Quick Note – Jeremiah 42:6 – True Obedience

Jeremiah 42:6 – Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.

The people of Israel had just recently suffered a major defeat.  Not only was Jerusalem conquered by the Babylonian Empire, but their appointed leader Gedaliah was murdered by the traitor Ishmael.  The remaining Israelites that were left behind in the land after the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar took most of the people into exile were now about to be taken into captivity to Ammon as well.  Fortunately, a man by the name of Johanan rescued them from the hand of Ishmael, giving them an opportunity to return to their homeland.  However, because they were afraid of the retaliation the Babylonian king might bring due to the death of Gedaliah, the Israelites considered running to Egypt instead.  It was then that they sought the guidance of the LORD and asked Jeremiah the prophet to pray for them.  They wanted to know what God would have them do and told Jeremiah that whatever God said whether good or bad, they would obey Him.  In other words, whether it was to go to Egypt like they had planned or to return home to potentially face punishment from King Nebuchadnezzar, they would obey.   

Jeremiah then prayed for them, and ten days later, God answered them, telling them to return to Israel and to not to go to Egypt.  Rather than listening to Jeremiah, Johanan and the rest of the Israelites rebelled.  They accused Jeremiah of being a traitor, seeking to bring them into further captivity under Babylon, and went to Egypt like they had planned.  They did not obey God like they had said but rather chose their own wisdom, angering God in the process.  Instead of finding safety in Egypt, they found destruction, because God allowed the Babylonian Empire to conquer Egypt and the Israelite refugees as well.

Like Johanan and the Israelites sometimes we come to God in prayer not really seeking His wisdom but looking for His affirmation of our already decided choices.  We aren’t truly seeking His will but simply want Him to tell us that it is okay for us to follow our own.  We don’t want to obey what He says; we just want Him to bless our own decisions.  That is a recipe for disaster.  Our God does not exist to approve of everything we want.  He is not there to be a Yes man.  He is there to lead and guide our lives in the way that is best for us.  A lot of the time that will be contrary to what we may think is best for us.  That is why God says in Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.”  He knows better.  So when we come to Him in prayer, we must not do so just to hear Him say Yes to what we want but because we truly want His will to work in our lives.  Whether it is good or bad, whether it is our desire or not, we must obey the voice of the LORD.  That is true obedience.