"Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah and said to him, 'Do you know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?' But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam would not believe them" (Jeremiah 40:13-14, ESV).
What Johanan reported was true. Ishmael really was conspiring to killed Gedaliah. But Gedaliah would not listen. Ishmael killed Gedaliah. Was this entirely Gedaliah's own fault? Might he have had a reason for refusing to listen to Johanan?
We are often placed in a difficulty when people tell us of potential dangers. Is the person correct? Is their report just gossip?
In this case, Johanan was telling the truth. But could it be at least partly his own fault that he was not believed?
Later, Johanan and his associates approached Jeremiah and asked that he enquire of the Lord concerning the appropriate course of action. They wanted to flee to Egypt, but they promised, "Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God” (Jer 42:6, ESV). When the Lord replied, telling them that they should not flee to Egypt, Johanan and his friends replied,
“You are telling a lie. The Lord our God did not send you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to live there,’ 3 but Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may kill us or take us into exile in Babylon.' 4 So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces and all the people did not obey the voice of the Lord, to remain in the land of Judah" (Jer 43:2-4, ESV).
Jesus tells us, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much" (Lk 16:10). Could it be that Johanan had been in the habit of not keeping commitments? Could it be that Gedaliah refused to believe him because he knew him to be somewhat unreliable? It seems possible, perhaps even likely.
Some people are so opinionated that they will not listen to anyone - even to hard workers and even to those who have more knowledge and experience than they possess. But sometimes the problem is not entirely with the listener. Sometimes the speaker has not gained a hearing by faithfulness in his tasks.
Many years ago, when I was about to join an educational work in Nigeria, a friend met with me to give some orientation regarding the people with whom I would be working. He said of one member of the administration,
"X is a hard worker and he respects others who work hard. Some people complain that he does not listen to advice. But I have observed that he does not listen to lazy people. He will listen to ideas, if the one offering the idea has shown himself to be a reliable worker. He does not take time to listen to the lazy."
Gaining a hearing in the congregation
Many church leaders have been burned by those who offer great ideas but are nowhere to be found when the work must be done. Many churches already have too many programs underway for the number of workers available. When a non-worker offers a suggestion, the leaders are suspicious. They may not put it into words (even in their own minds) but what they hear at an emotional level is, "Start this new program. I will not help you with it; and it is likely to fail. But everyone will blame you, the leaders, for the failure." The same idea, presented by someone else (a proven worker), might be accepted.
In the mid-1970s, I suggested something to the church elders that they immediately rejected. Six months later the preacher made the same suggestion, and it was immediately accepted. I talked with the preacher about this. He pointed out that I had only recently moved there. I was an unknown quantity to the church elders. They were not sure that they could trust me to follow through with the idea. But they had known him more than a decade. They felt confident that he would not let the matter drop. So, they felt safe to go ahead with the same idea. They heard the idea in a different light because he had earned a hearing. "Besides," he said, "what matters is that it happens, not who gets credit for the idea."
I know that it is frustrating to the youth, or to anyone who is not yet proven, but a hearing must be earned. Leaders hear so many suggestions that they cannot always give full attention to everything that is said. Show yourself faithful in whatever you are asked to do, and then your ideas will be heard in a more positive light.
Gaining a hearing in the community
Over forty years ago, a brother named Tidwell gave a series of lessons on evangelism in a small town. His most memorable recommendation was not a slick new evangelism method. He did not recommend the "Roman Road" or the "Thessalonian Turnpike" methods. He was not big on door-to-door work or on mass media. His main recommendation seemed to be, "be known in a positive light in the community. Serve in some way. Then people will be more inclined to listen to you." The service might be as simple as volunteering to serve as announcer at the high school sporting events or helping to pick up litter after a community event. But do something to be seen in a positive light in the community. Thus, you might gain a hearing from the people.
The Bible seems to say something similar. Good workers "adorn the gospel" (Titus 2;10). An employee who is unreliable in his work will naturally take a lot of heat if he mentions the gospel to his boss or to a fellow employee. In our current cultural situation, even a trustworthy and hardworking employee might meet with resistance and even punishment. But it is less likely. Co-workers and employers are far more likely to listen to a person who does more than his fair share than to one who is a slacker.
Church leaders are to be "well thought of by outsiders" (1 Tim 3:7). In some cases, outsiders may belittle our faith and criticise us in many ways. But we should give them no legitimate reason for doing so. When our lives are as they should be, those who wish to revile us will eventually be put to shame (1 Pet 3:16).
Gedaliah did not heed the warning of Johanan the son of Kareah and the leaders with him. As later events were to prove, Johanan and his friends could not be trusted. They would promise one thing but do something different. How is it with us?
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