Sabbath school lesson 12, 4th quarter of 2015

1. Lesson 12 for December 19, 2015
Yeremia 42:5
"The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do
not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God
shall send thee to us.”

2. Gedaliah was appointed as governor of Judah (Jeremiah 40:6-12).
Ishmael killed Gedaliah and captured the remnant
(Jeremiah 40:13-41:10).
Johanan delivered the remnant and asked Jeremiah to
consult God (Jeremiah 41:11-42:6).
God replied: Return to Judah and submit to Babylon
(Jeremiah 42:7-22).
Johanan refused to obey God and went to Egypt
(Jeremiah 43:1-7).
Jeremiah prophesied at Egypt (Jeremiah 43:8-13).
Judah’s rejection and arrogance (Jeremiah 44).
A little remnant remained at Judah after Jerusalem was
destroyed. Their story is told in Jeremiah 40 to 44.

3. THE GOVERNOR GEDALIAH
“Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, to Mizpah, and
dwelt with him among the people who were left in the land.”
(Jeremiah 40:6)
The king of Babylon left some faithful
people, the poor and a small group of
soldiers in Judah.
All captains who remained there came
before Gedaliah to obey him. But the
Ammonites bribed a traitor: Ishmael
(Jer. 40:14).
Ishmael killed Gedaliah and the Babylonian
soldiers. Then, he led the people to Ammon.
One of the captains–Johanan–chased him and
delivered the remnant
(Jer. 41:14).
The people was afraid of Babylon’s reprisal if
they came back to Mizpah (Jer. 41:17-18).

4. SEEKING DIVINE GUIDANCE
“Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will
obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom
we send you, that it may be well with us when
we obey the voice of the Lord our God.”
(Jeremiah 42:6)
“and said to Jeremiah the prophet, ‘Please, let our petition be acceptable to
you, and pray for us to the Lord your God, for all this remnant (since we are left
but a few of many, as you can see), that the Lord your God may show us the way
in which we should walk and the thing we should do.’” (Jeremiah 42:2-3)
The people’s dilemma was either to go to
Egypt or to return to Mizpah. They decided
to ask God for advice through Jeremiah.
The people committed to obey God as they
parents did when leaving Egypt
(Exodus 24:7).
“If we take Christ for our guide, He will lead us
safely. The veriest sinner need not miss his
way.”
E.G.W. (God’s Amazing Grace, September 13)

5. E.G.W. (The Ministry of Healing, cp. 11, pg. 176)

6. “That Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of
Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to
Jeremiah, ‘You speak falsely! The Lord our God has not
sent you to say, “Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.”’”
(Jeremiah 43:2)
They pretended to seek divine guidance, but they
actually wanted God to agree with their plans; that is,
going to Egypt.
They tried to justify their decision by accusing
Jeremiah of lying to them, and being influenced by his
scribe Baruch.
When sinners are not willing to correct
their ways, reasoning no longer acts. If
the Word doesn’t match their desire,
they don’t listen to it anymore.
If you want to be guided by God, you
must be willing to go wherever He
leads you to, and to do whatever He
asks you to do.
RETURNING TO EGYPT

7. “Take large stones in your hand, and hide them in the sight of the men of
Judah, in the clay in the brick courtyard which is at the entrance to
Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes.” (Jeremiah 43:9)
God used symbols to give a new
message to the disobedient
people. The country where
they sought refuge would not
protect them. They would be
attacked again there.
In 568 BC, a civil war was taking
place in Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar
set up his camp on the land
where Jeremiah had hidden big
stones with mud.
The only true protection in this
world is to obey God. He is the
only safe way.

8. “As for the word that you
have spoken to us in the
name of the Lord, we will not
listen to you!” (Jeremiah 44:16)
Some years later, the Jews were
doing the same abominable things in
Egypt as they did in Jerusalem.
They defied God’s word through
Jeremiah. He didn’t repent from
their sins but boasted about them.
They stated that as they worshipped
idols during Manases’ reign, they
“had plenty of food, were well-off,
and saw no trouble.” (Jeremiah
44:17).
Since they didn’t receive their
punishment at that exact time, they
thought that bad things happened
because they stopped sinning!

9. E.G.W. (Lift Him Up, January 7)