The People Reject God's Message
Study note
Despite their solemn promise to obey whatever God said, the people rejected the message. Azariah and Johanan accused Jeremiah of lying, claiming God had never said such things. They blamed Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, for turning Jeremiah against them. They accused Baruch of wanting to hand them over to the Babylonians. So Johanan and the military leaders gathered all the remaining people of Judah and headed to Egypt, forcibly taking Jeremiah and Baruch along. They settled at Tahpanhes, a city on the northeastern border of Egypt.
1 Jeremiah finished his speech. He told the people every word the Lord their God had sent him to say. And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, even all these words,
2 But Azariah son of Hoshaiah, Johanan son of Kareah, and all the other proud, stubborn men talked back to Jeremiah. They said, "You are not telling the truth! The Lord our God never sent you to say, 'Do not go to Egypt.'" Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there:
3 "This is all Baruch son of Neriah's doing! He is the one who has turned you against us. He wants to hand us over to the Babylonians so they can kill us or drag us off to Babylon as prisoners." But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.
4 So Johanan, the army leaders, and all the people refused to obey the Lord's command to stay in Judah. So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah.
5 Instead, Johanan and the leaders took every last person. These were all who had come back from the lands where they had fled. But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah;
6 They took men, women, and children. They took the royal daughters. They took everyone Nebuzaradan had left with Gedaliah. They forced Jeremiah and his helper Baruch to come too. Even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.
7 They all traveled to Egypt, completely ignoring what the Lord had told them. They went all the way to the city of Tahpanhes. So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.
Jeremiah's Sign in Egypt
Study note
At Tahpanhes, God told Jeremiah to perform a symbolic act. He was to take large stones and bury them in the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh's palace, with the men of Judah watching. This was a sign that Nebuchadnezzar would come to Egypt, set up his throne on that very spot, and conquer the land. Historical records confirm that Nebuchadnezzar did invade Egypt in 568 BC. He would destroy Egypt's temples and gods, including the famous obelisks at Heliopolis, called Beth-shemesh, meaning 'house of the sun.'
8 While they were at Tahpanhes, the Lord gave a message to Jeremiah. Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,
9 "Get some large stones and bury them in the clay under the brick pavement right at the entrance to Pharaoh's palace here in Tahpanhes. Make sure the people from Judah are watching you do this." Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;
10 "Then tell them that the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'I am going to bring my servant King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon here. I will place his royal throne right on top of these stones that I had you bury. He will set up his royal tent over this spot.'" And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.
11 "When he arrives, he will attack Egypt. Those who are supposed to die from disease will die. Those who are supposed to become prisoners will become prisoners. Those who are supposed to fall in battle will fall in battle." And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword.
12 "I will set the temples of Egypt's false gods on fire. Nebuchadnezzar will burn them to the ground and haul away the idols. He will pick Egypt clean like a shepherd picking bugs off his coat, and then he will leave without a scratch." And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace.
13 "He will also smash the tall stone pillars at the temple of the sun god in Egypt. And he will burn down every temple of Egypt's gods." He shall break also the images of Beth-shemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire.