Contemplative Bible Reading

Jeremiah 42:19-20 (New Living Translation)

19 Listen, you remnant of Judah. The Lord has told you: “Do not go to Egypt!” Don’t forget this warning I have given you today. 20 For you were not being honest when you sent me to pray to the Lord your God for you. You said, “Just tell us what the Lord our God says, and we will do it!”

The prophet Jeremiah is talking to some people. These folks were the remnant, i.e., what was left of the people who were taken away to Babylon. Those people who had skills and education and good qualities were taken away. Those who lacked all these good qualities were left behind.

The left-behind people went to Jeremiah the prophet and said, “Tell us what God wants us to do. Whatever it is, we will do it.”

Through Jeremiah, God told the people to stay put. Don’t go to Egypt. Well, the people wanted to go to Egypt. Things were better there. That is where they should go. God said, “No.” Back to what the people said. They were lying. They wanted to sound obedient. They knew what they were going to do. They were not being honest.

And they thought they could fool God.

This is the most amazing part. They really thought that they could fool God. God wouldn’t know their plot. God wouldn’t know what they had discussed “in secret” where God couldn’t hear them. They had secrets they could hide from God.

Gosh. How foolish we can all be? We can keep things secret from God. God will never know. Sorry. Not true. And what is worse for us, sometimes, like in these verses, God tells other people our little secrets.