Judah is on life support as they regroup from the destruction of the Babylonians. Everyone is scrambling for resources of food, shelter, and hope in God that things will get better. A ray of that hope comes as Jeremiah is free to return to the remnant of Judah under Gedaliah the newly appointed governor. Nebuchadnezzar hand-picked Gedaliah to help Judah adapt to the new life of service and prosperity under Babylonian rule. God has told the remnant Judah to stay and submit to the Chaldeans and wait out the captivity to prosper. Alarm bells start to ring when news is spread that Baalis, king of Ammon, has sent Ishmael a prince with ten men to kill Gedaliah. In 40:14 Johanan, a leader of a small militia within Judah, approaches the new Governor with the horrifying news. The rumor is ignored as Gedaliah does not perceive Ishmael as a threat. As the solemn feast of the seventh month approaches people are traveling to the ruins of Jerusalem to offer gifts and sacrifices. Even Ishmael is eating bread in Gedaliah's house where Jeremiah is staying as well. It looks like a happy ending for Judah until Gedaliah Judah's ray of hope lays lifeless on the floor of his house by the hand of Ishmael. Panic ensues as Ishmael continues to slaughter the Jews, Chaldeans, and all the men of war who were with Gadeliah. Even seventy men were on their way to Jerusalem from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. He saved ten of these men alive only because they had valuable resources. Then something very

Interesting that Jeremiah points out to us in verse 9. Ishmael throws all the dead bodies into a pit or cistern that Asa made out of fear of Baasha the northern king of Israel at that time. Johanan with the militia can recover the people captured by Ishmael, but Ishmael escapes back to Ammon. This leaves Judah in a state of overwhelming fear now that their only Babylonian representative is dead and leaves them vulnerable to other similar attacks and or retaliation from Babylon itself. Judah thinks if they flee into Egypt their problem is solved. They will have all the protection and provision they need from Pharaoh and his army. This is the same mistake Asa made in 2 Chronicles 16. Asa made a hasty decision without enquiring about God and used the treasures of the house of God to purchase protection rather than asking God for protection for his kingdom. Asa's failure to trust God resulted in God allowing war to continue till Asa's death. In chapters 42-43, Judah openly rejected God's directions not to go to Egypt because they were proud men.

Are we too proud like Judah and Asa to ask God for His protection? Do we resolve to explore every possible option before we pray about it? We do not need to fear when we trust God to supply our needs.