BibleProject | One Story That Leads to JesusSample

Today’s opening scene pans across Jerusalem’s shell-shocked survivors who are trying to find their feet in the city’s wreckage. No houses stand. No walls. A smoking pile of rubble lies where Yahweh’s gleaming temple once stood.

Yet, for a moment, it looks like the seeds of a new Eden might be sprouting. The remnant in Judah gathers baskets filled with olives and grapes at the summer harvest. The Babylonian governor promises peace and safety throughout the land. Jewish expats who fled to Moab and Edom during the Babylonian invasion make their way home.

Then, like aftershocks following a great earthquake, new spasms of violence tear through Jerusalem. A bloodthirsty army officer named Ishmael assassinates the Babylonian governor, shattering the city’s already fragile sense of security.

With the threat of Babylonian retribution looming large, the terrified remnant in Judah consults Jeremiah for Yahweh’s direction. “Stay,” Jeremiah advises them, “Yahweh will keep you safe in your homeland.” But their leader, Johanan, trusts his own “wisdom” instead. He guides everyone down to Egypt, entrusting their safety to Egypt’s military power and idols rather than Yahweh and his promise.

It’s not going to work, Jeremiah says. He tells the rebellious remnant, “Running away to Egypt and trusting its gods will bring the very pain you’re trying to escape. Disaster from Babylon is coming because you disconnected from Yahweh, your only real source of life.”

While that disaster will not be the end, it will be intensely difficult. God will continue guiding the people toward a way of life compelled by love and trust in him rather than being driven by fear and trust in created things.

Reflection questions:

• Can you think of any other stories in the Bible where someone went to Egypt instead of trusting God to provide for them in the land? (Hint: Review Genesis 12:10-20 or Jeremiah 26.) What happened? What might this hyperlink suggest about the remaining Judahites’ decision to go to Egypt in today’s reading?
• Today’s reading features a familiar biblical motif. At first, humans enjoy blessing and abundance in a garden land. But when they choose what seems good in their own eyes instead of trusting Yahweh’s wisdom, they experience exile and curse. What other hyperlinks to Genesis 1-3 do you notice in today’s reading? How could these connections shape your understanding of the remnant’s decision and its consequences?