God’s continued care

 Jeremiah 40:9–10 (NRSV)

9Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan swore to them and their troops, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall go well with you.
10As for me, I am staying at Mizpah to represent you before the Chaldeans who come to us; but as for you, gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and store them in your vessels, and live in the towns that you have taken over.”

Some of the poor people from Judah were not taken into captivity but were left in the land to care for the crops. They were still under the Babylonian rule yet had the privilege of staying in their homeland and live in peace. Jeremiah had previously told the people to surrender and serve the king of Babylon in order that they would be spared as a nation and that it would go well for them. When they submitted to the new rulers and governors God bless the land and an abundant harvest was reaped. God was still with his people in spite of the circumstances. He would fulfill his promise to return them to the land and rebuild the city and temple that was destroyed. The nation had lost its liberty, but God was at work to bring about their return when the time of their punishment was served. The people needed to learn to submit to authority’s instructions, something they had failed to do that led to their demise.