Do we really want the will of God?

I just have to share another little meditation with you. This one’s from Jeremiah, chapters 41-43. It’s such an amazing story! In some ways, it’s hard to believe. In other ways, I guess it’s so typical of how we humans do things, you’d be strange not to believe it!

After Babylon ravaged the land of Israel and carried away most of the leaders and upper classes captive, only the poorest of the poor were left, along with some scattered bands of military leaders and troops who’d escaped. You would think those people would’ve learned a lesson from their suffering, would want to work together for their common survival and such, and would’ve wanted to make sure they were in line with God’s will.

Instead, terrible things continued to happen. The Babylonians put a man named Gedaliah in charge, and he urged everybody to work together, to do what their conquerors demanded, and then everything would be ok. But everyone wasn’t in agreement with Gedaliah’s thoughts. A man named Ishmael assassinated him and murdered those around him, thus making sure the Babylonians would be back to furiously punish the land even more. Then a military leader named Johanan attacked Ishmael’s forces, liberated the Israelites he’d carried off with him, and sort of took leadership over them all. Ishmael and 8 of his guys fled the country.

Johanan and his group decided the best thing to do was flee the land of Israel and go to Egypt. (see Jer. 41:17, 18) There they’d avoid the wrath of Nebuchadnezzar, who was sure to come back and punish Israel for all that had happened. Surely in Egypt, Johanan thought, he and his group would be safe and secure. Surely they knew what was best for their own lives.

Before they carried out their plan though, they thought it might be good to consult with a known prophet, Jeremiah. After all, he’d warned everybody for years of what was going to happen under Babylon, and his words had come to pass. So they spoke to Jeremiah, asking him to pray for them, and to give them God’s guidance.

If you read Jer. 42:1-5, it sounds like these people were as sincere as could be. Man – they really seemed to want only God’s will! They would do whatever God said, nothing more or less! They just wanted Jeremiah to clarify what that will was.

So Jeremiah goes to the Lord and seeks His answer for these people.  It took ten days for God to respond. That’s a very interesting side point – wow, you have to wait ten days for an answer?! Why, God? Can’t you answer right away? We’re not that patient, you know! But I digress…

God tells Jeremiah to tell this group to not go to Egypt by any means! They are to stay put in the land of Israel. Sure, it might seem contrary to their combined wisdom. Sure, one might easily imagine Nebuchadnezzar coming to punish everyone for what has happened to his appointed governor, Gedaliah. But God says the opposite will be true. He will protect them if they stay. They will prosper and be safe and secure.

Then He warns them. If they don’t listen, and they go to Egypt against His will, the very things they are seeking to avoid will come upon them there! Nebuchadnezzar will actually come to Egypt and conquer that country too, and Johanan and his people will suffer terribly. It must have seemed contrary to everything they thought, but nevertheless, God made the choices and outcomes very clear to them. You stay here, and you’ll be safe and secure. You go to Egypt, you’ll suffer terribly and be destroyed.

Incredibly, Johanan and his people reject Jeremiah’s words from God! They tell him he’s lying, and God hasn’t given him this message at all! What?! How many years has Jeremiah been prophesying the coming destruction under the Babylonians?! Over 20 years! Didn’t everything he ever said come to pass? Of course it had! Well then, why not believe him now? Why would he lie? What could he possibly gain by doing so?

Amazingly, Johanan and his people went to Egypt, and even forced Jeremiah to go with them. And every terrible thing Jeremiah had prophesied came to pass, just as he’d said. Nebuchadnezzar came all the way to Egypt, and set his throne over some stones Jeremiah had placed in the ground at God’s command. God knows the future exactly! What He says comes to pass every time. What people think will happen is so often just completely wrong!

Why did Johanan and his group say they wanted to know God’s will, yet when it was revealed to them, call it a lie and refuse it? Well, in 41:17 & 18, it says they had pretty much already made up their minds to go to Egypt. So when they said they wanted to hear God’s Word on the matter, it seems what they really wanted was to just be affirmed in what they’d already decided. They wanted God to say they were right and wise, and what they’d decided was the correct thing. They were so sure of their position, they couldn’t even consider anything contrary!

I wonder if I’m ever like them? Do I say I want to know God’s will, but really already have my mind made up? Would I listen if He told me something contrary to my preconceived notions? Do I, do we, really want to know God’s will? Are we willing to do whatever He says?

Or are we just asking to be affirmed in what we want, in what we’ve already decided for ourselves? Do we go to church to hear words of affirmation? To hear what good people we are, and how pleased God is with us? Or do we want to hear what God really sees, and what He really thinks about our lives, our choices, our direction in life, what we prioritize, what we seek after? Do we know the future? Do we really know what’s best for us? Or can we be open to hear God’s Word and His guidance for our lives?

I wonder if maybe that’s why a lot of us never ask God’s will for our lives? I wonder if maybe that’s why He doesn’t speak much to us – because He knows we won’t do what He says anyway, and if we refuse to do what He reveals, our condemnation will only be greater? Just wondering…