QT 9 Aug 11, Trust God, but be prudent

Jer 40:15-16, 41:1b-3 (NIV) 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?"

16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, "Don't do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true."

. . .
While they were eating together there, 2 Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.

NOTE: It is hard to understand the purpose of this narrative.  Gedaliah is appointed governor after the destruction of Jerusalem and the taking of Zedekiah to Babylon.  A character, Ishmael, is sent from the King of the Ammonites to kill the governor.  Gedaliah is warned but Gedaliah refuses to believe the warning.  Consequently, Gedaliah is killed.  Ultimately, Ishmael's captives are rescued by Johanan, but in fear of the Babylonians, they flee to Egypt.  Consequently, the Jews who had come back from refugee status in the other nations, leave the area as well.  All this also sets up Chapter 42 and Jeremiah's response.

One major item stands out, and that is the constant tension between prudence and trust in God.  I can't tell if Gedaliah was confident of his safety because of his trust in God (he never mentions God) or was just being foolish and not taking prudent steps toward his safety.  Jesus does tells us that in dealing with the world we need to "be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" (Matt 10:16). And in another place,  "[F]or the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light" (Luke 16:8).

So, the application would seem to be, trust in God, state your trust in God, pray as if everything depended on God, but also take prudent steps when dealing with a sinful world.  Clearly God can miraculously protect, but why should we test the Lord when there are prudent steps within our own capability.