Good day Saints of God in Christ Jesus. You are all welcome to another new day. Glory to God for the gift of life.
In our today’s episode 531 of studying and understanding the Bible, we shall be examining Jeremiah Chapter 41 titled:
Be Careful! The Enemy Prowls Around Looking For People To Destroy
We learnt in Chapter 40 how Prophet Jeremiah was among those that were taken as prisoners of war and taken to the concentration camp in Rama, but was set free by the Commanding Officer of Nebuchadnezzar Army, called Nebuzaradan, following an order from his master to take care of Jeremiah because of his faithful service to God.
Now, among those that escaped during the invasion, was a Soldier called Ishmael, he was also one of the princes of Judah during the reign of King Zedekiah.
The Bible says he gathered 10 men and went to Mizpa, which was the seat of power of the new Governor. They pretended to come for a peaceful visit. They even ate together and then the ten of them drew their sword and killed Gedaliah, the new governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar.
Why was Gedaliah killed by Ishmael?
First, Gedaliah was not a prince. He did not come from King David’s royal lineage. He was actually the grandson of King Josiah’s secretary called Shaphan. Remember according to 2Kings 22:3-20, it was Shaphan the secretary that brought the book of the law to King Josiah.
Hilkiah the High Priest found the scroll where it was hid by past kings because they were not ready to obey God’s instructions and so because Hilkiah knew the new king on the throne seemed to love the Lord, he used that opportunity to hand over the scroll to the King’s secretary and when it was read, the King tore his robe and called for prayers of repentance.
That was how his regime escaped God’s judgement and the judgment came upon the later generation (King Zedekiah), because they refused to obey God and kept on sinning, which even the Commanding officer attested to in Jeremiah 40:2-3.
It was this same Shaphan the secretary that gave birth to Ahikam, the father of the new Governor (Gedaliah). Since his Grandfather was a secretary, he seemed to have gathered some Administrative experience and because Nebuchadnezzar could no longer trust any of the royal princes, that was why he installed Gedaliah as the new Governor, and this did not go down well with Ishmael, who was one of the princes, very loyal to the cabal in the palace.
The second reason Gedaliah was killed was because he was installed by an enemy of Judah, meaning that they saw him as a traitor. Ishmael saw himself as anti-Babylonian. The truth is, Ishmael was extremely jealous.
Meanwhile, before this assassination, Gedaliah was previously warned about the evil plot, but he waved it as not important or not true. He believed he had known Ishmael for a long time in the palace not knowing that when power intoxicates, even relatives can betray each other. Unfortunately for Gedaliah, he did not see this red light. He did not even bother to pray about it by seeking the help of Prophet Jeremiah who has been handed over to him to take care of.
Lessons To Learn
Apostle Peter says in his first epistle chapter five and verse eight that we should stand our balance and be alert, because the devil, our enemy, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for whom to devour.
Gedaliah was not alert at all. He was too relaxed, and he trusted people so much that he believed no one could harm him in that very sensitive situation and position.
As believers, we must be careful especially in our comfort zones, because that’s when the devil usually prowls around more looking for ways and strategies to create and open door for attack. We must therefore be careful not to open any door of attack for him.
Number of Ways To Open Doors of Attack For The Devil Are:
By not minding the way we talk. Please note that the devil is limited to what he knows. So, he relies on information gathering about people’s lives. This is why we must be careful of what we post on social media, what we tell people about our private lives.
Remember that the devil did not know about the birth of Jesus Christ. He did not know that was how God would save the world. Unfortunately, the three magi mistakenly revealed the information about the new baby and the devil inside Herod of the time became furious, but it was already late for him to get hold of baby Jesus. That was when he ordered that all babies born during that period be annihilated. During that time numerous babies in Bethlehem were killed, thinking that he could get baby Jesus killed in the process, but he failed totally. You can see what careless information sharing caused? Please read James 2:6-12.
Again, at crucifixion, he did not know that it was by Jesus dying on the cross that would usher in the New Covenant upon which people’s faith would be anchored. Again, he failed by mobilizing his agents to kill the adult Jesus. Before they knew what was happening, the Son of God had risen and restored power back to us Believers. We are now in charge, but then we must still be careful, because we are still in the world full of evil.
Obviously, the devil did not have much information about God’s Salvation plan. Apostle Paul says in his first epistle to the Corinthians chapter 2 verse 8 that the rulers of this world (demonic agents), did not know the Wisdom of God expressed in Christ to save mankind, if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
The Mind: Another major way of opening the door for the devil’s attack is by not taking care of what goes on in our mind. I always tell people that your mind is your central processing unit just like a computer. If you want to deal with a person and control his destiny, get hold of his mind. This is exactly what the devil is using religion to do to many people in this generation. Many people’s minds have been perforated and manipulated to the point that they cannot think for themselves anymore. What you believe in your mind has the capacity to shape your life till as long as you allow that to happen. When you allow God to change the way you think, then you will be able to discern for yourself the will of God for your life.
Fear: Fear is another strategy the devil uses. Many Bible teachers have given the word fear and acronym which reads: F: False; E: Expression; A: Appearing; R: Real
The devil will present it as something real but when you move closer and view it with your eyes of faith, you will discover is simply an empty balloon filled with air and you can simply deflate it by your faith in the finished work of Christ.
Remember, Gedaliah was killed because he was careless and lacked understanding of how the enemy operates. Although he may have acquired some administrative skills, but that’s not enough. He should have been more careful in protecting himself from harm.
As a believer in Christ, do not say because you are under grace, you will live carelessly. Put on the whole armour of God and be at alert always. Love everyone, but do not trust everyone. Not everyone is who they say they are.
To be continued…stay tuned and stay blessed.
Let us pray:
I declare you and every member of your family are protected from harm, in Jesus name.
Receive the wisdom of God on how to relate and deal with people around you in a godly way, in Jesus name.
I secure everyone reading this message with the entire armour of God in Christ Jesus. You will not fall victim of any evil, in Jesus name.
Receive the grace to be extra careful and be vigilant, be prayerful always and study the Word, in Jesus name.
Bible Readings For Today: Job Chapters 7, 8 & 9 with Psalm 120
I call you blessed now and always.
Thursday September 10, 2020 (DDMI)
