Although Gedaliah was faithful in caring for Jeremiah, God’s prophet (vv. 5-6), he did not seek the Lord’s word (vv. 13-14), because this was not his habit. He did not take God as his source to be one with Him and to receive whatever issued from Him. If he had been a person who was one with God, the first thing he would have done would have been to receive the word of God. To take, to receive, and to keep the word of God as the expression of His thought, His will, His heart’s desire, and His good pleasure, we must be absolutely one with God. We must trust in Him, rely on Him, and not have any opinion that comes from the self. Cf. Josh. 9:14 and note Josh. 9:14¹.