Day 166: April 4, 2026 – Jeremiah 43-48 and Psalm 56

We find ourselves in a very unique time in Jeremiah. The prophet tells the people that they are to remain, we saw that yesterday, in Judah. But the people want to go to Israel, and so they go and they take the prophet Jeremiah with them. The whole time Jeremiah is telling them, hey folks, this is not a good idea. We should not be going to Egypt, we should be staying in the land, this is where God has told us to go. The prophet tells the people that if they go to Egypt then Babylon will pursue them all the way to Egypt and so Egypt itself will be destroyed as a result. The people do not listen, in fact they say point blank that God did not speak to Jeremiah and tell him this.

We find the people of Israel back in Egypt, somewhat fulfilling their request when Moses brought them out. Oh if only we were back in Egypt when we had water to drink and food to eat. Remember their lament before the quail and the manna? Psalm 56 speaks about putting tears in a bottle which a people in exile would want to do so that they can remember their homeland, from where they were far away.