Today’s passage: Jeremiah 40:1-16
Helpful thoughts:
- This pagan captain had a better understanding of what God had done than the leaders of Judah.
- The captains and army of Judah that had spread out and hid from the Babylonians came out of hiding after the dust had settled. They participated in an oath to serve the king of Babylon, not to revolt.
- Gedaliah is warned by one of these captains that there is an assassination being plotted. We will see in the next chapter whether this was a good move…
Questions to consider:
- How would Jeremiah have seen the Lord’s sovereignty on display in hearing this Babylonian leader declare the works of the Lord, free him, and send him on to his next ministry? How would this experience have been incredibly sad (On account of Judah) but also reassuring (On account of the Lord)?
- What might the Babylonian captain have been saying to Jeremiah when he suggested going to Gedaliah? Jeremiah was allowed to go wherever he wanted, but there was a “suggestion”, from the Babylonians as to whom they wanted him nearby. What do you think Nebuchadnezzar wanted Jeremiah to continue to do with or for Gedaliah?
- What/who is absent from the conversation once the narration returns to Judah? Who is the only person in this chapter who refers to the Lord?