13-15 But if you say, ‘We will not remain in this land’, disobeying the voice of the Lord your God and saying, ‘No, we will go to the land of Egypt, where we shall not see war or hear the sound of the trumpet or be hungry for bread, and we will dwell there’, then hear the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah. 16-17 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If you set your faces to enter Egypt and go to live there, then the sword that you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow close after you to Egypt, and there you shall die. All the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to live there shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. They shall have no remnant or survivor from the disaster that I will bring upon them. 18 “For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: As my anger and my wrath were poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You shall become an execration, a horror, a curse, and a taunt. You shall see this place no more.

19-22 The Lord has said to you, O remnant of Judah, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Know for a certainty that I have warned you this day that you have gone astray at the cost of your lives. For you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the Lord our God, and whatever the Lord our God says declare to us and we will do it.’ And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God in anything that he sent me to tell you. Now therefore know for a certainty that you shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go to live.” Jeremiah 42:13-22 English Standard Version

Having been asked by the people left behind after Jerusalem's fall to seek God's will for what they should do, Jeremiah told them that God wanted them to remain in Judea, and He would bring blessing upon them. That was the good news. The bad news was that if they chose to disobey the Lord and flee to Egypt, then sorrow upon sorrow would fall on them. What sort of attitude does Jeremiah warn against in vs 13-15?

It was the attitude of defiant wills. He warns them against saying “we will not remain here“ and “we will go to the land of Egypt.” It was the battle of my will be done, not Thy will be done. What a difference to the attitude of Jesus. When faced with the path leading to a cross, He said to His disciples: “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And then, going a little further from them, “He fell on his face and prayed, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.'” (Matthew 26:38-39)

The people Jeremiah was talking to based their choice on thinking they would find peace in Egypt. That sentiment may often affect our choices too. We want peace and ease, so we look for short cut solutions. But if our choices boil down to defiant disobedience, what can we expect God's response to be? (vs 18)

In the case of those Israelite's it was a harsh response. But the truth of the matter is that they were taking the rebellious lifestyle of Israel that led to Jerusalem's destruction a step further. They had seen God's judgment on sin, yet they were not afraid or ashamed to do the same thing. The New Testament gives a similar warning when it says: “Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.” (Hebrews 10:26-27)

These are serious words indeed, even frightening. But they are spoken to warn us so that we don't take the road of disobedience that leads to destruction. That's what we see in vs 19-22. Jeremiah said to them “Know for a certainty that I have warned you this day that you have gone astray at the cost of your lives.” Oh may we be a people who heed the warnings God has given in His word, and not choose the road of 'my way'! Take Jesus to heart and live as He calls us to live.