King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Friday, August 21, 2026
Chapters: Jeremiah 41-44
Lesson: Jeremiah: The Rebelling Remnant
Hello My Friend,
God, after warning Judah for decades, finally brought His judgment upon the nation. The majority of the people had already been carried away into Babylon, yet a remnant remained in the land, among them Jeremiah. Those who stayed were placed under the authority of Gedaliah, the governor whom Nebuchadnezzar appointed to oversee the cities of Judah. But even in the aftermath of judgment, rebellion began to stir. A man named Ishmael rose up against Gedaliah. As we return to the reading if Jeremiah, Ishmael gathered a band of followers around him, who not only assassinated Gedaliah, they killed anyone else who were with him.
[Jeremiah 41:2-4 Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. 3 Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war. 4 And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it,]
Their violence was not merely an act of rebellion, it was a calculated move to clear their path and conceal their intentions as they prepared to abandon the land God had left in the care of the remnant. Ishmael, believed he had a rightful claim to the throne. As a descendant of the royal line, he resented Nebuchadnezzar’s decision to appoint Gedaliah as governor over the remnant left in Judah. Determined to seize authority for himself, Ishmael refused to let anyone stand in his way.
[Jeremiah 41:5-7 That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD. 6 And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. 7 And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he, and the men that were with him.]
The trouble with people like Ishmael is that they are full of so much pride that they literally become violent and anyone who stands in their way becomes a threat and target. Ishmael proved this with chilling certainty. His cruelty was indiscriminate, driven not by necessity but by the arrogance of a man determined to secure his own power at any cost. Fortunately, Ishmael’s scheme did not work out as he expected. Johanan, a courageous and discerning leader, rose up against Ishmael, confronting him and overturning the very plan Ishmael thought would secure his power.
[Jeremiah 41:10-12 Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king’s daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Ammonites. 11 But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done, 12 Then they took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon.]
Looking to Johanan as their deliverer, the people gladly followed him, hoping he would save them from falling into slavery under the king of Ammon. For a moment, it seemed as though their nightmare was ending and that Johanan’s courage had secured their freedom. Yet that hope was short‑lived. As Johanan began leading them southward, his path also headed to Egypt, the very place God had expressly forbidden them to go.
[Jeremiah 41:15-18 But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites. 16 Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after that he had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, even mighty men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought again from Gibeon: 17 And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Beth-lehem, to go to enter into Egypt, 18 Because of the Chaldeans: for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor in the land.]
Things were spiraling out of control. Conspiracies were rising on every side, men were turning against one another, and bloodshed had become a daily reality. God had already warned them: if they fled into Egypt, they would surely die. With panic spreading through the camp, Johanan and the captains sought out Jeremiah, the one voice who had remained steady throughout all this. They pleaded with him to pray for them, hoping that God might show them a path of safety in the midst of their confusion and dread.
[Jeremiah 42:1-4 Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near, 2 And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:) 3 That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do. 4 Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.]
Notice that they asked Jeremiah to pray to his God, but Jeremiah quickly corrected them. The covenant had not changed. Their disobedience had not erased God’s claim on them, nor their responsibility to obey Him. And here we see the first test of anyone who claims they want to hear from God: will they obey what He says once He speaks?
[Jeremiah 42:5-8 Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us. 6 Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God. 7 And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah. 8 Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,]
It is easy to ask for guidance; it is far harder to submit to it. Yet the remnant responded with eagerness. They assured Jeremiah that they would do whatever God commanded, whether it seemed pleasant or painful. Their promise sounded sincere, and for the moment, they appeared ready to follow God’s Word without hesitation. And now came the test after Jeremiah brings word to them what God said.
[Jeremiah 42:11-14,16 Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. 12 And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land. 13 But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God, 14 Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell: 16 Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.]
Even though God always preserves His faithful in the midst of the world’s judgments, that does not mean He leaves them without protection. The real reason so many Christians live defeated lives is because, even while praying, they continue trusting in their own strength to carry them through their trials. Fear becomes their counselor, and self‑reliance becomes their refuge. These people were afraid of the Chaldean’s, lack of food, and the disease that was taking out people by the multitude, but they did not have to if they would only listen to God.
But now came the warning, the judgment that would follow if they refused to obey.
[Jeremiah 42:19-22 The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day. 20 For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it. 21 And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you. 22 Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn.]
God calls them out directly. He tells them plainly that they have brought all this judgment upon themselves, not only because of their hardened hearts, but because they deliberately ignored everything He had spoken. And God already knew their hearts. He knew they were not sincere in seeking His will, nor genuine in their promise to obey it. So, how did they respond? These proud and arrogant men accused Jeremiah of lying.
[Jeremiah 43:1-3 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 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 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.]
If we are going to call upon God for help, then we must be prepared to receive the answer He gives. His direction may not always align with our desires, and His path may not always seem the easiest, yet if we listen to Him, we will find safety in the very place He appoints. Obedience is the shelter of the faithful. It is not agreement with God that preserves us, but submission to His will, [Titus 3:8-9 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. 9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.]
When we trust God’s Word above our fears, He carries us through every trial in the security of His hand. But when we rely on our own strength to escape situations far beyond our ability, we should not expect the outcome to be good. The remnant proved this with heartbreaking a heartbreaking reality. They not only rejected the very message they had begged from God, in their panic and pride, they seized the people and headed toward Egypt. And in their rebellion, they even took Jeremiah with them.
[Jeremiah 43:5-7 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 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 So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.]
God’s commands are never grievous; they are always for our good. Yet the truth remains that many will not follow them because they love their sin more than their safety. And here stood the remnant, right at the edge of Egypt’s border, plotting their next move, convinced they were securing their future while in reality they were stepping outside the very protection God had offered. It was at that moment that God sent them another message. He did not say anything new; He simply repeated what He had already been telling them.
[Jeremiah 44:2,7-8 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein, 7 Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain; 8 In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?]
They were not ignorant. Their problem was not lack of knowledge, it was lack of obedience. God, confronted them once more, reminding them that the path they were choosing would lead them into further judgment. And within that message was one last call for them to turn right back around and head back home. But there was something far more concerning here that proved to God that they were not even sincere in their crying out to Him. They were worshiping their false gods while trying to figure out their next move. And it is no wonder why they rejected the answer they were given, God will not be mocked, [Galatians 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.]
This is a reminder that it is not God who sends souls to hell, nor even the devil. It is each person who hardens their heart against the mercy that God freely offers. If they deny Him, He will deny them, period. God, goes on to tell them that He will send judgment upon anyone who steps foot into Egypt, however, a remnant will be saved.
[Jeremiah 44:11-13 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah. 12 And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach. 13 For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence:]
Do you see what was really taking place here? God, was not merely addressing the rebellion of a frightened remnant, He was dealing with Egypt after centuries of their entanglements with Israel. By allowing the remnant to cross into the land He had forbidden, God, was making three truths unmistakably clear. First, He will not be mocked. Second, He will have no other gods before Him. And third, He will avenge His people; those who rise against them will face His justice in due time, even if His people have been unfaithful, [Hebrews 10:30-31 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.]
God, is exceedingly patient and long‑suffering, even toward His enemies. He gives space for repentance, He sends warnings, He raises prophets, and He restrains judgment until the appointed moment. But when that moment arrives, His righteousness is revealed with perfect clarity. Egypt had long resisted Him, long oppressed His people, long clung to its idols, and now, through Israel’s disobedience, God was bringing Egypt into the same judgment Israel had already tasted. And you would have thought that after hearing this that they would have repented, but they did not. In fact, the men actually praised their wives for worshiping their false gods.
[Jeremiah 44:15-17 Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying, 16 As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee. 17 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.]
Wow! These men just revealed exactly why the path to Christ is strait and narrow, and very few will walk in it. The narrow way demands humility, surrender, and obedience, qualities that prideful hearts despise. The remnant preferred their idols, their traditions, and their sins over the truth of God. They justified their rebellion, celebrated their disobedience, and rejected the only path that could have saved them, [Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.]
Every time I see this passage I am reminded that the word strait here is not a typo, and has a little bit of a different meaning to it than the word straight. Straight, refers to something that is direct or without curves, but strait speaks of something narrow, constricted, and difficult to pass through, like a tight passageway or a narrow channel hemmed in by pressure on both sides. Christ, chose that word intentionally. The way of salvation is not broad, comfortable, or accommodating to the flesh; it is confined, disciplined, and demanding of surrender. And the rebellion of Johanan and those who followed him reveal exactly why: only a few are willing to lay down their pride, abandon their idols, and walk the path that requires obedience. Jeremiah, was quite angry with them too.
[Jeremiah 44:21-22 The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind? 22 So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.]
The more you read the Bible the more you begin to understand how God works and that much of the evil we face today is a result of judgments God has placed on nations, whether they be His own or played a part of His own. Sometimes, His faithful even fall short as they become overwhelmed by all the affliction they seem to never get enough of. God, knows all this and right now what He is actually doing is as they say, separating the men from the boys or women from the girls. While the majority of those who were taken into Egypt would die there, God assures them that His faithful will survive.
[Jeremiah 44:26-28 Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth. 27 Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. 28 Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or their’s.]
God’s faithful are few in number, but in the end they are the ones who will be exalted, even in seasons of judgment. God, pours out mercy, grace, and patience on all who seek Him, yet He also knows the sincerity of every heart. Imagine the power Christ has to help us walk on water, yet we stop Him through our own pride and sink beneath the waves. Imagine the miracles He stands ready to reveal, yet we limit Him because we choose which parts of His Word we will obey. We cannot expect to see God do the impossible if we are not willing to do the possible, [II Timothy 2:15-16 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.]
Today’s Prayer: God, The world is getting more evil by the day, we are fighting over things that have no merit, and innocent people are getting caught up in it all. Lord, soften some hearts, help them to let go of their pride, sin, and or fear, and turn to You. Be with those who are caught up in the middle of Your judgments, bring them to safety, and let them know You are near and will take care of them. Give us Your power, wisdom, and guidance to go where You tell us to go, help us reach those who are in the midst of the judgments, and give us Your strength to endure the suffering we face for our faith. I pray this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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