Post Fall
For a short time, Jeremiah finds himself in chains. He is dragged with the captives out of
Jerusalem. However, when it is found out
who he is, he is released. Actually, not
only is he released but he is provided for.
And not only is he provided for, but he is given his choice of where to
reside.
This is actually a pretty cool moment for Jeremiah. Here is a prophet of God who has simply tried
to live up to God’s calling. In doing
so, he became a fairly unpopular figure among his own people. Yet, the Babylonians see great value in
Jeremiah. {For more information on Nebuchadnezzar’s personal relationship and
struggle with God, see the book of Daniel.}
Jeremiah has gone from being treated with contempt and being imprisoned
by his own people to being treated with respect and being shown honor by the
so-called enemy. This must have felt
rather unusual for Jeremiah.
However, notice that Jeremiah stays in Jerusalem. Had Jeremiah been in it for the accolades, he
could have certainly gone back to Babylon and lived luxuriously in the court of
Nebuchadnezzar. But Jeremiah is not in
it for the accolades. Instead, Jeremiah
stays in Jerusalem to live under Gedaliah, who Nebuchadnezzar appointed to rule
the land now that Zedekiah has been replaced.
The Poorest of the Poor
Nebuchadnezzar leaves Gedaliah in charge over the Jerusalem
area. Anyone of any significance
Nebuchadnezzar drags back to Babylon.
That leaves the poorest of the poor to work the land. Gedaliah is now blessed with the opportunity
to lead people who have never been in a position to have any kind of personal
agenda before.
Additionally, some of the moving armies of Hebrews remain. As with every army, just because the main
army surrenders doesn’t mean that all the rest of the army has gotten the
news. So Gedaliah finds himself
interacting with commanders of smaller Hebrew battalions who are asking what
will happen to them if they surrender.
They want to know if the Babylonians will accept their surrender or if
they will be killed. Gedaliah is now in
a position to advocate what Jeremiah tried to tell Zedekiah to do. Gedaliah tells these leftover armies to
surrender and lay down their arms. They
may become captive, but they will not be killed.
This is actually a really neat chapter in that sense. Although it was accomplished by Babylonian
force instead of internal humility, we see in this chapter what God wanted all
along. God wanted surrender. God knew that through surrender, He could
take humbleness and reshape His people.
God knew that when the people would give up their pride that He could
begin teaching them again. As Zedekiah
and the leaders of his people are taken away, God is able to take people and
provide for them a first harvest out of their most humble beginnings. I think this is such a neat point in this
chapter. The Hebrew people took the
hardest road possible to God’s will, but God’s will wins out in the end.
Division Still Exists
But, all is not perfect.
Just because God’s will finally comes and the Hebrew people are set up
for a humble life doesn’t mean that everyone is on board. One of the leaders of the remaining army
comes to Gedaliah and tells him that the other leader is planning to assassinate
him.
You might wonder what is happening here. Of course, it is politics. You see, the country of Ammon was a vassal of
Babylon as was Judah. As long as Judah
was a bigger problem than Ammon, Babylon would focus its attention against
Judah. But now that Gedaliah was acting
as a favorable vassal to Babylon, then Nebuchadnezzar could turn his armies
elsewhere – like Ammon.
So, Ammon is very interested in getting rid of Gedaliah so that
someone else would be put in power – someone who would be interested in making
commotion against Babylon. Ammon would
be interested in encouraging yet another coup in Jerusalem. Because that’s what they need as they begin
to get their feet back under them. {That last sentence was sarcastic, just in
case it doesn’t read that way…}
Anyway, this got me thinking.
How quick is the world to come in and put God’s plan under attack. No sooner do things start heading in the
right direction than they are immediately under attack. God finally has the Hebrew people reduced to
the poorest of the poor and they are becoming willing to submit. Then arrogance and self-serving rears its
ugly head once more. This is just the
way of the world, isn’t it?
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