Jeremiah 44:11-14 – God is our only safe refuge.

Here in Jeremiah 44:11-14, G0d was announced to the eventual end of the remnant of Judah who chose to seek refuge in Egypt. Their obstinacy and insistence on finding security in Egypt have set them up against the Lord. God would set His face against them. God assured them that there was no place they could hide. Even in Egypt, the judgment would follow them there and they would face their end there. His exact words were “Behold, I am going to set My face against you for woe, even to cut off all Judah.” God was telling them with finality what kind of future awaited them.    

There was no escaping even if they stayed in Egypt. They would have to face His judgment there.  He assured them that if they did not die by the sword, they would die by famine.  God's words in verse 13 said, “I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence.” Most of them who migrated to Egypt would not survive, except for a very few. The last line of verse 14 reads “…none will return except a few refugees.” This suggests that even in such a moment, we see the grace of God providing an opportunity for those who would  earnestly seek Him in desperation. What grace!   

By going against the will of God, one would be going against God. This inevitable will bring God’s displeasure to bear. The more we insist on going on our own way, the more we will move in direct opposite to God’s way for us. Here is a call for us not to be so self-serving and insistent on one’s own way. It is wise to seek God and to do His bidding. We must seek to seize every opportunity and earnestly seek Him and His ways.