Jeremiah 41:1-18

Treachery is a terrible thing but all too common in the heart of man.  Johanan had warned Gedaliah about the intentions of Ishmael but he would not believe him.  Instead, the appointed governor of Judah received Ishmael and ten men to eat a meal together.  It was the last meal Gedeliah would ever eat and was the start of a treacherous bloodbath that saw dozens of men slaughtered.  Gedeliah had been kind to Jeremiah and the other remnants of Judah who were able to stay on the land.  He is now dead and the consequences of this act of treachery are yet to be known.  We must learn to guard our own hearts from treacherous acts as well as look out or the treachery that may be in the hearts of the men around us.

ISHMAEL SLAUGHTERS MANY AND FLEES WITH JUDEANS: Ismael and his men slaughter Gedeliah, his guards, many inhabitants of the city, eighty men of Samaria who had come to offer sacrifices to the Lord and then flees the city with many of the people as captives.  It is unclear why Ishmael would do such a thing apart from the sinfulness of his own heart.  He would only succeed in bringing trouble upon himself and the rest of the people who were living in the land.  His actions were of no benefit to himself and certainly were not beneficial to the remnant in the land.  Sin is often blinded to the long term consequences of its actions and only considers the momentary pleasure it may feel.  Ishmael is a clear example of the filth of sin and the damage that treachery can cause to all who are close to it.  A cistern that was built to store refreshing water for the people is now filled with rotting corpses as a result of sin.

JOHANAN SAVES THE JUDEANS AND FEARS NEBUCHADNEZZAR: Johanan had warned the king of Ishmael’s intentions but was accused of fabricating a lie.  However, when his fears came true and he heard of the brutal murders as well as the fact that Ishmael had taken the Judeans from that area captive, He took immediate action.  He gathered a small but brave army of men to go after them.  They were unable to capture Ismael and a small group of his men, but they were able to set the Judean people free from captivity.  Once the people were set free the reality of their current situation set in and his heart was struck with fear.  Once word of the murder of Gedeliah reaches Babylon there are sure to be many consequences and Johanan fears that his noble attempt to save the king’s life will remain unknown and the will end up being accused of that which he tried desperately to avoid.  This fear leads him to consider fleeing to Egypt for protection.  The negative effects of sin spread far beyond those who commit the sinful acts.  Sin is a blight on the entire human race and will continue to cause great damage until the return of Christ.