Study Questions:

1. What pagan deity did the Jews in Egypt begin to worship? (Jeremiah 44:16, 17)

2. Who was Baruch? (Jeremiah 45:1)

3. How did Baruch feel because of God’s messages? (Jeremiah 45:2, 3)

Commentary and Reflection:

The prophet’s role involves more than making predictions; it also includes delivering God’s messages to the people, a group, or an individual, as seen with Baruch in chapter 45.

Chapter 44 warns the Jews who fled to Egypt to escape the Babylonians. Not only had they disobeyed by going to Egypt, but they also began imitating the idolatry of the Egyptians. Jeremiah reminds them of why they fled Jerusalem and admonishes them for failing to learn from the invasion and captivity. (Jeremiah 44:9)

They offered an alternative interpretation of events to justify their actions, rejecting God’s reasons and believing the opposite. They argued that during Manasseh’s time, when they worshiped “the queen of heaven,” “we had plenty of food, were well off, and saw no trouble.” But when Josiah introduced reforms, they “stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and famine.”

It is dangerous and rebellious to reject God’s warnings and justify disobedience with interpretations tailored to one’s desires.

The Jews’ words of rejection in Egypt reveal the root cause of God’s judgment on His people: “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you! But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.” (Jeremiah 44:16, 17)

It is a serious matter when God’s people cease to be light and instead become darkness. “If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:23)
“But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” (Matthew 5:13)

It is noteworthy that the enemy often uses female deities, perhaps to exploit maternal tenderness or appeal to humanity’s sinful tendencies.

The human inclination to conform to popular customs can be a powerful force. God’s people can adopt practices and traditions from their surroundings, provided they do not conflict with God’s Word. As Jesus stated: “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” (John 17:15, NKJV)

Jeremiah mentions “the wickedness of women.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary explains: “That these royal princesses did much to encourage apostasy is amply shown from the history of God’s people. Solomon introduced idolatry largely through the influence of his heathen wives (1 Kings 11:4–8). This same wicked influence was exerted by the queen mother of Asa (1 Kings 15:9–13) and the queen mother of Ahaziah (2 Chron. 22:1–4). Many royal women of Judah were of foreign birth, and therefore became the chief promoters of an alien idol worship, the wives of the nobles and other citizens following their iniquitous example.” (SDA Bible Commentary, Jeremiah 44:9)

Chapter 45 delivers a brief but powerful message to Baruch, which can also apply to us. Baruch was Jeremiah’s secretary and assistant, tasked with writing and delivering God’s messages. He was accused of influencing the prophet to bring unpopular messages.

“With Jeremiah in prison, and the king and his counselors giving no heed to the prophet’s messages, Baruch became despondent. His ambition to hold a position of importance in a revived Jewish state (v. 5) seemed dashed in view of the apparent failure of Jeremiah’s endeavors. The prophet could enter into a sympathetic understanding of his secretary’s feelings and so help him, for he, too, had experienced bitter disappointments (chs. 15:10–21; 20:7–18). Baruch, like all men, needed to learn to expect the bitter along with the sweet, failure as well as prosperity (see Job 2:10).” (SDA Bible Commentary, Jeremiah 45:3)

May God help us learn and apply this valuable lesson in our lives. Wishing you a wonderfully blessed day.