Jeremiah 40:11-16; ; Jeremiah 41:1-10
With the destruction of Jerusalem and the capture of her last king, Nebuchadnezzar has suppressed any possibility of revolt in the kingdom of Judah. He has, however, left a certain number of the poorest inhabitants so that the country is not allowed to go to waste and has placed in charge of them Gedaliah, a governor who is popular with everybody. During this time we see the LORD graciously watching over these people, who have escaped captivity, by giving them good harvests (v. 12; cf. Proverbs 30:25).
Sadly this favourable period does not last. God, who knows their hearts, allows further tragic events to show the people their condition. One of Israel’s old enemies, who was thought to have been wiped out, reappears — the king of the Ammonites (v. 14). He is still very much alive and his evil plans have not altered; the weakness of the people now gives him the chance to show this. Just so does Satan, our great adversary act. He never gives up and is always seeking to take advantage of the things which weaken our resistance (tiredness, laziness, carelessness . . .).
With the help of Baalis, Ishmael, no doubt jealous of Gedaliah’s power, organises a cowardly plot to assassinate him and the Jews who are with him at Mizpah.