Jeremiah 40: 1 – 16
Red Flags
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 had taken him bound in chains among all who were carried away captive from Jerusalem and Judah, who were carried away captive to Babylon. 2 And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him: “The LORD your God has pronounced this doom on this place. 3 Now the LORD has brought it and has done just as He said. Because you people have sinned against the LORD, and not obeyed His voice, therefore this thing has come upon you. 4 And now look, I free you this day from the chains that were on your hand. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you. But if it seems wrong for you to come with me to Babylon, remain here. See, all the land is before you; wherever it seems good and convenient for you to go, go there.” 5 Now while Jeremiah had not yet gone back, Nebuzaradan said, “Go back to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever it seems convenient for you to go.” So, the captain of the guard gave him rations and a gift and let him go. 6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, to Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people who were left in the land. 7 And when all the captains of the armies who were in the fields, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed to him men, women, children, and the poorest of the land who had not been carried away captive to Babylon, 8 then they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men. 9 And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath before them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. 10 As for me, I will indeed dwell at Mizpah and serve the Chaldeans who come to us. But you, gather wine and summer fruit and oil, put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.” 11 Likewise, when all the Jews who were in Moab, among the Ammonites, in Edom, and who were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, 12 then all the Jews returned out of all places where they had been driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruit in abundance. 13 Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, 14 and said to him, “Do you certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to murder you?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them. 15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah in Mizpah, saying, “Let me go, please, and I will kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he murder you, so that all the Jews who are gathered to you would be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?” 16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “You shall not do this thing, for you speak falsely concerning Ishmael.”
I want you to help me out with some ministry problems. I want you to consider how you would deal with the problems I have to deal with in today’s current church world.
We perform about 50 weddings each year. Couples must fill out forms which ask just three basic questions.
1. Are you both born again believers?
2. Are you currently sexually active?
3. Have you ever been divorced?
These three questions then create dialogue whether I and the other Pastor’s here at our church will agree to marry them.
Now my problem is that there are things on the form and from the interview that creates in me some ‘Red Flags’. These are areas of concern to me that the couple are not totally straightforward in sharing information about themselves.
You might advise that I should pursue in more depth’s answers from them on my concerns. But in truth, this is a hard road to go down. The couple will not give you the correct answers. It becomes like pulling teeth and they start to get angry at me.
Relationships are complicated, so it makes sense that some minor issues should be ignored, but some quirks are such bright red flags flapping violently in the wind that they simply must be acknowledged. Whether that means working together on a compromise or accepting that a person is just all wrong for marriage, here are some neon warning signs that trigger my attention.
1. One can't stop telling the other how perfect he or she is.
It sounds irresistible at first, but there's nothing more infuriating than being put on a pedestal by a partner. This person doesn't really see you as you—you're a projection of some perfect idea they have in their head, and anytime you shatter those expectations by being a normal, flawed, breathing human being, they're impossible to console. Oh yeah and someone being that obsessed with you is ‘CREEPY.’
2. They rush a new relationship forward too quickly.
They're either on the rebound, practicing a particularly toxic version of serial devotion, or a malignant narcissist. Either way, ‘NOPE, NOPE, NOPE’.
3. They try to drive a wedge between you and your family and friends.
Anyone who wants you all to themselves is likely someone worth running far, far away from before they sink their claws in any deeper.
4. They roll their eyes at you a lot.
Research has shown that among married couples, rolling eyes at each can be a common predictor of divorce, and why wouldn't it be? Mutual respect is a major foundation of a happy relationship, and nobody you frequently roll your eyes at has much of your respect.
5. They describe all their exes (boyfriend or girlfriend) as "crazy."
Some relationships end so badly that we're still sour at an ex or two years down the line—but if your new partner spews revilement at all their "crazy" former special interests every chance they get, it's a good clue that they are the problem.
6. They call you names in arguments.
Fighting happens but be wary of anyone who seems to flip a switch and transform into an unrecognizable monster when you disagree, calling you names that would make their mother want to wash their mouth out with soap. It can be a sign of disrespect and just plain awful conflict resolution skills, which does not a happy couple make. If this is going on while dating do you think it will get better after you get married?
7. They have no work ethic.
If a person is behind on life milestones or doesn't quite have their act together on the surface, what matters more than their situation is how they feel about it. Are they just unmotivated (in which case, NEXT), or are they only behind because of a big sacrifice or setback in their life? We all move on different personal timelines, after all. Better yet, is this person working hard every day to build the kind of life they want for themselves if they don't like their current reality? Attitude makes all the difference.
8. They're cruel to their parents.
Everyone struggles with their folks sometimes (show me someone who blindly worships Mom and Dad as a grown adult and I'll show you a liar) but keep your eye open for partners who have a fundamental lack of respect for their parents. (Unless their parents are abusive, in which case, they're beyond justified in refusing to make nice with them if they so choose.) If they can bear to be super harsh and ungrateful to the people who literally gave them life, what does that say about how they'll treat others who get close to them?
9. Their attitude changes on a dime.
Do they spend an entire day being cruel to you and nearly pushing you to your emotional limit, then abruptly turn on the charm with zero explanation or apology, only to switch back into monster mode as soon as you start to trust their good mood? This is a cycle to bolt away from, ASAP.
10. They're on a different sleep schedule than you are.
It seems like this would be not a big deal, but if you're living on a daytime schedule and your significant other is all about the nightlife, you're going to run into loads of problems (in terms of your social life, your careers, and even when you get to spend time together) if they perk up at 10 P.M. just as you're getting ready to turn in for the night.
11. They're secretive about little things.
Imagine how they'll handle the big things!
12. They cheated on their last partner with you.
It might be wise to learn a little more about this person's romantic history, because there's a good chance that every relationship they've ever had has overlapped with the next one—in which case it's only a matter of time before they cheat on you too.
13. They demand your phone, email and social media passwords.
For starters, why would they want to date someone they don't trust? And what does that say about whatever untrusty worthy habits or temptations they might be projecting onto you? Checking your Facebook inbox in peace without someone mouth-breathing over your shoulder is practically a basic right! You are 100 percent entitled to autonomy and privacy.
14. They guilt trip you every chance they get.
Some people have an uncanny talent for making their partner feel personally responsible and guilty for all their misfortunes. These are not people you want to date.
15. They have different financial values than you and refuse to do anything about it.
We all have deeply held habits and ideas about money that most of us learned from our parents. Lots of couples have totally different concepts of money and find ways to compromise, but it's SO important to be willing to talk about it before clashing money choices drive you apart.
16. They make you feel stupid.
The Worst People on The Planet are those who gleefully gaslight their partners. Other gross tactics include regularly mocking your ideas or refusing to take your opinion seriously because they're so convinced they can change your mind anyway that they assume they can just skip the whole "valuing your perspective" stuff.
17. They refuse to make your relationship public.
Some people simply don't like splashing their personal life onto social media or even talking much about their feelings with friends, but that's different from flat-out hiding your partnership, which is about as glaringly red as a flag can get!
18. They need constant reassurance.
We are all insecure on some level, and it's nobody's fault for feeling that way, but no reassurance from a partner will ever be enough, because those issues live inside the person feeling them. If insecurity dictates a person's life, it can just as easily dictate their relationship.
19. They have a different idea than you of what it means to be faithful.
What if your partner thinks it's totally fine to carry on intense emotional texts and conversations with someone else if they never physically cheat? Heck, maybe one of you wants an open relationship and the other will never be okay with that idea. These are differences to catch before they cause lots of pain!
20. They hold you to a double standard.
They beg you to never go out on the town without them, yet they want you to wait at home alone on the couch while they party until 2 A.M. with their buddies?
21. They're incapable of apologizing.
Need I say more?
Today’s topic is going to deal with ‘Red Flags’. The King of Babylon put a governor to oversee the land by the name of Gedaliah. Other people saw the threat of a guy by the name of Ishmael who kept bragging that he would kill the new Governor. Sadly, Gedaliah will not listen to verified warnings.
It is difficult for us to realize quite what a crushing blow the destruction of Jerusalem would have been to Jewry worldwide. All their pet beliefs had been brought crashing down. Whilst many were in exile far away from their homeland they had gained confidence from the fact that the Temple still stood and that the covenant worship still continued. But now the idea of the inviolability of the Temple had proved invalid, Jerusalem had been destroyed, and the very power of YHWH was being called into question. Could therefore now any trust be placed in YHWH? It was therefore necessary in this regard that it be emphasized by Jeremiah that it was not YHWH Who had failed, but His people. He brought out that they had in fact brought their devastation on themselves. The new beginning that he had promised could only arise out of the ashes of the old, because the old had been distorted beyond all recognition. His words would be a bedrock on which their new ideas about YHWH could be fashioned.
This deals with ‘the word that came to Jeremiah from YHWH’ after he had been delivered from his manacles by Nebuzaradan. It opens with the historical background to this prophecy in which Gedaliah, Nebuchadnezzar’s appointed Governor, commences the re-establishment of Judah in the land (40), and is then assassinated (41.1-10), resulting in the decision by the people of Judah to seek refuge from Nebuchadnezzar’s revenge in Egypt (41.11-18). However, prior to doing so they consult Jeremiah who gives them ‘the word of YHWH’ that they are to remain in the land under His protection.
But as always Judah choose to disobey YHWH and do seek refuge in Egypt, with the consequence that Jeremiah vividly prophecies that Nebuchadnezzar’s retribution will overtake them there.
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 had taken him bound in chains among all who were carried away captive from Jerusalem and Judah, who were carried away captive to Babylon.
Nebuzaradan, commander of Nebuchadnezzar’s own bodyguard, had been given a specific charge by Nebuchadnezzar to look after Jeremiah’s welfare (39.11-12). Thus what may well have happened was that Nebuzaradan released Jeremiah from Ramah into the care of those responsible for the court of the guard in Jerusalem (39.14), so as to ensure his safety during the dangerous days following the ending of the siege, both from Babylonian soldiery seeking out those who had gone into hiding, and from many angry Jews who may have been considering taking revenge on him, this occurring prior to his then being released by Nebuzaradan into the hands of Gedaliah the new governor once it was safe to do so.
Nebuzaradan had been given overall responsibility for dealing with the matter of carrying off the people of Jerusalem and Judah into exile (39.9) and the subsequent settlement of affairs in the land (39.10). He would not, however, have been directly and personally involved in the gathering of the captives, which would have been in the hands of the initial invaders, who would have shown little discrimination. The sorting out could be done at Ramah. Jeremiah shared the ignominy of being taken in chains to Ramah along with all the other captives, something which he would not have fought against. He would want to be identified with his people. Whether Nebuzaradan went at this stage to Jerusalem in person we do not know. He may well have remained with Nebuchadnezzar in Ramah, his activities as described being carried out by deputies on his orders. Ramah was in the territory of Benjamin, six miles north of Jerusalem.
2 And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him: “The LORD your God has pronounced this doom on this place.
These verses are central to Jeremiah’s theology. They explain what was otherwise totally beyond understanding, and that was as to why YHWH had allowed His own Temple to be destroyed, and His own holy city to be vandalized. It was important for all to see that rather than indicating YHWH’s powerlessness, it indicated both His control over the activities of Babylon and His determination to judge His people for their wrongdoing. It will then be revealed that had they been willing He would have enabled the remnants of the people to re-establish a new Judah.
In the eyes of Nebuchadnezzar’s guard commander YHWH was the local God of Judah Who had determined to punish His own people. While no doubt crediting the victory to the gods of Babylon he still had no problem with seeing the local God as also involved, and as having pronounced evil against Jerusalem. He would be aware from Babylonian spies that Jeremiah had been declaring the same thing, the difference being that Jeremiah saw Him as God of all the earth. But to the reader the important thing was that Babylon’s own representative was acknowledging that YHWH had not failed but was rather bringing about His purposes. From an historical point of view Nebuzaradan was undoubtedly speaking to Jeremiah in a friendly way in terms which he knew from what he had learned from his own spies that Jeremiah would use.
3 Now the LORD has brought it and has done just as He said. Because you people have sinned against the LORD, and not obeyed His voice, therefore this thing has come upon you.
It is quite probable that Nebuzaradan was here in fact citing words of Jeremiah which had been reported to him by his spies, to the effect that disaster had come on Jerusalem, brought on them by their own God YHWH, because of their failure to honor Him truly and fulfil His covenant requirements. He spoke better than he knew. Here was testimony from a leading figure in Babylon to the might and power of YHWH, besides Whom, in Jeremiah’s eyes, the gods of Babylon were as nothing.
4 And now look, I free you this day from the chains that were on your hand. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you. But if it seems wrong for you to come with me to Babylon, remain here. See, all the land is before you; wherever it seems good and convenient for you to go, go there.”
Jeremiah was here receiving the favored treatment commanded by Nebuchadnezzar himself in 39.11. This was probably because Jeremiah was seen, because of his urgings to the king of Judah to submit to Babylon, as a loyal supporter of Nebuchadnezzar. Thus on his being searched out by Nebuzaradan in fulfilment of Nebuchadnezzar’s command he was released from his manacles. He was then given the choice of either going to Babylon where he would be rewarded for his supposed loyalty, or of remaining in the land and settling wherever he wished, presumably with the idea that land would be given to him there. Jeremiah made the choice to remain in Judah.
5 Now while Jeremiah had not yet gone back, Nebuzaradan said, “Go back to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever it seems convenient for you to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him rations and a gift and let him go.
Chapter 39 brings out that this is a very telescoped account of the treatment of Jeremiah. There we learn that initially Jeremiah was returned to the court of the guard in Jerusalem. This would probably have been for his own safety at a time when there were still highly dangerous patriots about, and when the Babylonian soldiery were still seeking out hidden refugees in order to carry them off to Ramah, and then to Babylon. It was then from the court of the guard in the palace grounds (no doubt the Babylonian headquarters) that he was subsequently put under Gedaliah’s care.
Jeremiah was now given one of two alternatives, either to put himself under the protection of Gedaliah, the newly appointed governor of Judah, or alternately to settle wherever he wished, presumably with land grants. He may well have been given documents granting this permission. On release he was then provided with enough victuals to keep him going for the near future, and ‘a present’, presumably in recognition of his supposed loyalty to the king of Babylon. In other words, wealth was piled on him, and he was given his full freedom, evidence that for those who were obedient to YHWH. Our Holy Yahweh’s influence was sufficient to ensure their provisioning.
The description of Gedaliah as ‘Governor of the cities of Judah’ emphasizes that Jerusalem was no longer to be having any political or theological significance. It was now Gedaliah who ruled from elsewhere, from Mizpah. He was thus a person of acknowledged authority and may well have found favor with Nebuchadnezzar because of his reported friendliness towards Jeremiah. His antecedents also indicate his aristocratic background, emphasizing that he was a man of recognized authority in Judah. Both Shaphan and Ahikam (26.24) had been loyal servants of the kings of Judah. Gedaliah came from godly stock; his father having protected Jeremiah in earlier days as described in 26.24.
6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, to Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people who were left in the land.
Jeremiah heeded the advice of Nebuzaradan and went to the new governor at Mizpah and dwelt securely with him, alongside those who were left in the land. The following verses will give us details of some of these. He clearly recognized a pastoral responsibility for them. We must not think, however, that otherwise Judah was totally unpopulated. The poor of the land, who would be quite numerous, were settled in it by Nebuzaradan (39.10) and people who had fled to the mountains during the invasion, or who had fled abroad, would now filter back into the land to reclaim at a minimum their own inheritances. However, the fact that the population had been greatly reduced comes out in that it is stated later that the harvest of summer fruit and wine would be abundantly enough for all now living in Judah.
‘Mizpah’, which means ‘watchtower’, was the name given to several cities in Judah and Israel. This was probably the well-known Mizpah in Benjamin (Joshua 18.25-26).
Once the news got about that Gedaliah had been appointed governor, that Judah was now populated by ‘the poor of the land’, and that the land was comparatively at rest, the commanders who were still leading armies of resistance, together with their men, and the Jews who had fled for refuge abroad, determined to return to the land and submit to him.
7 And when all the captains of the armies who were in the fields, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed to him men, women, children, and the poorest of the land who had not been carried away captive to Babylon,
The news of Gedaliah’s appointment soon reached the ears of the various resistance movements operating throughout Judah (the captains of the forces who were in the countryside, probably operating from the mountains which provided good hiding places and difficulty of access). They learned that the Babylonians had set up a new state under Gedaliah, populated by ‘the poor of the land’, who were no doubt seen as those who had no influence and no political axe to grind, and could thus safely be left in Judah in order to re-establish it. Allowing the land to turn into a wilderness would do no one any good. These men of the resistance clearly recognized that further resistance was useless and decided that it was in the interests of all Judah that they cooperate with a new government under Judean governorship.
8 then they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.
So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah in order to negotiate with him. We have here a list of the resistance leaders, the first of whom would shortly reveal himself a traitor, but who is named first because he was of royal blood. Because of what they had heard their purpose was to come to an agreement with Gedaliah, whom they knew that they could trust, and to offer to lay down their arms as long as they were given sufficient guarantees of their own safety and the safety of their men.
That Ishmael was of royal birth we know from 41.1, and we may presume from what follows that he resented Gedaliah as a result and saw him as a usurper. But that his aim was one of revenge rather than one of patriotism, comes out in that his intention was not to restore Judah. Indeed, he knew perfectly well that Nebuchadnezzar would subsequently seek revenge on Judah for what had happened and thus planned to seek refuge in Ammon.
9 And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath before them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.
Gedaliah had presumably been briefed by Nebuchadnezzar as to the stance that he must take up, and was therefore able to assure the men that if they laid down their arms and were cooperative they would be safe from reprisals.
10 As for me, I will indeed dwell at Mizpah and serve the Chaldeans who come to us. But you, gather wine and summer fruit and oil, put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.”
He pointed out that he would be dwelling at Mizpah acting for the good of Judah and negotiating for Judah with the Babylonian contingent, who would be at Mizpah to oversee his governorship. He would act as a guarantor of their acceptance by the Babylonians. Meanwhile they were free to dwell in the cities that they had taken possession of, presumably due to the Babylonian withdrawal, and to gather the wine, summer fruits and oil which would be growing on the fruit trees left standing by the Babylonians, for present needs and for storage. The grain and barley harvests would have to await the following year, no harvest presumably having been sown or gathered that year due to the invasion.
11 Likewise, when all the Jews who were in Moab, among the Ammonites, in Edom, and who were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, 12 then all the Jews returned out of all places where they had been driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruit in abundance.
The land soon became well populated again. Apart from ‘the poor of the land’ who would have been numerous and had been allowed to remain and take land there, refugees who had fled from the invasion to surrounding countries now returned in droves. And there was plenty of food for all from the abundance of wine and summer fruits. Ammon and Moab were to the east of Judah, across the Jordan. Edom was south and south-east of Judah.
The loyal former resistance commanders learned of Ishmael’s plotting’s, and came to Gedaliah and warned him of Ishmael’s intentions. They were now content to settle in the land under Gedaliah’s governorship. So they warned him that Ishmael was plotting with the king of Ammon to have Gedaliah assassinated. One of them even offered to have Ishmael killed secretly. But like many honest men Gedaliah could not conceive of such treachery and forbade any action against Ishmael on the grounds that their information must be untrue. He could not believe that Ishmael was capable of such treachery.
13 Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, 14 and said to him, “Do you certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to murder you?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them.
It may well have been because he sounded them out as to whether they would give him assistance and support that Ishmael’s plotting became known to the other former resistance commanders. However, they apparently had no desire to enter into an intrigue with the unsophisticated Ammonites, and were content with things as they now were. So they approached Gedaliah in order to warn him. Gedaliah on the other hand did not believe that what they were saying was true.
We do not know why Baalis, the king of the tribal Ammonites who were a people who were only half civilized, had a grudge against Gedaliah. His main aim may simply have been to keep things stirred up in Judah so as to divert Nebuchadnezzar’s attention from Ammon. But it may also have been with a view to using the resulting turmoil to seize land belonging to Judah. The Ammonites had themselves previously been involved with Judah in plots against Babylon.
15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah in Mizpah, saying, “Let me go, please, and I will kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he murder you, so that all the Jews who are gathered to you would be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?”
Aware of the consequences of any assassination of a Babylonian appointed governor, Johanan, one of the former resistance commanders, offered to have Ishmael secretly assassinated to save the situation. Neither he nor his fellow-commanders wanted the turmoil and consequences that would result. Possibly there is a hint here of what the king of Ammon was hoping for.
16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “You shall not do this thing, for you speak falsely concerning Ishmael.”
But Gedaliah would have none of it. He refused to believe that Ishmael was capable of such a thing, and rebuked Johanan for suggesting false ideas.
