That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.
The verse stands in a part of Jeremiah that is not arranged in chronological order, for up to chapter 20 the chapters are in fairly chronological order, but from chapter 20 to chapter 46 the canonical order is displaced, with material from the reign of Zedekiah placed before material from the days of Jehoiakim. The true chronological order therefore places chapter 42 after chapters 40 and 41 and before chapters 43 and 44, following chapter 39. It records the request of Judah's small surviving remnant through Jeremiah that the Lord God show them the way wherein they should walk and live and the thing they should do.
The request sounds humble and expresses readiness to obey, being followed by a promise to obey whatever God says. Yet the request was insincere, because their hearts were already set and resolved to go to Egypt. They came for advice while wanting an answer agreeing with their own wishes, seeking God's approval rather than His guidance.
Their insincerity was to be revealed by a coming test of their promised obedience. It was exposed when the later message opposed their wishes, for they rejected it and did not mean their words or intend to obey. They went to Egypt contrary to God's directions, showing that they did not follow the guidance they had sought. Asking God for direction is therefore not genuine when the heart is already set on its own course. Prayer must come from the heart, not merely from the lips.
The verse stands in a part of Jeremiah that is not arranged in chronological order, for up to chapter 20 the chapters are in fairly chronological order, but from chapter 20 to chapter 46 the canonical order is displaced, with material from the reign of Zedekiah placed before material from the days of Jehoiakim. The true chronological order therefore places chapter 42 after chapters 40 and 41 and before chapters 43 and 44, following chapter 39. It records the request of Judah's small surviving remnant through Jeremiah that the Lord God show them the way wherein they should walk and live and the thing they should do.
The request sounds humble and expresses readiness to obey, being followed by a promise to obey whatever God says. Yet the request was insincere, because their hearts were already set and resolved to go to Egypt. They came for advice while wanting an answer agreeing with their own wishes, seeking God's approval rather than His guidance.
Their insincerity was to be revealed by a coming test of their promised obedience. It was exposed when the later message opposed their wishes, for they rejected it and did not mean their words or intend to obey. They went to Egypt contrary to God's directions, showing that they did not follow the guidance they had sought. Asking God for direction is therefore not genuine when the heart is already set on its own course. Prayer must come from the heart, not merely from the lips.