We’ll do whatever it takes… Jeremiah 42:1-12

Have you ever made a promise or a commitment to someone and broken it? Perhaps it was a minor thing: missed an appointment, a meeting, or perhaps a birthday party. Maybe it was something more significant: - perhaps a financial obligation, or a relational commitment – you walked away from a marriage for one reason or another, or just a personal commitment: you said you would support someone no matter what and you perhaps grew apart from that person and you haven’t said what you would do. Generally, there are small cuts to the decision before it is finally torn apart.

Sadly, it is all too common in personal and business relationships. The promise that was made initially no longer serves our purposes or desires and so we renege on the agreement.

The pretext to these people coming to Jeremiah is that the Babylonians had come and gone. Jerusalem had been destroyed. The year was 586BC.

Jeremiah had prophesied for this period of time for around 40 years, if you can imagine that.

The Babylonians had left some of the poor of the land to keep the vineyards, the fruit trees and Judah habituated. But Nebuchadnezzar had left some Babylonians behind in Judah to maintain some order.

Jeremiah at this point was respected as a prophet simply because everything he had said had come true. But you can be right and respected but still not have your wise counsel followed. Sometimes this can appear to be justified. Gedaliah, the Governor put in place by the Babylonians, was murdered by other Judeans who were living among the Ammonites. A new leader called Johanan had emerged. He was concerned that the Babylonians were not going to hear the truth, but just come and wipe them all out. Johanan and these other leaders came to the prophet Jeremiah and asked his counsel.

These people had come to Jeremiah and asked, “What do we do now?” Jerusalem was left without defence: wall broken down, temple destroyed. Most of the people who were considered of value by the Babylonians were taken captive back to Babylon: the artisans, craftsmen, nobility, young people. These folk were left just to be a presence in the land and to stop it from going to further waste.

So, they came to Jeremiah and asked what do we do. They said we will do whatever the Lord asks of us. Seek the Lord, Jeremiah, and we will honour that word. If it is stay in Jerusalem, we will stay but if it is go, we will go.

Their prayer was “that the LORD your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do." (Verse 3)

The trouble is your mouth can say things but the heart be miles away from ever putting the words into practice. This can be because of very real outside influences. What about the anger of the Babylonians? We have no wall of protection around Jerusalem, we are open to attack.

Have you ever prayed something, but you had already made your mind up anyway? You were actually seeking confirmation of what you wanted to do, and it would have been wonderful if the Lord would confirm that.

But what if the Lord doesn’t answer your prayer the way you want and, more than that, actually tells you to stay in your current situation that you don’t really like? Have you done that?

These Judeans heard Jeremiah’s word – Remain in Judah! “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. 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. I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and let you remain in your own land.” (Jeremiah 42:10-12) You go to Egypt, you will die by the sword, Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, will find you there and finally deal with Egypt who was a constant threat to their rule. The Judeans would be killed along with the Egyptians.

But they rejected God’s counsel. After Jeremiah finished speaking it says, “Johanan the son of Kareah and all the insolent men said to Jeremiah, "You are telling a lie. The LORD our God did not send you to say, 'Do not go to Egypt to live there.' (Jeremiah 43:3) You’re telling a lie Jeremiah; God didn’t tell you that. Really just like he didn’t speak through him for the last forty years about the Babylonians not coming to take Jerusalem. Why did they bother coming to Jeremiah in the first place? Answer: - On the ‘off chance’ that God, and therefore Jeremiah, may agree with them in what they wanted to do. Hypocrisy with a religious coat.

Our decisions leave a legacy. What legacy are you leaving with the decisions you are making?

Here’s a question and a test? Would you do whatever it takes to follow the Lord’s will and counsel for your life? Oh yes pastor I would. Lovely. But words are cheap. Here’s the test that will very quickly assess whether that’s the case or not. The test is – Do you seek his revealed will now? Is the study of scripture and prayer a daily necessity for you? If it isn’t, you can’t say it’s a priority for you. You are on shaky ground. How do I know? Because you clearly have other priorities in your life, above those of seeking after and maintaining the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life. You are following your own will and not God’s. You may, like Johanan, just be wanting to put a coat of religious respectability around it, but in your heart of hearts it’s my will be done, not Thy will be done!

To the fence sitters here this morning. No more games. Both Jesus and His brother James said, “Let our Yes be yes and your no, no. Anything else is of the devil.” If you say you follow God, then follow through. But if you know that you don’t, then be honest with yourself – no I don’t. While that is tragic and sad, it is far better than being a religious hypocrite.

20 years after Jerusalem was taken by the Babylonians, in 568BC, King Nebuchadnezzar went to Egypt.

Let’s do whatever it takes, because as these people who were told by Jeremiah, obedience to God is the way of blessing, now and certainly forever – after this life and body are long gone: where all those who sought after and followed Christ will be with Him for eternity – no more fear, pain, sorrow, but joy, peace and power for eternity.