Security in Christ

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Jeremiah 41:1-18

 

Jeremiah 38:17-18

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you will surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then your life shall be spared, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live. 18 But if you do not surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand.”

(ESV)

 

Security is something people strive to achieve in their lives. However, when we place our hope of security on something created by God instead of God Himself, it will fail us. This does not mean that God’s created things are bad, but they are part of a corrupted world and will fail. A wise person seeks his or her security in God the creator and not created things (Jeremiah 29:11; Proverbs 3:5).

 

Gedaliah received warning of a threat to his life and instead of heeding the warning, chose to ignore it (Jeremiah 40:13-16). Part of this warning was asking permission to kill Ishmael, the one issuing the threat. While we do not know what Gedaliah trusted in for his security, it is obvious he did not trust the warning he previously received. This resulted in not only his death but also the deaths of the Judeans and Chaldean soldiers who happened to be with Gedaliah (Jeremiah 41:1-3).

 

Unaware of the murder of Gedaliah, eighty men arrived from Shechem to bring grain offerings and incense to the Temple (Jeremiah 41:4-5). Ishmael lures these men in by coming out from Mizpah weeping and telling the men to come to Gedaliah (Jeremiah 41:6). Once the men enter the city, Ishmael murders them and casts their bodies into a cistern but ten men are spared because they let Gedaliah know they have stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey hidden in fields (Jeremiah 41:7-8). The cistern where Ishmael threw the bodies of those he had murdered was designed for defense against Baasha king of Israel but now is a mass grave for those slain by Ishmael (Jeremiah 41:9). Ishmael then takes the remaining people in Mizpah captive intending to cross over to the Ammonites with them (Jeremiah 41:10). However, Johanan hears of the evil done by Ishmael and takes his men to fight against Ishmael, confronting him at the great pool in Gibeon (Jeremiah 41:11-12). Upon seeing Johanan, the people rejoiced with those taken captive by Ishmael turning around to join Johanan (Jeremiah 41:13-14). Ishmael manages to escape Johanan with eight men, going to the Ammonites (Jeremiah 41:15). Johanan takes those rescued from Ishmael to Gibeon, intending to flee to Egypt for safety out of fear of the Chaldeans (Jeremiah 41:16-18).

 

Gedaliah could have escaped assassination by heeding the warning of Johanan and allowing him to take out Ishmael (Jeremiah 40:13-16). While Scripture does not cite the warning of Johanan as coming from the Lord, Gedaliah’s kindness towards the Jews remaining in Judah makes it reasonable God sent Johanan to allow Gedaliah to spare his life. Not only would heeding the warning have saved Gedaliah’s life but it also would have spared the lives of the Judeans with Gedaliah along with the Chaldean soldiers who happened to be there (Jeremiah 41:3).

 

Hearing of the kindness of Gedaliah towards the exiles remaining in Judea caused many to return to Judea believing they would escape the oppression of exile (Jeremiah 40:11-12). While it is reasonable to side with those returning to the land after seeing the kindness of Gedaliah towards the exiles, the Lord told those in Jerusalem and Judah to go to Babylon where they would be safe (Jeremiah 38:17-18). The exiles returning and remaining in Judah had a false sense of security that Governor Gedaliah would keep them safe but with that safety removed because of Gedaliah’s assassination, the people must turn elsewhere for security. However, instead of turning to the Lord for security, the people intend on returning to Egypt, symbolic of the world, instead of God (Jeremiah 41:17-18).

 

We live in a dangerous world with a culture that continues to slide down the slippery slope of ungodliness. While the Supreme Court in the United States has reversed Roe v. Wade, returning the debate on abortion to the states, those supporting abortion and the murder of the unborn still work to make abortion legal. Scripture reminds us that the baby in the womb is formed by God and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-14) reminding us of the value God places on life in the womb. Psalm 139:13 also reminds us that God formed our inward parts which include the parts determining one’s gender. To believe the gender we were born with is a mistake is a slap in the face of God, telling Him he made a mistake with our gender at birth.

 

The lessons from Jeremiah 41 are,

 

1)         Be men and women of the Word like the Bereans who daily examined and studied the Word of God (Acts 17:10-12). This makes it possible for us to discern world events with a Biblical basis of truth, providing a Biblical worldview of issues, and warning us of the consequences of a society sliding down the slippery slope of ungodliness.

2)         Seek security in a relationship with Christ and not the world. While God does use the systems of the world to protect His people at times, like the provision of safety for the Jews going to Babylon, this should not be the initial place where a believer turns for security. Instead, the security of a believer lies in a relationship with Christ, the one who takes our burdens and gives us rest (Matthew 11:25-30).

 

If you are reading this and do not have a relationship with God through acceptance of Jesus as your Savior, I invite you to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post.