Chapter 40:7-16 (ESV) - When all the captains of the forces in the open country and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land and had committed to him men, women, and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been taken into exile to Babylon, they went to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. As for me, I will dwell at Mizpah, to represent you before the Chaldeans who will come to us. But as for you, gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and store them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.” Likewise, when all the Judeans who were in Moab and among the Ammonites and in Edom and in other lands heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as governor over them, then all the Judeans returned from all the places to which they had been driven and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah. And they gathered wine and summer fruits in great abundance.
Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah and said to him, “Do you know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam would not believe them. Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah at Mizpah, “Please let me go and strike down Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life, so that all the Judeans who are gathered about you would be scattered, and the remnant of Judah would perish?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “You shall not do this thing, for you are speaking falsely of Ishmael.”
Question to consider: Why would Gedaliah refuse to listen to Johanan about the plot against him?
If this were a fictional account, Jeremiah would have retired to Ramah after his time of persecution and lived happily ever after. However, as long as the devil “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour,” (1 Peter 5:8) there will always be a war waged against the people of God. It’s actually rather amazing to think about how the LORD is able to use the wicked plans of people and demons to bring about His good will and raise up a people for Himself.
Like a thought on the tip of our tongues, we can almost see what the world would look like if there were no sin. Gedaliah would have represented the people before the Chaldeans while the people lived in peace and tended to the lands that had been given them. Having experienced poverty and slavery, they would be grateful for the daily bread provided by the LORD, and they would deal honestly with one another, knowing what it was like to be mistreated. The LORD would continue to provide an abundant harvest in their seasons so that no one would be in want of anything.
Gedaliah obviously loved the Law and desired Judah to be such a place, for he refused to listen to rumors about Ishmael plotting his death. The command which prohibits us from bearing false witness against our neighbor has an implied positive to protect the reputation of our neighbor as well. Martin Luther described the meaning of this commandment in this way, “We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.”
The captains of the Israelite forces in the open country considered this a good opportunity to take over the land since it was being inhabited by those who had been easily oppressed before the invasion of Babylon. Gedaliah may have been naive not to realize this, but Ishmael was not a Gentile sinner. He was a brother. Such treachery was unthinkable to Gedaliah.
Jesus called His disciples to be “be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16) when He sent them out to proclaim the good news of His kingdom, but Christ knew that even familial ties would be broken because of the hatred people would have toward Him. In this case, however, Gedaliah would have believed that he and Ishmael were on the same side. Babylon was the enemy.
Also, even Ishmael at this point should have realized that Jeremiah was the LORD’s prophet since those who had proclaimed the LORD’s peace and protection for Jerusalem were obviously false. Since the LORD told Jeremiah that the remnant should remain at peace with Babylon while Jerusalem lay desolate for seventy years, Ishmael should have considered Gedaliah to be the LORD’s man to maintain this peace.
Dear heavenly Father, please help us to be watchful of the devil’s schemes while maintaining the best possible view of our neighbor. Help us to be people of peace like Gedaliah even in the midst of a world which hates us for the sake of Christ. Amen.