Day 909: Jeremiah 40- Love Moves Into The Neighborhood

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he took him bound in chains along with all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. 2 The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God pronounced this disaster against this place. 3 The Lord has brought it about, and has done as he said. Because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey his voice, this thing has come upon you. 4 Now, behold, I release you today from the chains on your hands. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well, but if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, do not come. See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good and right to go. 5 If you remain, then return to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon appointed governor of the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever you think it right to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go. 6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.
7 When all the captains of the forces in the open country and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land and had committed to him men, women, and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been taken into exile to Babylon, 8 they went to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 9 Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to 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 dwell at Mizpah, to represent you before the Chaldeans who will come to us. But as for you, gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and store them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.”11 Likewise, when all the Judeans who were in Moab and among the Ammonites and in Edom and in other lands heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as governor over them, 12 then all the Judeans returned from all the places to which they had been driven and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah. And they gathered wine and summer fruits in great abundance.
13 Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and said to him, “Do you know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam would not believe them. 15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah at Mizpah, “Please let me go and strike down Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life, so that all the Judeans who are gathered about you would be scattered, and the remnant of Judah would perish?” 16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “You shall not do this thing, for you are speaking falsely of Ishmael.”
 
Meditation
Love for a people and a place leads God’s servants to live among the people. Love led Jesus to come and live among humanity, to “move into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, the MSG). Love is present and love restores. Love is personal and love lives among the people and places we call home.
 
Jeremiah’s ministry was difficult and included death threats, prison, beatings, starving, rejection, and mocking. When Jeremiah’s prophecies proved true and the people were taken to exile, the prophet had a choice to go to Babylon in peace and protection or stay and live with the poor left in the land. Love makes the hard choice to live in the land.
 
Imagine Jeremiah’s temptation, to receive Babylonian protection while the people who rejected and beat him were in bondage. The sweet taste of revenge! Nebuzaradan, the Babylonian governor, offered the prophet protection and promised provision, saying “If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well” (4). But Jeremiah trusted a higher authority and followed God’s call not only to foretell of the tearing down but to foresee the building up and replanting (1:10). Love sees things through in the place God calls us to love.
 
Jeremiah “lived among the people left in the land” (6), and together they experienced an awesome autumn harvest (12). Love leads to fruitfulness. The prophet’s choice to stay points to Jesus, who shows the way of true love, choosing to live with people while enduring great personal cost.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What surprises you about either Nebuzaradan’s offer or Jeremiah’s choice? Why?
 
-Does your love endure personal cost to live among people in a place, pointing to Christ and His incarnation? Or does your life lift resources for yourself, using people and a place for your own personal gain?
 
-How does the incarnational love of Jesus lead you to lay down your life to love and live with others, going to serve and give yourself away? Take a moment to name a specific person you can move towards and genuinely love.
 
Key Verse
6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.