What does Jeremiah 43:2 teach about the consequences of rejecting God's message? Setting the scene Jeremiah had just delivered God’s clear directive: Judah’s remnant must stay in the land and trust the LORD for protection (Jeremiah 42). In Jeremiah 43:2 the people respond: “Azariah son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, ‘You are lying! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, “You must not go to Egypt to reside there.”’ ” Observations from Jeremiah 43:2 • The spokesman and the people are identified as “arrogant men”—pride is already highlighted. • They openly brand God’s messenger a liar, treating the prophetic word as deceitful. • They dismiss a command that carried a promise of protection—showing preference for human strategy (flight to Egypt) over divine instruction. Consequences highlighted in Jeremiah’s context God immediately responds (Jeremiah 43:8–13; 44:11–14): • Egypt, their chosen refuge, will become the very place of judgment; Nebuchadnezzar will conquer it. • Sword, famine, and plague will follow them—exactly what they hoped to escape. • Only a “few survivors” will ever return; the majority forfeit the land and blessings promised to Abraham’s seed. • Their names become “a curse, an object of horror, a curse, and a reproach” (Jeremiah 44:12). Timeless principles illustrated • Rejecting God’s word stems from pride and unbelief (Proverbs 16:18; Hebrews 3:12). • Dismissal of divine truth invites the opposite of what people seek—security is lost, calamity multiplies (Proverbs 1:24–31). • God vindicates His message and His messenger; opposition never nullifies His decree (Isaiah 55:11). Parallel examples in Scripture • Numbers 14:1-45 – Israel spurns God’s command to enter Canaan; forty years of wandering result. • 2 Chronicles 36:15-20 – Rejection of repeated prophetic warnings leads to Babylonian exile. • Acts 7:51-57 – Stephen reminds Israel of their history of resisting the Holy Spirit; judgment soon falls on Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Takeaway for today • Every divine instruction carries built-in blessing or warning. • Treating God’s word as untrustworthy is never neutral; it sets in motion real-world consequences. • Humility and obedience safeguard us; pride and self-reliance expose us to the very dangers we hope to avoid. |
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