Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Jeremiah 46: Egypt will loose

 Jeremiah 46 happened around 606BC, so chapter 46 is before chapter 44. Both chapters talk about Egypt, but with two different pharaohs: Necho (46) and Hoprah (44).

1 That which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations. 2 To Egypt, concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

Although Egypt is preparing for the battle against Babylon, their warriors are terrified "And have taken refuge in flight,
Without facing back." The Lord is sovereign, we read:

10 For that day belongs to the Lord [i]God of armies,
A day of vengeance, so as to avenge Himself on His foes;
And the sword will devour and be satisfied,
And drink its fill of their blood;
For there will be a slaughter for the Lord [k]God of armies,
In the land of the north at the river Euphrates.

13 This is the [n]message which the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to strike the land of Egypt:

18 As I live,” declares the King,
Whose name is the Lord of armies,
“One certainly shall come who is like Tabor among the mountains,
Or like Carmel by the sea.
19 Make your baggage ready for exile,
Daughter living in Egypt,
For Memphis will become a desolation;
It will be destroyed and [q]deprived of inhabitants.

The army of Babylon shall come like the great mountain Tabor among the mountains, exiling Egypt from the region.

25 The Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Behold, I am going to punish Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh, and Egypt along with her gods and her kings, indeed, Pharaoh and those who trust in him. 26 I shall hand them over to those who are seeking their lives, that is, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to his [v]officers. Afterward, however, it will be inhabited as in the days of old,” declares the Lord.

The chapter ends with a message to Jacob/Israel/Judah:

27 “But as for you, Jacob My servant, do not fear,
Nor be dismayed, Israel!
For, see, I am going to save you from far away,
And your descendants from the land of their captivity;
And Jacob will return and be undisturbed
And secure, with no one making him afraid.
28 Jacob My servant, do not fear,” declares the Lord,
“For I am with you.
For I will make a complete destruction of all the nations
Where I have driven you,
Yet I will not make a complete destruction of you;
But I will correct you properly
And by no means leave you unpunished.”

However, this prophecy happened even before the exile, so , Jacob "will return and be undisturbed" happened many decades later. Before that, the Lord corrected Israel properly, and by no means left it unpunished.

No comments:

Post a Comment