“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will certainly bring my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, here to Egypt. I will set his throne over these stones that I have hidden. He will spread his royal canopy over them. And when he comes, he will destroy the land of Egypt. He will bring death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity, and war to those destined for war.” (Jeremiah 43:10–11, NLT)

Johanan and the other “proud men” thought they were getting away with it. Even though they promised to obey the LORD, they stubbornly refused to remain in the land and accused Jeremiah of conspiring with Baruch to turn them over to the Babylonians. So Johanan gathered all the remnant of Jews who were still living in Judah and took them away to Egypt.

But the word of the LORD came again to Jeremiah. They thought they had escaped the Babylonians, but God would bring Nebuchadnezzar to Egypt, and the Jews would die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. No one can escape from the mighty hand of God.

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139:7–10, NKJV)

This is a wonderful promise for those who trust in the LORD. No matter where we go His presence remains with us, protecting and guiding us. But for those who rebel against God and seek to flee from His presence, there is no escape. The darkness is as light to the all-knowing, omnipresent One. As Moses said, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).