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Jeremiah 40 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
We find Jeremiah here being permitted to go and live anywhere he wants. It was a great reward for him, and evidence of the favor of God. This pagan officer has surely witnessed a lot of the character traits of Jeremiah and he allows him to leave and go wherever he desires.
At the end of this chapter, we see an intriguing twist, as Gedaliah assumes governor over Judah’s land. He is told by the commander Jonathon of the Hebrew forces that there is a threat of his assassination. We don’t see it in this chapter, but a large string of events are about to occur that will put Judah further into trouble.
I love that we finally get to read about some positive aspects to Jeremiah’s ministry! Ironically, it’s not taking place within the company of his own people, but rather, pagans! The people Jeremiah should have been afraid of, God granted favor with, and the people who were supposed to be listening to him were hostile and closed off.
God knew from the beginning that Jeremiah would be his guy. At certain times in our lives, we need the encouragement and care that is given to Jeremiah in this chapter. It’s a great example of how God is sovereign over all things, and how when we think it will go one way, many times, it ends up going a different direction.
But God is always faithful.