Jeremiah

Chapter 46:1-12 (ESV) - The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

About Egypt. Concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

“Prepare buckler and shield,
    and advance for battle!
Harness the horses;
    mount, O horsemen!
Take your stations with your helmets,
    polish your spears,
    put on your armor!
Why have I seen it?
They are dismayed
    and have turned backward.
Their warriors are beaten down
    and have fled in haste;
they look not back—
    terror on every side!
declares the LORD.

“The swift cannot flee away,
    nor the warrior escape;
in the north by the river Euphrates
    they have stumbled and fallen.

“Who is this, rising like the Nile,
    like rivers whose waters surge?
Egypt rises like the Nile,
    like rivers whose waters surge.
He said, ‘I will rise, I will cover the earth,
    I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.’
Advance, O horses,
    and rage, O chariots!
Let the warriors go out:
    men of Cush and Put who handle the shield,
    men of Lud, skilled in handling the bow.
That day is the day of the LORD God of hosts,
    a day of vengeance,
    to avenge himself on his foes.
The sword shall devour and be sated
    and drink its fill of their blood.
For the LORD God of hosts holds a sacrifice
    in the north country by the river Euphrates.
Go up to Gilead, and take balm,
    O virgin daughter of Egypt!
In vain you have used many medicines;
    there is no healing for you.
The nations have heard of your shame,
    and the earth is full of your cry;
for warrior has stumbled against warrior;
    they have both fallen together.”

Question to consider: When did Nebuchadnezzar battle against Carchemish?

As an American Gentile Christian living in the 21st century, I think I speak for a fair number of readers in saying that I wish the entirety of scripture were written as an ordered account like Luke did for Theophilus regarding Christ and the early church.

Jeremiah (or possibly Baruch the scribe) seems to have a timeline that is all over the place, but the timeline is not the focus of the message. If you go back through the book from a 20,000 foot view, you’ll see that it is organized by the recipient of the word from the LORD. The same word is essentially given from different perspectives whether it was to the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the land and the holy city of Jerusalem, the covenant of Moses, the new covenant in Christ, the people, the kings, the slaves and poor left in Judah, Baruch and Jeremiah as individuals, and starting in today’s passage, a section on the judgments on the nations. The book ends with a detailed description of the destruction of Jerusalem.

All of the judgments in this book were carried out by Nebuchadnezzar as the sword of God, bringing the LORD’s day of wrath upon the world at that time. While the LORD’s judgment affected many nations, it wasn’t as significant as the flood of Noah, but it serves as a type for the judgment that is to come. When we think of the day of the LORD, we should think of it in terms of every person who has ever existed. We either experience the day of God’s wrath for our own sins, or we are covered by the everlasting covenant which was established by Christ on the cross. Under this covenant which was prophesied by Jeremiah in chapter 33, we were given the righteousness of Christ which He exchanged for the judgment we deserved.

Today’s passage was the LORD’s wrath against Egypt because of Pharaoh Neco. This is the Pharaoh who murdered Josiah, deposed his son Jehoahaz who died in Egypt, and established his brother, Johoiakim as his successor. Josiah was the only descendant of Manasseh who sought to keep the LORD’s commands and rid Judah of its idolatry. Once Neco was killed in the defeat in Carchemish by Nebuchadnezzar, Jehoiakim started paying tribute to Babylon to keep Jerusalem from being destroyed.

The description of “terror on every side” denoted the Egyptian army being surrounded and overcome by soldiers from Cush, Put, Babylon, and Lud as they faced the vengeance of God.

Prayer

Dear heavenly Father, help us to cling to Your mercy while it may be found and turn from our sin. We look forward to the day when Christ will return to fully and finally judge the world in righteousness so there will be no more sin and death. Amen.