Jeremiah

Jeremiah 41: Sin brings ruin and fear

Begin in prayer

Before we read about Ishmael and the fear that followed, let us come before the LORD together. Ask Him to quiet our hearts, to be with our family as we read, and to show us Jesus, who alone gives true peace.

In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep, for you, Yahweh alone, make me live in safety.

Psalms 4:8

Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word. Show us that sin brings fear and ruin, and that only You give true peace. Show us Jesus, who gives peace to those who trust Him, and help us to turn from our sin. Make us more like Jesus. And please bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

Ishmael, a man of the royal family, comes to Mizpah with ten men and eats bread with Gedaliah (verse 1). Then Ishmael strikes down Gedaliah, the governor whom the king of Babylon had set over the land (verse 2). Ishmael also kills the Jews and the Chaldean soldiers who are with Gedaliah at Mizpah (verse 3). Later, eighty men come from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria with offerings for the LORD’s house, and Ishmael kills most of them (verses 4 to 9). Ishmael then takes the people left at Mizpah away as captives (verse 10). Johanan and his captains find Ishmael at the great waters in Gibeon, and the captives turn back to them (verses 11 to 14). Ishmael escapes, and the remnant is afraid of the Chaldeans, so they set out toward Egypt (verses 15 to 18).

As you read Jeremiah 41, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

Sin brings ruin and fear to people who do not trust the LORD.

Gedaliah was the governor that the king of Babylon had appointed, and he was living at Mizpah (verses 1 and 2). Ishmael ate bread with him and then struck him down, which made his cruelty all the more shocking (verses 1 and 2). Many people died in the violence at Mizpah, and one wicked man’s sin brought grief to a whole community (verses 3 to 9). The people left in the land feared the Chaldeans, because Gedaliah, the governor Babylon had made, had been killed (verse 18). Their fear was real, and it came from the sin in the land, so they planned to leave for Egypt (verses 17 and 18). No plan of men can give a person true peace, because sinners cannot make peace with God by their own efforts. Jesus came to make peace with God for sinners, and He gives His peace to all who turn from sin and trust Him.

How does Jeremiah 41 show us that sin brings ruin and fear to people who do not trust the LORD?

Sin brings fear and ruin.

Ishmael struck down Gedaliah and killed people at Mizpah (verses 2 and 3). Men with offerings for the LORD’s house were killed, and the people left lived in fear (verses 5 to 7, 18). Sin always brings ruin, and only Jesus can rescue sinners from its power.

Jesus alone gives true peace.

The people who were left had no peace, and they planned to run to Egypt (verses 17 and 18). Human plans cannot make peace with God. Jesus made peace for sinners through His death.

Memorize

they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor over the land.

Jeremiah 41:18

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, what plan of my own am I trusting for peace, instead of Jesus?

Ishmael ate bread with Gedaliah, and then he killed him, and fear spread through the people who were left (verses 1 to 3, 16 to 18). Sin always leaves ruin and fear behind it. Those who look for peace in their own plans find that the fear is still there.

Jesus is our true peace. He bore the sin of His people, and He rose from the dead, so that sinners could be made right with God. What He did is enough for all who come to Him. Jesus welcomes sinners. Please turn from your sin and trust Him, because only He gives true peace.

So do not look for peace in your own plans or in your own strength. Come to Jesus today, and trust Him with your whole heart. He forgives everyone who comes to Him in faith, and He gives His peace to them.

Parent's note

Tell your children that sin brings fear and ruin, and that Jesus alone gives true peace. Parents, you may want to explain verses 2 to 9 gently, since they tell of killing, and why the people were afraid. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God for the peace that only Jesus gives, and bring the heart question to Him. Invite each child to pray a short prayer aloud.

Yahweh will give strength to his people. Yahweh will bless his people with peace.

Psalms 29:11

Lord, thank You that You give true peace through Jesus. Forgive us for the times we look for peace in our own plans instead of trusting You. Thank You that Jesus died for sinners and rose from the dead. Help us to turn from sin, trust Him, and rest in His peace this week. Amen.