safety.
The Vow of Obedience (Jeremiah 42:1-6)
1 Then all the commanders of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, came near.
2 and said to Jeremiah the prophet, "Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us, for all this remnant - because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us -
3 that the Lord your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do.”
4 Jeremiah the prophet said to them, "I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to the Lord your God according to your request, and whatever the Lord answers you I will tell you. I will keep nothing back from you."
5 Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the Lord your God sends you to us.
6 Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.”
Commentary:
The people promise to obey God's voice no matter what He says.
The Promise of Peace in Judah (Jeremiah 42:7-12)
7 At the end of ten days the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah.
8 Then he summoned Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest,
9 'Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your plea for mercy before him:
10 If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you.
11 Do not fear the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Do not fear him, declares the Lord, for I am with you, to save you and to deliver you from his hand.
12 I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and let you remain in your own land.
Commentary:
God promises to protect and restore the people if they stay in their homeland.
The Warning Against Egypt (Jeremiah 42:13-18)
13 But if you say, ‘We will not remain in this land,’ disobeying the voice of the Lord your God
14 saying, ‘No, but we will go to the land of Egypt, where we shall not see war or hear the sound of the trumpet or be hungry for bread, and we will dwell there,’
15 then hear the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If you set your faces to enter Egypt and go to live there,
16 then the sword that you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow close after you to Egypt, and there you shall die.
17 So all the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to live there shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. They shall have no remnant or survivor from the disaster that I will bring upon them.
18 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: As my anger and my wrath were poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You shall become an execration, a horror, a curse, and a taunt. And you shall see this place no more.
Commentary:
Fleeing to Egypt for safety will actually lead to death and disaster.
The Exposure of Deceit (Jeremiah 42:19-22)
19 The Lord has said to you, O remnant of Judah, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Know for a certainty that I have warned you this day.
20 For you have dealt deceitfully against your own selves. For you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, 'Pray for us to the Lord our God, and whatever the Lord our God says, declare to us and we will do it.'
21 And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God in anything that he sent me to tell you.
22 Now therefore know for a certainty that you shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go to live.”
Commentary:
Jeremiah calls out the people's hypocrisy and predicts their certain downfall.
Spiritual Lessons from the Remnant's Choice
The Trap of Pre-Determined Prayer
This chapter reveals the danger of asking for God's will when we have already decided what we want to do. The people wanted God to bless their plan to go to Egypt, rather than wanting to follow God's plan to stay in Judah.
Fear as a False Compass
The remnant was driven by fear of the Babylonians, which blinded them to God's promise of protection. When fear sits in the driver's seat, we often view God's commands as dangerous and our own shortcuts as safe.
God's Heart for Restoration
Despite their past sins, God's first response was an offer to 'build' and 'plant' them. This shows that God is always looking for an opportunity to show mercy and provide a future for those who are willing to trust Him.
Applying Jeremiah 42 to Our Daily Walk
Jeremiah 42:20 warns against 'dealing deceitfully' with ourselves. You can check your heart by asking if you are truly willing to accept an answer that goes against your current desires or comfort, just as the remnant was challenged to stay in a war-torn land.
In verse 7, Jeremiah waited ten days for an answer. When you are waiting for direction, use that time to quiet your fears and strengthen your resolve to obey, rather than rushing ahead with your own 'Egypt' solution.
God tells the people in verse 11, 'Do not fear... for I am with you.' When you face intimidating circumstances, remember that safety isn't found in a change of scenery, but in the presence and promise of God.
Trusting God's Plan Over Our Comfort
Jeremiah 42 serves as a powerful reminder that God's guidance is not a menu we can choose from, but a path we must commit to. The remnant of Judah sought a word from God, but they were unwilling to let go of their own survival strategies. The message is clear: God's protection is found in obedience, not in our ability to outrun our problems. When we ask God for direction, we must be prepared to stay where He plants us, trusting that His presence is our only true security.
What This Means for Us Today
Faith is the courage to stay in the 'land' God has assigned to us, even when it feels vulnerable. We are invited to move past the hypocrisy of seeking God's advice while keeping a backup plan in our pockets. Today, let us choose to listen to His voice with a heart that is already set on saying 'yes.'
- Is there an 'Egypt' you are tempted to run to right now?
- Are you willing to wait on God's timing, even if it takes 'ten days' or longer?
- What fear is currently competing with your trust in God's promises?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
Explains the violent events and the murder of Gedaliah that caused the people to be so afraid.
Records the people's ultimate rejection of Jeremiah's message and their flight into Egypt.
Connections Across Scripture
A similar warning against those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses instead of the Holy One of Israel.
The classic call to trust in the Lord with all your heart and not lean on your own understanding.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think God made the people wait ten days before giving them an answer through Jeremiah?
- The people said they would obey whether the word was 'good or bad.' Why is it so much harder to obey when God's word feels 'bad' or risky to us?
- In what ways do we today try to find 'Egypts' (places of worldly security) instead of trusting God's presence in difficult situations?