Why don't they just listen for once?

Ever had one of those days with your kids? Or your students? Or your patients? Or your spouse?

No one seems to listen. And they end up making bad choices that lead to bad consequences.

Same thing happened to Jeremiah.

After decades of warning Judah to repent, then to surrender, Jerusalem was ransacked by the Babylonian army. The royal family was killed or deported. The temple was burned. The treasuries were looted. Only the poorest were left in the land. A servant state was established.

Just like Jeremiah had told them would happen.

So Jeremiah gets his choice and remains in Judah, rather than going to Babylon - or anywhere else he wanted to go.

After an insurrection, the remnant in the land comes to Jeremiah and says, "What should we do? Should we stay here, or go to Egypt? Whatever you tell us to do, we'll do it."

Jeremiah tells them to stay in the land, abide by the Babylonian laws and God would bless them.

"No way! Baruch put you up to that!"

So they took off to Egypt.

Really?

These were not men who had just heard about the destruction of Jerusalem. They had lived through the siege with its hunger and disease.

These were not men who had only heard about Jeremiah at fireside chats from their grandfathers. They had heard him preaching for decades, with his radical message and crazy object lessons.

But what he prophesied had come to pass.

And they still chose to disobey.

And drug Jeremiah with them.

When they get to Egypt, Jeremiah buries two stones and prophesies that Nebuchadnezzar would set up his tents above those stones.

And all those who disobeyed God would die in Egypt. They would be wiped out. No remnant. No escapees.

But wait. I'm just as bad as they are.

How many times has God warned me about the consequences of my sinful choices?

And yet I still choose to give in to temptations?

"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life" (Gal 6:7).