Jeremiah 40:13-41:3 – The need to cultivate better judgment of character

Gedaliah was the governor of Judah. He was appointed by Nebuchadnezzar to look after the people who were not deported to Babylon. The reputation of the governor preceded him. So Jews who would not yield to the rule of the Babylonians but deflect to nearby countries such as Edom, Ammon, and Moab returned to Judah when they heard that he was made the governor. We can see that Gedaliah was a trusting man, perhaps a tag too trusting. A careful examination of the text reveals that he was not a good judge of character. He would rather trust the intention of the would-be assassin than believe in the words of his own faithful aide and men.

Jeremiah 40:13 right through to Jeremiah 41:3 show us why we need to be a more astute reader of character so that we will not be taken in too easily by the outward appearances of people with ill-intention. In Jeremiah 40:13 Gedaliah was warned by his trusted aide Johanan and his men of a plot to kill him. It was pointed out to him that Ishmael, the would-be assassinator was hired by the king of Ammon to take him out. Sadly, Gedaliah took the serious news of his assassination too casually. Verse 14 said that he did not believe in them. What’s even sadder was that he did not believe his own people. This tells us that he was a poor judge of character. What is underscored for us here is the need for us to be more apt at reading character. And we cannot afford to be overly casual with reports of threats to take us down. When we are warned of a plot, wisdom dictates that we should be cautious, bring the matters to the Lord in prayer and stay alert.

Gedaliah’s good nature did him in. Jeremiah 41:1-3 narrate how he was assassinated. ^“In the seventh month Ishmael…along with ten men, came to Mizpah to Gedaliah …while they were eating bread together there in Mizpah, Ishmael…and the ten men who were with him arose and struck down Gedaliah… with the sword and put to death…Ishmael also struck down all the Jews who were with him, that is with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there....” Had Gedaliah been a better judge of character, he would have stayed alert, and this tragedy would have been averted.

What lesson does a text like this has for us? It shows us that while having confidence in others is a good thing, learning to read character more aptly must be cultivated. People who harbor evil intentions against us will camouflage it with a look that will not betray their intent. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” We must stay sober and be alert and prayerful for our adversary, the devil prowls around seeking for an opportunity to devour us (1 Peter 5:8).