When We Ask God, But Refuse to Listen

The Story Continues

Introduction/Icebreaker: Ever go to someone to get advise really just seeking for them to agree with what you already decided? I know I have and if they say anything different I move on to someone else. People don’t really want advice at times, they want confirmation.

Setting the stage, setting the scene: As you know after many years of warnings Jerusalem has fallen. There is just a remnant under the leadership of Johanan and the other military leaders. Jeremiah had the opportunity to go to Babylon or stay, he had chosen to stay. The people in Jerusalem were still afraid of Babylon and were thinking of fleeing to Egypt and that is where chapter 42 came in.

Something to consider when we go to God for His will to be done, do we really want God’s will to be done, or do we simply want His approval for our will to be done?

Jeremiah chapter 42 ended with people asking Jeremiah to inquire of God’s will if to flee to Egypt or not and that they would obey no matter the answer or not. It sounded good, but God’s answer did not line up with their predetermined mind to flee.

A Warning not Heeded

Let’s look at the chapter together. Then we will break it down together as a class, as a family. Note any words you want us to look up, or phrases, or things that catch your eye that you want to look at.

Jeremiah 43:1–4 “But as soon as Jeremiah, whom the Lord their God had sent, had finished telling all the people all the words of the Lord their God—that is, all these words— Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You are not to enter Egypt to reside there’; but Baruch the son of Neriah is inciting you against us to give us over into the hand of the Chaldeans, so they will put us to death or exile us to Babylon.” So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces, and all the people, did not obey the voice of the Lord to stay in the land of Judah.”

Jeremiah 43:5–9 “But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took the entire remnant of Judah who had returned from all the nations to which they had been driven away, in order to reside in the land of Judah— the men, the women, the children, the king’s daughters and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, together with Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah— and they entered the land of Egypt (for they did not obey the voice of the Lord) and went in as far as Tahpanhes. Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, “Take some large stones in your hands and hide them in the mortar in the brick terrace which is at the entrance of Pharaoh’s palace in Tahpanhes, in the sight of some of the Jews;”

Jeremiah 43:10–13 “and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Behold, I am going to send and get Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and I am going to set his throne right over these stones that I have hidden; and he will spread his canopy over them. “He will also come and strike the land of Egypt; those who are meant for death will be given over to death, and those for captivity to captivity, and those for the sword to the sword. “And I shall set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt, and he will burn them and take them captive. So he will wrap himself with the land of Egypt as a shepherd wraps himself with his garment, and he will depart from there safely. “He will also shatter the obelisks of Heliopolis, which is in the land of Egypt; and the temples of the gods of Egypt he will burn with fire.” ’ ””

They Hear God’s Word- but Reject It

A key point from this section would be: Hearing God’s Word does not automatically produce obedience. Even though the people asked for God’s will, they claimed will obey. They heard His will, and they reject it. Here in this section is the response.

They accuse Jeremiah of lying

They accuse Jeremiah of being influenced by Baruch

They refuse to believe that God actually told them to stay in Judah

Key Point: Hearing God’s Word does not automatically produce obedience.

The people had heard God’s answer clearly

Jeremiah 42:19 “The Lord has spoken to you, O remnant of Judah, “Do not go into Egypt!” You should clearly understand that today I have testified against you.”

The problem was not lack of information, it was lack of submission to God’s will. They did not like God’s answer , so they rejected God’s messenger.

Important Observation: Notice how quickly their attitude changes. Chapter 42, “Whatever God says, we will obey.” Chapter 43, “God couldn’t possibly have said that.”

Point to Ponder: We should always examine our own hearts. Sometimes our response to Scripture reveals whether we truly want God’s will.

They Follow Their Own Decision

So, they asked for God’s will, they ignored God’s will. Now they are acting against God’s will and dragging others along too.

They asked God for direction, God gave it to them.

They deliberately did the opposite

They even take Jeremiah and everyone with them and flee to Egypt

Key Point: Knowing God’s will is not the same as doing God’s will.

There is a difference between hearing God’s Word; knowing God’s Word; agreeing with God’s Word and Obeying God’s word. James makes the same type of point James 1:22 “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” .

An Application: We should never measure spiritual maturity by how much Bible we know, but what am I doing with what I know.

God Uses Jeremiah to Confront Their false Security

God tells Jeremiah His faithful servant to step up and speak out against the people with another visual. Jeremiah does, he gives God’s message.

Jeremiah told to take large stones and place them in the entrance to Pharaoh's palace.

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, will come to Egypt, as His servant (v.10).

That is again proof God can use unlikely people as His servants even when they are unfaithful followers, or worshipers. Yet God can used them to accomplish His purposes

Key Point: God remains sovereign even when people refuse to obey Him.

God says: Babylon is coming to Egypt, and it will be. They had run to the place they believed would save them, and discovered that their refuge was not a refuge at all. False security ultimately fails.

Anything that we truly more than God will eventually prove unable to save us. Egypt looked powerful, secure, like the answer, but God knew better.

Something more. . .

There is something more, something I thing we can glean that is troubling in this chapter before we get to the application section.

They did not start off by openly rejecting God. They began with seeking God’s will (Jer42: 1-6), that makes this chapter so relevant. For we can do the same thing at times.

We ask the Lord what do You want me to do? But in reality we have already decided what we are going to do and are really asking God to bless our decision.

When Scripture gives us an answer we don’t like, we begin looking for reasons why it doesn’t apply.

The danger is this: We can use prayer as a way of asking God to endorse our plans instead of submitting our plans to God.

Application Section

Ask God with a surrendered Heart

Do not pray “God, tell me what I want to hear.” Pray, ask, “God show me Your will and give me the strength and courage to obey it.”

Do not confuse disagreement with Error.

The people decided Jeremiah must be wrong, must be lying because they didn’t like his message. But God’s truth doesn’t become false because it makes us uncomfortable. Truth is not determined by our preference.

Let Scripture examine you

When God’s Word challenges us, don’t immediatley ask: “How can I get around this?” It is better to ask: “What is God trying to show me, what is God trying to change in me right now?”

Do not run to Egypt (or anywhere else) for security

We all have things that make us feel safe

Our ultimate security must be in God, may we consider Psalm 20:7 “Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God.”

Obedience matters most when it costs us something

It is easy to obey God when His command agrees with our desires. The real test comes when obedience requires us to surrender something we want. Faith says: “God knows better than I do.”

(Conclusion) I think you can see over the last couple of weeks with chapter 42, and now especially with chapter 43 the danger of selective obedience. They wanted God’s guidance, they got it. They did not like it, they rejected it. They went to Egypt and out that Egypt could not save them. The overall lesson is simple: We don’t truly seek God’s will if we already decided that we will only obey when we like the answer.

Major Takeaway: Don’t ask God to bless the path you’ve already chosen. Ask God to show you His path—and then trust Him enough to walk it.

May we truly move from God, tell me what You want to God whatever You tell me, I will trust You and obey. That is the heart of genuine faith. That is what we need and should pray for daily.