Friday, July 1, 2016

Jeremiah 41: Treachery!

Things go from bad to worse in Judah as the fallout from the exile continues.

As he was forewarned in chapter 40, Governor Gedaliah is assassinated by Ishmael son of Nethaniah.  The next day, before anyone hears of the coup, Ishmael kills seventy men who had made a pilgrimmage to the Temple.  He then throws their bodies into a large cistern.

Ishmael gathers up a group of survivors and takes them captive.  With his men, he rides for the Ammonites.  Johanan and his men pursue, however, and catch up to them at the great pool in Gibeon.  Ishmael's plans to make a clean getaway are thwarted.

The good news for Johanan is that Ishmael's captives cross over to his side rather than go with Ishmael to the Ammonites.  The bad news is that Ishmael and eight of his men escape and make it to safety.

This leaves Johanan and his band with an uncertain future and a decision to make.  They could either return to Judah and face the music for the death of Gedaliah, or they could try to find safety in Egypt, beyond the reach of the Babylonians.  Chapter 41 ends with the question hanging over them.

No comments:

Post a Comment