Title: Release of Jeremiah / Jeremiah 40
Contents Jeremiah's release
Jeremiah 40
1. Jeremiah released (1-6)
The content of this paragraph is in harmony with the favor of Jeremiah, and explains that after the fall of Jerusalem, he was released from captivity with the help of Nebuzaradan, the leader of the guard, during his captivity in Babylon. In particular, Jeremiah's faith in returning to Judah, a land of suffering and desolation, is very prominent, even though Jeremiah could receive hospitality if he went to Babylon. In fact, some people suspected that Jeremiah was a vague prophet who made Babylonian remarks for the sake of personal well-being and happiness. But when given his choice, the Prophet was able to escape this misunderstanding by willingly choosing the painful land of Judah. It also made the people expect the covenant to be restored rather than completely broken. Jeremiah did not seek human comfort and riches, but only chose and decided according to God's will.
2. Gedaliah's Policy (7-12)
In this paragraph, Gedaliah, who became governor of Judah by Babylon, implemented pro-Babylonian policies externally and internally promoted economic revival policies. Gedaliah had long heard the message to surrender to Babylon through the prophet, so he believed his policy was in line with God's will and actively implemented it.
He actively urged Babylon to surrender, and told him not to be afraid of the chaos of war, but to settle in the land and concentrate on harvesting grapes and summer Guair oil. As Gedalya's policy spread, the refugees who fled began to return to settle. Even in such a difficult situation, if you obey God's will, you will be able to maintain gradual stability and peace.
3. Ishmael's plan to assassinate Gedaliah (13-16)
This paragraph explains that Ishmael, who was a royal, was dissatisfied with Gedaliah and plotted to assassinate him because he was merely a descendant of a noble family and not a Davidic royal family. At that time, King Baalis of Ammon, unable to condone the rebuilding of Judah, murdered Gedaliah and instigated Ishmael to establish a new Jewish government. Ishmael did not realize the meaning of God's judgment at all, and was seduced by the human heart and made a huge mistake, which led to ruin once again for Judas, who had managed to regain stability.
Instead of Gedaliah's pro-Babylonian line, Ammon chose an anti-Babylonian leader like Ishmael to plot. Unfortunately, Gedaliah did not believe the generals. Johanan secretly met Gedaliah and offered to kill Ishmael, but he refused. Gedaliah governed according to God's will, but overconfidence in humans led to his death as a result. The heart of man is corrupt and deceitful. Therefore, while suspicious of others can be positively evaluated, it was a mistake not to investigate the conspiracy in detail. A leader must possess the discernment to judge good and evil, justice and injustice accurately.