Fear: a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. Anticipation of the possibility that something unpleasant will occur.

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Fear is something we all know intimately. It manifests itself in our lives in various ways and when it does, we are often helpless under its control. Fear has caused us to do things we never would have without being afraid. And far too often, our fears are unfounded or exaggerated.

Not only are we individually affected by fear, entire nations live under its curse. Fear of the unknown as well as fear of the known crushes the spirits of its victims. It stifles the flow of compassion and brings out the worst in the emotions. Fear is powerful but never an excuse for ignoring the will of God.

Fear sums up this week’s study on Back to Egypt. As recorded in Jeremiah 41, the people of the land had just been rescued by Johanan from a murderous band. They believed that with the murder of the appointed governor, the king of Babylon would take out his revenge on them. To avoid this anticipated conflict they set their course for Egypt.

Indicating that perhaps they have learned from their prior mistakes, they all came to Jeremiah to inquire if going to Egypt would be a wise thing to do. Leaving the land of Judah and going to Egypt was a major decision. They had been previously instructed that they were to remain in the land but now, with the murder of the governor, maybe things had changed.

Jeremiah agrees to consult God and promises to give them the unvarnished answer.

“So they said to Jeremiah, “Let the Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the Lord your God sends us by you. Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.” Jeremiah 42:5-6

So far so good. All that was needed now was a simple answer – Go to Egypt or stay in the land. After ten days Jeremiah calls the people together to give them the answer to their question. And the answer was to stay put. But God being God, knew what was stirring in the hearts of the people and He addressed it head on in the answer He gave to Jeremiah.

“Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not be afraid of him,’ says the Lord, ‘for I am with you, to save you and deliver you from his hand.” Jeremiah 42:11

It was fear. He knew the people were being influenced by the fear of man. As the people listened to the answer from God, their fear of man was battling with trust in God – and fear won the day.

“Now it happened, when Jeremiah had stopped speaking to all the people all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God had sent him to them, all these words, that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.’ But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon.” Jeremiah 43:1-3

There would be no happy ending to this story. Being guided by fear in defiance of trusting in God never ends well. This fatal decision to go to Egypt would actually lead them into the very destruction they thought they were fleeing.

How ironic that actual captives of the Babylon conquest demonstrated the power of trust over fear. The three Hebrew young men, standing before a blazing furnace, are role models of lives based on trust and not fear.

Jesus often spoke about not succumbing to fear. Often He led His disciples through experiences where He showed them that fear was not to be a driving force in their lives. Not just extreme fear but any fear. Jesus is the only permanent antidote to fear. Realizing His presence and trusting in His love has given courage where none would ordinarily exist.

And today, in a world engulfed in fear, His people are to demonstrate the truth of the text, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.” 1 John 4:18

Be encouraged by the words of the beautiful song “No Need to Fear” by Wintley Phipps. Click HERE for YouTube link.

Here are a few Hit the Mark questions for this week’s lesson discussion:

• What does courage mean to you?
• What does it mean to not be afraid?
• What is the process, if any, of developing trust in God?
• Describe how a person who trusts God will live differently from one who lives in fear.
• Describe the conversation of a person who trusts God compared to one who lives in fear.
• Is it true that the person who trusts God completely will be spared from the typical difficulties of life? Explain your answer.
• What does it mean to trust God in little things?
• *Personal Reflection Question* What am I most fearful of and why?
• Is the following statement True, Mostly True, Somewhat True or Not True: God gives us courage when courage is needed. Explain your answer.

We close this week with a powerfully encouraging verse. In this age of increasing danger, these words are all the more vital to our existence:

“Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Until next week, let’s all continue to Hit the Mark in Sabbath School. 

***Listen to Audio Version of Back to Egypt HERE***

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