Jeremiah has a choice to make...
When Jerusalem fell, Jeremiah was taken from his house arrest at the guard's court in chains, along with the other captives being taken to Babylon. They arrived in Ramah, which had been converted into a staging area before the journey on to Babylon. There, the Captain of Nebuchadnezzar's bodyguard, took off Jeremiah's chains and gave him a choice, do you want to go with me to Babylon, where I will look after you or stay here with freedom to go wherever you'd like in this land.
It sounds like Jeremiah wasn't choosing, so the Captain narrowed the choices. He told Jeremiah to stay in Judah, either with the leader of the puppet government—a grandson of one of Josiah's nobles—or Jeremiah could choose another place in Judah. Then the Captain gave Jeremiah a ration and a gift and let him go.
How utterly disoriented Jeremiah must have been. Special treatment from the King of the universe, terrible treatment by Judah's king and nobles. Humiliated by being used as a prop in God's object lessons, betrayed and abused by men. Tortured, saved, locked up, freed and, finally, the moment comes when Babylon descends on Judah. Jeremiah has to watch the last of Jerusalem swallowed up, then he is bound and chained and then set free. I have whiplash just thinking about it.
So Jeremiah wanders off to Mizpah and stayed among the people (the poor) who were left to inhabit Judah.
Among these stragglers life went on. Fringe, guerilla fighters, who had not been captured make there way to the puppet government that is under Babylon's rule. The puppet government leaders implore the fighters to just serve quietly under the Chaldeans. He encourages them to collect the fruit and wine left behind and live in the cities they took over when they were emptied. All those who had fled ahead of Babylon's take-over slowly returned and began farming and living life once again. They received abundant crops.
Amid this peace one slimy serpent of man tried to sew trouble. He claimed that an enemy assassin was coming to kill the leader of the guerilla fighter, so he suggests killing the enemy first. This seems like it will start a war that will disrupt the newly -minted peace breaking out among those God seemed to be blessing after everyone else was carried off in judgement. The leader had the wits about him to see the lie and avoid the temptation.
We truly have an enemy of our heart. Even when the storms pass and there is a season of healing and peace, there is a serpent trying to tempt us with the fruit leading to destruction.
A lesson well worth learning and remembering. Our enemy hates seeing us with abundance and wants to stir up trouble.
Blessedly, the Lord gives us His Spirit to speak truth and bring discernment. Amen.