Idolatry and Its Consequences: One would think that the events of the past few decades would have made the people sensitive to Jeremiah’s guidance and obedient to the Lord. In Judah they had witnessed God’s word through Jeremiah come to a horrible reality in the destruction of Jerusalem. But in the previous chapter we observed how they continued to be hard-hearted toward the Lord and his prophet. Against God’s will they fled to Egypt. In this chapter, we will learn that matters get worse still. While in Egypt, they take up the worship of foreign deities, which earlier had brought God’s judgment upon them.

44:1–6 When the divine word comes to Jeremiah this time, Israelites were living in a variety of locations in Egypt. Migdol and Tahpanhes were in the Delta region. Memphis was an important …