a hostage in Egypt

And they came into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the LORD. And they arrived at Tahpanhes.
Jeremiah 43:7

Given what God has just told this remnant, this is direct disobedience, sure to be dealt with in judgment. Johanan and Azariah continue to lead the armed resistance against the Babylonians. They made a strategic retreat to Egypt and bring along Jeremiah as a hostage.

Now the prophet is again persecuted but in the providence of God he is still allowed to proclaim God's Word to the fleeing rebels. And he does. He warns the leaders that Nebuchadnezzar's forces will follow them all the way to Egypt and there Pharaoh's might will be exposed as a sham. Egypt will be burned and ransacked. It cannot be a safe haven.

No plan that is in defiance of the Word of God can stand. All will fall. We cannot ignore God's truth and run our own lives without serious consequences hitting us hard sooner or later. There are no successful rebellions against the sovereign rule of God. And that should build a righteous and holy fear of God in us so that we can see the wisdom of living with God, under God, not against Him. God used Jeremiah as a hostage in Egypt to teach this lesson to his captors. They thought they controlled their actions and instead, failure was their final outcome.