ISHMAEL'S PLOT COMES TO FRUITION AND GEDALIAH IS ASSASSINATED (JEREMIAH 41:1). Gedaliah was to be proved wrong. Ishmael comes to Gedaliah with an offer of friendship, something evidenced by his ‘eating bread' with him. Thereby he was giving a guarantee of loyalty, for ancient custom saw this as indi... [ Continue Reading ]
ISHMAEL CONTINUES HIS BLOODTHIRSTY SLAUGHTER AND SEEKS TO ESCAPE TO AMMON (JEREMIAH 41:4). Having carried out his bloodbath Ishmael now learned of a party of pilgrims who were approaching Mizpah, coming from the northern former Israelite towns of Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, all of which had been im... [ Continue Reading ]
ISHMAEL IS PURSUED BY THE LOYAL MEN OF JUDAH WHO RECOVER THE CAPTIVES, ALTHOUGH ISHMAEL HIMSELF ESCAPES RETRIBUTION (JEREMIAH 41:11). Despite Ishmael's best efforts news of what he had done swiftly and inevitably reached the ears of the loyal Judean commanders who, when they heard of it, determined... [ Continue Reading ]
RECOGNISING THAT NEBUCHADREZZAR WOULD WREAK VENGEANCE FOR THE ASSASSINATION OF HIS APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVE THE JUDEANS DETERMINE TO SEEK REFUGE IN EGYPT (JEREMIAH 41:16). In what is a much abbreviated account (Johanan's men would hardly have left without their wives and children) we learn that all... [ Continue Reading ]