Disobedience

 So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces and all the people did not obey the voice of the Lord, to remain in the land of Judah.
Jeremiah 43:4 ESV

I'm sure none of us begrudge Ukrainians fleeing from the conflict with Russia. Yet just imagine if a Ukrainian told his people to submit to Russian occupation. That wouldn't go down well.

That's a bit like what Jeremiah said to the Jews. They were under occupation by the Babylonians. Yet Jeremiah said that if they submitted to the Babylonian yoke, all would go well with them.

Having hypocritically asked God's opinion when their minds were already made up, the remaining leaders of Judah not only fled to Egypt, but they took Jeremiah and his scribe Baruch too. Even there, Jeremiah insisted they weren't safe from the might of Babylon.

Nowadays, Babylon is symbolic for the world in opposition to God. There's no place we could flee to get away from Babylon's pervasive influence. We simply have to be faithful where we are.

'God Almighty, forbid that we should ask Your guidance only to then stubbornly ignore it. May we obey You wholeheartedly, even when it doesn't seem to make sense. In Jesus' name, amen'

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