Jeremiah 44

“Of that remnant who fled to Egypt, hoping someday to return to Judah, there will be no survivors. Even though they long to return home, only a handful will do so.” Jeremiah 44:14 NLT

I find it interesting that this is the same group of Jews who are the remnant from the fall of Jerusalem. At that time, they chose to listen to God’s instructions in surrendering themselves to the Babylonians, and placing their faith in the Lord for survival.

Even now, after hearing what Jeremiah had prophesied and seeing that prophecy come to reality, the Jews not only ignore God’s instructions, but actually do the exact opposite.

I am reminded that the more we act in opposition to the Lord’s law and to His stipulations, the harder our hearts become, and the more difficult it is for us to repent of our evil ways and return to Him. As the Lord says through Jeremiah at the tail end of this verse, “only a handful will return home.”

I will close with words from Matthew Henry’s commentary on this chapter: When we thrust ourselves without cause or call into places of temptation, it is just with God to leave us to ourselves. If we walk contrary to God, He will walk contrary to us. The most awful miseries to which men are exposed, are occasioned by the neglect of offered salvation.”