Jeremiah 40

I found it surprising that, after the Babylonian siege and the devastation of Jerusalem, Jeremiah was released by the commander of the Babylonian Imperial Guard to go wherever he wanted: “When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, ‘The Lord your God decreed this disaster for this place. And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned against the Lord and did not obey him. But today I am freeing you from the chains on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don’t come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.’” (vs 2-4)

When I read this, the thought that struck me was that God is ultimately the only way to freedom. It is in listening to His voice and obeying His word that we will find ourselves in a place of privilege while others are enslaved.

Of course, I’m talking in ultimate terms. Before the Babylonians invaded, Jeremiah spent a lot of time locked up by evil people, whether it was in jail or in a muddy pit. He certainly dealt with his share of bondage. But when it came down to being carried away for good into captivity, Jeremiah was one of only a few who were released from their chains.

All along the way, God had been sending messages through Jeremiah to the kings of Israel, warning them about their impending doom and trying to illuminate the path to freedom. But they wouldn’t listen. He is the path to freedom, but most of the Israelites wanted absolutely nothing to do with Him. Thus, they eventually found themselves in captivity.

God is still the way to freedom. When we allow Him to direct our paths, when we listen to His voice, He will always find a way to bring us out into wide open spaces. Being faithful to Him ensures our ultimate freedom, for He is always faithful to us. We can trust Him to give us, in time, every good gift—and freedom is His first and best gift!