Jeremiah Freed — Jeremiah 40:1–16

The recording, chapter markers and searchable transcript appear here once the Sunday video is available.

In this message

God may not remove consequences, but He provides in the middle of them and keeps working even in disruption and waiting.
Humility is the right response when the world calls out sin and they are right.
Envy-fuelled rage over being passed over is answered by trusting God to judge and to exalt in His time.
Refusing vengeance is not the same as acting wisely; warnings should be taken seriously with protection and counsel in place.
God is meant to direct everyday life, not be treated like a spare tire only in emergencies.

The passage

The verses Lee stops on. Read Jeremiah 40 in full.

Jeremiah 40:1–3

1The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had released him at Ramah. He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. 2When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, “The Lord your God decreed this disaster for this place. 3And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned against the Lord and did not obey him.

The Babylonian captain of the guard, a man who did not even know God, stands up and preaches a sermon that sounded exactly like what Jeremiah had been saying for forty years! It had to be humbling, hearing a pagan declare the very truth they had ignored for decades. And church – this is where it hits us. When the world calls out sin, and they’re right, we don’t get defensive – we get humble. That’s not a culture problem. That’s a conviction problem.”

God often calls us to live faithfully in the waiting, trusting that He is still working even when life feels disrupted.

What we have seen

God often calls us to live faithfully in the waiting, trusting that He is still working even when life feels disrupted.
His rage came from being passed over… from believing he deserved something that someone else received.
How often do we find ourselves in difficult situations…and our first response is a knee-jerk reaction…instead of a thoughtful, prayerful, measured, Spirit-led response?

Why did the Babylonian captain sound like Jeremiah in Jeremiah 40:1–3?

God used a pagan Babylonian captain to declare the same truth Jeremiah had preached for decades. The moment would have been humbling, because Judah had ignored that message for forty years. The right response when the world calls out sin and they are right is humility, not defensiveness. That is not a culture problem; it is a conviction problem.

How did the Babylonians know the fall of Jerusalem was connected to the God of Israel?

The Babylonians had heard about the God of Israel and His reputation. They also heard Jeremiah’s message from captured prisoners or from those who had surrendered. Because they believed many gods existed across the earth, they could easily believe the God of Israel was permitting them to punish Jerusalem. The point is that God’s hand behind Jerusalem’s fall was known even outside Judah.

Why did Jeremiah stay in Judah when he could have gone to Babylon?

Jeremiah stayed in Judah because it was right, not because it was easy. Babylon would have offered comfort and power, while Judah meant hardship. Jeremiah knew what he was doing and understood the will of God. He stayed like a shepherd who does not abandon the sheep, rather than a hireling who leaves when it gets hard (John 10:12–13).

What does it mean to live faithfully in the waiting in Jeremiah 40?

Faithful waiting means living normal life and trusting God to work even while the damage and consequences remain. The remnant was told to gather what was left, harvest, and settle into life while waiting for the Lord’s deliverance. God had promised a future because the nation still had important work to do. God often calls people to be faithful in disruption, trusting He is still providing and preparing what they cannot yet see.

What does Jeremiah 40 teach about anger when you feel passed over?

Rage can come from believing you deserved what someone else received. Ishmael, a descendant of David, likely believed he should have been named ruler and resented Gedaliah taking that place. The right response to being wronged is not taking matters into your own hands but trusting God to make it right in His time. Psalms 75:6–7 is used to show that God is the one who brings one down and exalts another.

Was Gedaliah right or wrong to refuse Johanan’s offer to kill Ishmael?

Gedaliah was right not to act in vengeance, but he was wrong in failing to act in wisdom. He dismissed the warning, failed to put protection in place, and did not prepare for what was coming. That lack of discernment would cost him his life in the next chapter. Proverbs 11:14 is cited to show the danger of lacking guidance and the value of many advisers.

How does Jeremiah 40 connect the ‘flesh’ with danger and destruction?

Ishmael is presented as a name linked with the flesh, and the flesh is described as having one goal: to destroy you. The warning is that you cannot play around with sin and expect to avoid consequences. Romans 8:13 is cited to say that life is tied to putting to death the misdeeds of the body by the Spirit. The picture is of a real threat that must be taken seriously, not ignored as harmless.

What should someone do instead of reacting with a knee-jerk response in a crisis?

Wise action starts with pausing and seeking God before deciding. The pattern to avoid is reacting first and seeking God later, or trusting yourself instead of Him. Proverbs 3:5–6 is cited to call for trusting the Lord rather than leaning on your own understanding. Jeremiah 17:5 is cited as the warning about trusting in man and drawing strength from mere flesh.

Was Jeremiah contradicting his own message by staying with the people left in the land?

Jeremiah was not violating his message by staying in the land. Jeremiah understood the will of God and God knew his heart and love for the land and the people. Other voices were already in Babylon to minister to the exiles, but Jeremiah was called to remain. He chose obedience over comfort, staying in a broken land because he was a shepherd who stayed with the sheep (John 10:12–13).

Where else scripture speaks

Every passage Lee reaches for. The ones he teaches from open here; the rest link out.

Psalms 75:6–7Jeremiah 17:5

Passages picked up elsewhere in the series:

Romans 8:13 — Called Before You Were Born, False Religion… Worthless, Why is Life Un-Fair?
Proverbs 11:14 — Israel Forsakes God
Proverbs 3:5–6 — Prophets in 2025?
Jeremiah 17:5 — The Covenant is Broken
John 10:12–13 — God Keeps the Score, What is your egypt?

Take this with you

Was Jeremiah violating his own message by staying in the land?