Jeremiah 42:10-11 If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. 11 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.
Fear is the antithesis of faith. It stands in direct opposition to faith in the word of God. When God sends His word, we are often tempted to disbelieve rather than believe, regardless of how overwhelming the evidence for faith may be. Israel faced troubled and fearful times, but amid their fear, they went to Jeremiah to speak to God on their behalf and vowed to obey whatever He revealed. Ten days later, the Lord spoke to Jeremiah, delivering this message:
“If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. 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. And I will show mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.” (Jeremiah 42:10-12)
In their fearful situation, God had a word to encourage and revive their faith. Notice the promises He gives, provided they obey Him and remain in their war-torn nation: “I will build you,” “I will plant you,” “I repent of the evil I have done unto you.” These promises include rebuilding the devastated places, replanting their destroyed agriculture, and restoring what was lost. He warns them not to let fear rob them of these promises: “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.” These promises of mercy, not justice, offer encouragement. They had their answer from the Lord. Now it was up to them to do as they promised. Emboldened by God's word, all they needed to do was remain in the land and trust Him.
So, what did they do? Did they choose the path of faith, which involves stillness and trust, or did they choose the path of fear, which leads to self-effort and ultimately death? Chapter 43 provides the answer: “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:” (Jeremiah 43:2) They refused to believe the word of the Lord and feared what would happen if they did not act on their own wisdom. This choice is always before us: fear or faith, His word or our wisdom. Faith is the path of rest, while fear is the path of self-effort and torment. Yet, more often than not, we choose the dark path of fear.
When we reach the crossroads of fear and faith, it is wise to heed the instruction of Jeremiah 6:16: “Stand ye in the ways and see…” The path of faith may appear dull or dimly lit at its entrance, but it leads to life. In contrast, the path of fear may seem broad and easy at the beginning, but it is filled with thorns and ends in death. For those in our subject this morning, the outcome of both paths was already known from chapter 42. The path of faith leads to restoration and repentance of all the evil that had overcome them, while disobedience and fear lead to the very death they were trying to escape: “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.” (Jeremiah 42:16) That's the folly of fear, it leads directly to what you are trying to escape.
The ten-day period between their asking the Lord for direction and their commitment to follow His guidance seemed too long. By the end of those ten days, they had already decided to act according to their own desires. Perhaps you have been at the crossroads of faith and fear for several days now. Your mind is made up: “We have set our eyes on Egypt. We will escape this war and the constant lack that a life of faith requires. Yes, Egypt is where we will go!” Dear reader, if this describes your situation, this may be your last chance to focus on the promises of God. Stand still in the war-torn, famine-filled life of faith, and see beyond the troubles of this life. Look to the end of the path, which holds the promises of God to keep you, feed you, clothe you, save you, and hold you! Turn your eyes away from the mirage of peace that Satan places on the path of fear and see the end of that path. At its end lies a sword: “The sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt.” At its end is famine: “The famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt.” At its end is death: “There ye shall die.” Truly, no wiser words have been spoken: “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” It may seem logical and promising, but its end is death.
Dear reader, where are you this morning? Perhaps this message is for one particular soul who reads today. What will it be: fear or faith? The promised land or Egypt? His will or yours? Read once again the Word of the Lord to these people at the crossroads where you stand this morning:
Jeremiah 42:9-16 And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him; 10 If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. 11 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: 15 And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; 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.
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