In this message we will continue to consider Israel's stubbornness in their sinning against Jehovah and Jeremiah's firmness in his speaking for Jehovah after the fall of Jerusalem. In particular, we will cover further aspects of the history of the remnant of Judah from Gedaliah to Johanan (40:7—44:30).
Jeremiah 42:1—43:7 reveals the dishonesty of the remnant and the leaders in asking Jeremiah to pray for them after the fall of Jerusalem.
In 42:1-3 all the leaders of the forces, Johanan, Jezaniah, and all the people, from the least even unto the greatest, begged Jeremiah the prophet to pray for them concerning the way in which they should go and the thing which they should do. Jeremiah said that he would pray to Jehovah their God according to their words and that whatever Jehovah answered them he would tell them and not withhold anything from them (v. 4). Then they said to Jeremiah, "May Jehovah be a true and faithful witness against us, if we do not do according to every word with which Jehovah your God sends you to us. Whether it is good or whether it is evil, we will listen to the voice of Jehovah our God, to whom we send you, that it may be well with us, when we listen to the voice of Jehovah our God" (vv. 5-6).