people. They accuse Jeremiah and his upper class scribe Baruch (who formerly had served as a royal scribe to King Josiah) of having ulterior motives that they sum up in these words of illogical accusation:

“Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians, so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon.”
– Jeremiah 43:3

Nebuchadnezzar was the one who did NOT kill these people and Nebuchadnezzar was the one who allowed these people to stay in the land and Nebuchadnezzar was the one who established the local government. Nebuchadnezzar was not going to come back to Israel because there was nothing left for him to fight in Israel.

The Jews continue to reject Jeremiah even after 41 years of his accurate teaching and prophesying by forcing everyone including some of the king’s daughters, Jeremiah and Baruch to leave the land of Israel and flee to Egypt.

This decision by the rebellious Jews to follow the deception of the arrogant men is like jumping from the frying pan into the fire, except much worse. The Jews who are left in the land are no longer in the frying pan, because they are under Nebuchadnezzar’s rule and in the God’s will. But, by going to Egypt they are entering the land that will be attacked and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 569 BC in fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy given on April 26, 571 in Ezekiel 29:19.

When Jeremiah did arrive in Egypt late in 586 BC or early 585 BC he marked the spot on the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace in Tahpanhes where Nebuchadnezzar will set his throne when he comes to destroy Egypt. (See Jeremiah 43:8-13)

Once again, the Jews should have listened to Jeremiah.