So far as we know, Jeremiah 44 contains the prophet’s last recorded words. The rest of the book records earlier prophecies, but the words before us today are Jeremiah’s last public utterance. This chapter provides a fitting close to his ministry because it shows him doing what he did best—faithfully proclaiming God’s sure Word, including the holy justice of God against sin. The prophet begins by reminding the people of something they could never forget—the fall of their city. What they did have trouble remembering is why it happened. So Jeremiah rehearses how all the nightmares of Judah’s defeat by the Babylonians came to pass “because of the evil that they committed.” Though God kept sending prophets to them, they would not listen to these calls for repentance. This is why their homeland lay in ruins (v 1-6). After that catastrophe, we might have hoped the lesson was learned. But the remnant of Jews now living in Egypt went right on provoking God to anger. In a new location, they went right back to their old sins. There was no sorrow over displeasing the LORD. All their suffering was in vain because it did not teach them to humble themselves in true faith and obedience (v 7-10). As a result, God promises yet another severe judgment. Except for only a few, the refugees will not return home. Rather, they will perish in Egypt, consumed by the wrath of the LORD, falling by sword, famine, and pestilence (v 11-14). Sin had such a powerful hold on these people that they were determined to destroy themselves. Instead of serving the King of the universe, they would continue worshiping “the queen of heaven.” They had never been good at keeping their promises to the LORD, but they were proving faithful to this Babylonian goddess and vows made to her. Badly misinterpreting their own history, they blamed all their troubles on their cessation of goddess worship. The real truth was the opposite: goddess worship had ruined them! (v 15-18). Now as then, humans are made to worship. If we do not worship the one true God, we will worship some other god or goddess. This is true for families, as well as individuals. The devotion of the Jews to the queen of heaven involved both husbands and wives. The men failed to provide spiritual leadership in their homes, and the women led their families into pagan worship. As a result, children learned to love the queen rather than serve the King (v 19-23). Eventually, God allows sinners to have their own way, and this will be for their harm, not their good. To reject Him is always a very poor choice (v 24-30). For further meditation: