Gedaliah Ruled For Seven Months

Gedaliah Ruled For Seven Months 

II Kings 25:22-26 NKJV

[22] Then he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left. [23] Now when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Careah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men. [24] And Gedaliah took an oath before them and their men, and said to them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.” [25] But it happened in the seventh month that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck and killed Gedaliah, the Jews, as well as the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. [26] And all the people, small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. 

    When Gedaliah was appointed Governor of Judah, he should have dealt with the growing resistance of the young men first. Count the leaders of the revolutionary that returned. Ishmael, Johanan, Seraiah, Netophathite, Jaazaniah. These were military captains. The stage is already set for a revolution. Taking oath from them was useless. In seven months, they struck. 

    Guzik reports that "It seems that Gedaliah was a good and godly man, who was a friend of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 26:24; Jer 39:14)". He set Jeremiah free from prison. Perhaps Jeremiah had told him that God is using Babylon to accomplish His will. By removing Gedaliah, they made themselves the dirrct enemy of Babylon. People panicked, and some ran to Egypt. 

    There was still Jeremiah. They could still hear God, yet they chosed to take matters into their own hands and create an interegnum. The world is not ruled by your feelings. Learn to hear God before you act. Wisdom is the principal thing. Don't play into the hands of your enemies. Have you heard God concerning your situation? Good morning.