What consequences does Jeremiah 42:16 describe for disobeying God's guidance?

Setting the Scene: Judah at a Crossroads

Jeremiah delivers God’s word to a terrified remnant after Babylon’s invasion. They want to flee to Egypt for safety, yet the LORD has just told them to remain in Judah (Jeremiah 42:10-12). Verse 16 records the sober outcome if they insist on going their own way.

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The Warning in Jeremiah 42:16

“then the sword you fear will overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine you dread will follow on your heels there into Egypt, and you will die there.”

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Detailed Look at the Consequences

• The very danger they are running from—“the sword you fear”—will catch up with them in Egypt.

• What they “dread,” namely famine, will not stay in Judah; it will “follow on your heels” into the new land.

• The final result is uncompromising: “you will die there.” God promises no escape clause.

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Echoes in the Rest of Scripture

• Deuteronomy 28:52-53—God earlier warned Israel that disobedience would bring sword and starvation.

• Isaiah 30:1-3—Trusting Egypt instead of the LORD leads to “humiliation” and “shame.”

• Jeremiah 7:23-24—Refusal to “obey My voice” moves the people “backward and not forward.”

• Jeremiah 44:12-14—Later, the same remnant in Egypt experiences sword, famine, and death exactly as foretold.

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Take-Home Truths for Today

• God’s guidance is always protective; ignoring it invites the very harms we fear.

• Human plans that sidestep the LORD never cancel His decrees—His word stands firm (Isaiah 55:11).

• Obedience brings blessing (Jeremiah 42:10-12); disobedience brings loss (Jeremiah 42:16-17).

• Scripture’s literal fulfillment in Judah’s remnant underscores the absolute reliability of every promise and warning God gives.