The Folly of Fearing the Creature
Introduction: The Fear of Man is a Snare
We come now to the ragged aftermath of a bloody rebellion. Gedaliah, the governor appointed by Babylon, a man who represented a chance for a quiet and settled life for the remnant of Judah, has been treacherously murdered by Ishmael, a man of royal blood and seething ambition. Ishmael’s rebellion was not a righteous stand against a foreign power; it was a spasm of pride, a bloody tantrum that resulted in the murder of the innocent and the abduction of the weak. And now, in our text, we see the response. We see what appears to be a righteous rescue, a moment of justice. But if we look closely, we will see that the same disease that animated Ishmael’s treachery is at work in the hearts of his supposed rescuers. That disease is the fear of man.
The book of Proverbs tells us that "the fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe" (Proverbs 29:25). This is not a quaint suggestion for a more peaceful life; it is a fundamental law of the moral universe. You will either fear God or you will fear man. There is no third option. If you do not fear God greatly, you will fear man very little. Conversely, if you do not fear God, you will be terrified of men. You will be terrified of what they can do to you, what they think of you, what they might take from you. Your life will be a series of frantic calculations, strategic retreats, and craven compromises, all designed to appease the shifting, unstable idol of human opinion and power.
In this passage, we see a story in two acts. The first is a successful rescue mission, which on the surface appears noble. The second is a disastrous decision, rooted entirely in the fear of man, that sets the remnant on a collision course with the explicit command of God. They run from the Chaldeans, whom they fear, and in so doing, they run straight into the arms of the God they have forgotten to fear. This is the central folly of godless pragmatism. It sees the immediate threat, the Chaldean spear, but is blind to the ultimate reality, the sovereign displeasure of God. And so, they trade a potential, earthly danger for a certain, spiritual destruction.
This is not just ancient history. We live in an age drowning in the fear of man. We fear the government, we fear the mob, we fear the media, we fear losing our jobs, we fear being canceled. And because we do not fear God, we make the same foolish calculation as Johanan. We scheme, we plan, we hedge our bets, we look for our own "Egypt" to run to, all because we have taken our eyes off the only one who is truly to be feared, the one who, after He has killed the body, has the power to cast into hell. Yes, I say to you, fear Him.
The Text
But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the military forces that were with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done. So they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and they found him by the great pool that is in Gibeon. Now it happened as soon as all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the military forces that were with him, they were glad. So all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and returned and went to Johanan the son of Kareah. But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the sons of Ammon. Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the military forces that were with him took from Mizpah all the remnant of the people whom he had returned from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, that is, the mighty men who were men of war, the women, the little ones, and the eunuchs, whom he had returned from Gibeon. And they went and stayed in Geruth Chimham, which is beside Bethlehem, in order to proceed into Egypt because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, since Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.
(Jeremiah 41:11-18 LSB)
A Righteous Rescue (vv. 11-15)
The first part of our text describes the pursuit and confrontation of Ishmael.
"But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the military forces that were with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done. So they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and they found him by the great pool that is in Gibeon." (Jeremiah 41:11-12)
Johanan and the other commanders hear of Ishmael's wickedness, and their response is immediate and appropriate. They muster their forces and go to fight him. This is the duty of the lesser magistrate. When a higher authority, in this case, the murderous Ishmael who has created a power vacuum, acts tyrannically, it is the duty of those with subordinate authority to resist and protect the innocent. This is not vigilantism; it is the proper exercise of God-given authority. They heard of "all the evil," and they acted. So far, so good.
They find Ishmael at the great pool in Gibeon, a place with a history of conflict. This is where the forces of David and Ishbosheth had their deadly contest (2 Samuel 2). It is a fitting backdrop for another chapter in the sad story of Israel's internal strife. Ishmael, having committed his atrocities, is now trying to make his getaway to the land of the Ammonites, the very people who had put him up to this treachery in the first place.
The confrontation itself is almost anticlimactic.
"Now it happened as soon as all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the military forces that were with him, they were glad. So all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and returned and went to Johanan the son of Kareah. But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the sons of Ammon." (Jeremiah 41:13-15)
The captives, the remnant from Mizpah, immediately recognize Johanan as their deliverer. Their gladness is palpable. They don't wait for a battle; they simply turn around and switch sides. This tells us that Ishmael's control over them was based on sheer terror, not loyalty. As soon as a viable alternative appears, his power evaporates. This is the nature of all tyranny; it is a hollowed-out gourd, impressive on the outside, but brittle and empty within. It thrives on fear and isolation. The moment the captives see an organized, armed force ready to defend them, they are emboldened, and the tyrant's game is up.
However, the rescue is not a complete success. Ishmael, the chief villain, escapes. With a small band of eight men, he slips through Johanan's grasp and finds refuge with his pagan sponsors in Ammon. This loose end will have consequences. It is a small detail, but it reminds us that human justice is often incomplete. The score is never fully settled on this side of the final judgment. But more importantly, it leaves the remnant in a precarious position. The instigator is gone, but the consequences of his actions remain.
A Faithless Calculation (vv. 16-18)
Here, in the final three verses, the rot begins to show. Having done the right thing in rescuing the captives, Johanan and his men now face a choice. What will they do next? Their decision reveals the true state of their hearts.
"Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the military forces that were with him took from Mizpah all the remnant of the people whom he had returned from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, that is, the mighty men who were men of war, the women, the little ones, and the eunuchs, whom he had returned from Gibeon." (Jeremiah 41:16)
This verse serves as a roster call. Johanan gathers the entire remnant: soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs. He has consolidated all that is left of the community of Mizpah. He is now the de facto leader. He has the responsibility for this flock. He has rescued them from the wolf, Ishmael. But what will this new shepherd do? Will he lead them to the green pastures of God's revealed will, or will he lead them off a cliff out of fear?
The answer comes swiftly.
"And they went and stayed in Geruth Chimham, which is beside Bethlehem, in order to proceed into Egypt because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them..." (Jeremiah 41:17-18a)
Here is the fatal turn. They set up a temporary camp near Bethlehem, but their destination is already decided: Egypt. And the reason is stated plainly: "because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them." Their entire geopolitical strategy is based on fear. They have done the math, and it is the math of unbelief. The equation is simple: Ishmael, a Jew, killed Gedaliah, the governor appointed by Babylon. The king of Babylon is not known for his nuanced approach to justice. He will likely see this as a full-blown rebellion and send his armies to crush what's left of Judah. Therefore, the only logical, practical, sensible thing to do is to run.
This is the lie of pragmatism. It masquerades as wisdom, but it is pure folly because it leaves God out of the calculation. God, through his prophet Jeremiah, had explicitly told the remnant to remain in the land. He had promised to be with them, to protect them, to build them up (Jeremiah 42:10-12). But Johanan and the commanders look at the political situation, and they conclude that God's promise is no match for Babylon's army. They fear the creature more than the Creator.
And where do they run? To Egypt. Throughout Scripture, Egypt is a symbol of worldly security, of slavery masquerading as safety. It is the place God dramatically rescued His people from. To return there is an act of profound apostasy. It is to say that the garlic and leeks of bondage are preferable to the uncertainties of faith in the promised land. It is a vote of no confidence in God. They are running from the very place of God's blessing to the very symbol of God's judgment.
The final clause seals their reasoning.
"...since Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land." (Jeremiah 41:18b)
They are reasoning from the crime of Ishmael. Because Ishmael sinned, they must now disobey God. This is a classic blame-shift. They are allowing the sin of another man to become the justification for their own sin. They are not acting; they are reacting. And because they are reacting out of fear, they are reacting foolishly. They believe they are making a shrewd political move to save their skins, but they are actually signing their own death warrant. They fear the king of Babylon, who can only kill the body. They do not fear the King of Heaven, who can destroy both body and soul.
Conclusion: Fleeing to the Wrong Refuge
This story is a stark illustration of a principle that runs through all of life. Our decisions are dictated by what we fear. Johanan and the remnant feared the Chaldeans. Their fear was understandable, but it was carnal. It was a horizontal fear. It saw only the armies of men and was blind to the armies of heaven.
What should they have done? They should have taken their fear to God. They should have gathered the people, not at Geruth Chimham to plan a trip to Egypt, but before the Lord in Mizpah to seek the counsel of His prophet, Jeremiah, who was among the captives they had just rescued. And to their credit, they will do this in the next chapter, but their hearts are already set. They will ask for a word from the Lord, but only if it confirms the decision they have already made in their fear.
We are no different. When crisis hits, when the political situation looks grim, when our security is threatened, our first instinct is often to look for an Egypt. Our Egypt might be a financial plan that ignores the tithe, a career move that compromises our integrity, a relationship that violates God's law, or a political alliance that requires us to pinch incense to Caesar. We run our calculations, we assess the threats, and we devise a clever plan for self-preservation. And all the while, God is left standing on the sidelines as a consultant we might call upon if our own plans go awry.
The gospel call is a call to exchange a thousand fears for one holy fear. We are to fear God. And the astonishing thing is that the fear of God is the only fear that sets you free from all other fears. When you understand that the sovereign God of the universe is your Father through Christ, that He has numbered the hairs on your head, that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him, then what is there left to fear? What can the Chaldeans of this world do to you? They can kill you, and in so doing, they simply promote you to glory.
The remnant of Judah fled from God's will because they feared man. They sought refuge in Egypt and found death there. We must learn the lesson. Do not let the sins of others or the threats of the world drive you to the Egypt of disobedience. Stand still. Trust God. Fear Him alone. For in the fear of the Lord is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge (Proverbs 14:26). That refuge is not a place; it is a person. His name is Jesus.