CHAPTER 41

(588 B.C.)

ISHMAEL SLAYS GEDALIAH

¹Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah. (Of the seed royal, tells us that Ishmael was, no doubt, moved by jealousy to murder Gedaliah because he had been made viceroy.)

²Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men who were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and killed him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. (In this Chapter, Jeremiah is unseen yet present, but unsought! Gedaliahs not seeking the counsel of the great Prophet would prove to be disastrous!)

³Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, and the men of war.

⁴And it came to pass the second day after he had killed Gedaliah, and no man knew it (no one knew who had done it),

⁵That 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. (This portrays individuals coming to the Temple site, although destroyed, in order to worship God. Faith recognized and approved the appalling judgments that had fallen upon them. They turned not from, but to, Him Who had poured out those judgments and brought Him Thank Offerings of the abundance which Grace provided. While 70 of these men were permitted to perish, still, theirs was the faith that overcomes.)

⁶And 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. (A carnal Church has no desire for the true worship of God; therefore, it will seek to kill, as Ishmael did, all participants. Its agenda does not include Offerings which speak of Calvary, nor Incense which speaks of Godly Worship. Actually, it is upon these two rocks, Calvary and Worship of God, that the True Church stands, but which the apostate Church regards not at all!)

⁷And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah killed them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he, and the men who were with him. (As well, those who are led by Ishmael will be destroyed and cast into the midst of the pit, i.e., Hell fire.)

⁸But ten men were found among them who said unto Ishmael, Kill us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbore, and killed them not among their brethren. (Along with the thirst for power and control, Ishmael also desired treasures. So these ten men traded their treasures for their lives!)

⁹Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men, whom he had killed because of Gedaliah, was it which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with them who were killed. (This symbolizes the many Godly people through the centuries who have been killed by the religious Ishmaels.)

¹⁰Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people who were in Mizpah, even the kings daughters, and all the people who 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. (Evidently, the Babylonians had not occupied the land, that is, if they ever did!)

JOHANAN BECOMES LEADER

¹¹But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,

¹²Then 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. (The struggle continues, with Johanan the son of Kareah entering the picture, whose comport was little better than Ishmaels. None are led by God. In fact, Johanan will ultimately, at least in part, be responsible for the death of Jeremiah. Tradition says that Jeremiah was killed in Egypt by his own people, who, at least at first, were led by Johanan.)

¹³Now it came to pass, that when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the Captains of the forces who were with him, then they were glad. (They had a right to be glad, because their lives were probably spared by the action of Johanan. However, they were merely trading one dead Church for another. Their gladness was not rooted in proper soil; therefore, they would come to no satisfactory conclusion.)

¹⁴So all the people who Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah cast about and returned, and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah. (The intent of the Holy Spirit, among other things, is to portray a people who should have been depending on God, but who were continuing to depend upon themselves, therefore, floundering without sense of purpose or direction.)

¹⁵But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites. (This man went to the Ammonites because he had a murderous heart identical to these rebels against God. Ishmael was, in fact, in the lineage of David; but he knew Davids God not at all, showing that natural birth, even from the Godly, does not make one a true son of David. God has no grandchildren!)

¹⁶Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the Captains of the forces who 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 killed 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 (the group that was with Johanan probably was the cream of the remnant left in the whole of Judah. Events will show that these individuals will make a pretense at seeking the Will of God by consulting Jeremiah, but the truth will out that their hearts were not after God, but toward Egypt. They did not know the Lord; they would not believe His Prophet; and they had no desire for His Will):

¹⁷And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Beth-lehem, to go to enter into Egypt (while they would consult with Jeremiah, their minds had already been made up to enter into Egypt),

¹⁸Because of the Chaldeans: for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor in the land. (Fear linked with self-will because of unspiritual hearts would lead them to make a rash and terrible decision. They would attempt to escape the hand of the king of Babylon, but, even though in Egypt, they would not escape it at all! Had they put their trust in God, depending on Him for protection, guidance, and security, they would have been protected, blessed, led, guided, helped, and looked after as only the Lord can do.)