Then Johanan son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?” v.15
Read chapter 40
Jerusalem is now destroyed and just about everyone is in captivity. The very few that are left, the poorest of the poor, are put under the charge of Gedaliah who is made governor by the king of Babylon and dwelling in Judah. Gedaliah now has to not just think of himself but for the people in his care, yet failing to do this put everyones life on the line. Yet even this small remnant is soon destroyed as we'll read in the following chapter due to Gedaliah's decisions. Gedaliah is warned in public but doesn't believe the report that Ishmael is seeking to kill him, so Johanan thinks to go to him privately to express this truth he knows, yet still Gedaliah does not believe him. He may have not minded his own life at risk but wasn't thinking of what would happen to the others if he were killed. How often this discernment comes to mind of parents, they are no longer single making decisions that will only effect themselves but effect those under their care that God has given them. Gedaliah may not have known if this was a true or false report but taking precautions at these two warnings ought to have been sought. Who comes to mind when you make decisions of who will all be effected? How does that play in to your decision making?
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