Jeremiah is a prophet to the nations. In today’s reading we see him speak against Egypt and Gaza. Our Lord is the Lord of all the nations…not just Israel.
Jeremiah 46: Judgment on Egypt
1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.
2 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:
3 "Prepare buckler and shield, and advance for battle!
4 Harness the horses; mount, O horsemen! Take your stations with your helmets, polish your spears, put on your armor!
5 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.
6 "The swift cannot flee away, nor the warrior escape; in the north by the river Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen.
7 "Who is this, rising like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge?
8 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.'
9 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.
10 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.
11 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.
12 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."
13 The word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to strike the land of Egypt:
14 "Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in Migdol; proclaim in Memphis and Tahpanhes; say, 'Stand ready and be prepared, for the sword shall devour around you.'
15 Why are your mighty ones face down? They do not stand because the LORD thrust them down.
16 He made many stumble, and they fell, and they said one to another, 'Arise, and let us go back to our own people and to the land of our birth, because of the sword of the oppressor.'
17 Call the name of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, 'Noisy one who lets the hour go by.'
18 "As I live, declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea, shall one come.
19 Prepare yourselves baggage for exile, O inhabitants of Egypt! For Memphis shall become a waste, a ruin, without inhabitant.
20 "A beautiful heifer is Egypt, but a biting fly from the north has come upon her.
21 Even her hired soldiers in her midst are like fattened calves; yes, they have turned and fled together; they did not stand, for the day of their calamity has come upon them, the time of their punishment.
22 "She makes a sound like a serpent gliding away; for her enemies march in force and come against her with axes like those who fell trees.
23 They shall cut down her forest, declares the LORD, though it is impenetrable, because they are more numerous than locusts; they are without number.
24 The daughter of Egypt shall be put to shame; she shall be delivered into the hand of a people from the north."
25 The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, said: "Behold, I am bringing punishment upon Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh and Egypt and her gods and her kings, upon Pharaoh and those who trust in him.
26 I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their life, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Afterward Egypt shall be inhabited as in the days of old, declares the LORD.
27 "But fear not, O Jacob my servant, nor be dismayed, O Israel, for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid.
28 Fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the LORD, for I am with you. I will make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished."
Jeremiah 47: Judgment on the Philistines
1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck down Gaza.
2 "Thus says the LORD: Behold, waters are rising out of the north, and shall become an overflowing torrent; they shall overflow the land and all that fills it, the city and those who dwell in it. Men shall cry out, and every inhabitant of the land shall wail.
3 At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels, the fathers look not back to their children, so feeble are their hands,
4 because of the day that is coming to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that remains. For the LORD is destroying the Philistines, the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor.
5 Baldness has come upon Gaza; Ashkelon has perished. O remnant of their valley, how long will you gash yourselves?
6 Ah, sword of the LORD! How long till you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard; rest and be still!
7 How can it be quiet when the LORD has given it a charge? Against Ashkelon and against the seashore he has appointed it."
Things to think about…
1. Jer 46 is the prophecy of judgement upon Egypt. Pharaoh Neco of Egypt (The same man who killed godly king Josiah) sends an army to Carchemish against the Babylonians in 605BC – he is defeated. Jeremiah is truly the prophet to the nations. Egypt was a greatly feared nation and thought to be undefeatable. But here they are...defeated. They would never rise to be the superpower they once were, and the Babylonians would come against them again in 567BC. The message is this. What things of this earth are we holding onto, that we have trusted in previously, that are not of faith? They are a display of worldly strength – like Egypt. We might exalt over our health, or our financial position, perhaps our job security, our homes etc. After the floods of 2011 I don’t think I can put too much faith in the security of my home anymore. What earthly strength are you putting an overt amount trust or hope in? Egypt would be inhabited again, vs 26, but it would not have the strength or renown it once did. Egypt has never risen to its former strength from this point in history.
2. Look at the last few verses in Jer 46:25-28. The promise is that after Egypt is defeated, it shall be inhabited ‘as in the days of old’ – restored, but not with its former strength. Jacob (a name for Israel) is promised to be restored. But from far away (Babylon). They are told to ‘fear not’ – verse 28. The Jews returned from Babylon under the edict of King Cyrus. Many more returned from Babylon (modern day Iran) in 1950-51 after the restoration of the nation of Israel in 1948. The Lord disciplines – but the purpose is restoration. What restoration work has he done in your life over the last 12 months? We will be fully restored with a new body without sin in glory, hallelujah!
3. Jeremiah 47 is being fulfilled before our eyes. It’s interesting with what we have seen recent years with respect to Gaza, the same city that the Philistines inhabited. Palestinian is another name for the ancient name of Philistine. The promise of the Lord in Jer 47 is to judge the Philistines. They were the old enemies to Israel even back in the 7th Century BC. Today they are still enemies. They would be defeated by Pharaoh in Gaza but look at verse 2. The waters rising out of the north. This is prophetically both Babylon and in our day Israel. Babylon would strike the Philistines even more completely than Pharaoh. We are seeing an utter destruction of Gaza by the Israelis. Have you ever tried to fix something in your own strength, and it still remains broken? I certainly have. This can often be the case in relationships – especially by men towards their wives. We can buy flowers or chocolate, that may appease for a season, but it doesn’t fix a core relational problem. Pharaoh is a symbol of fixing with flowers and chocolates, but the root cause of the relationship problem is fixed by the symbol of Babylon. We are called to be fully healed, never to heal slightly by saying peace, peace, when there is no peace.
4. Note Jer 47:4, “to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that remains”. Isreal has also been used to fulfill prophesy here with respect to Hezbollah and the region of Tyre and Sidon – modern day Lebanon. It also says that every helper that remains will be cut off. Iran is likely being spoken of here. The “rumbling of their wheels” is easily seen in the tank warfare that has occurred both in Gaza and Lebanon. The tragic description of “the fathers look not back to their children, so feeble are their hands,” has certainly been observed with the countless Palestinian children that have tragically lost their lives and fathers have had to leave them to save their own lives. The Lord’s judgements are awful and certain. So awful that we wonder when it will end. Jer 47:6 is how we all feel at this point, “Ah, sword of the LORD! How long till you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard; rest and be still!” We are often left aghast at the Lord’s sovereign will, but we must agree with vs 7 regardless of our feelings regarding the sword of judgement, “How can it be quiet when the LORD has given it a charge?”
5. The ancient city of Ashkelon is mentioned in Jer 47:7. This city was also taken over by the Israelis in the Jewish/Arab war of 1948. Many founding Hamas leaders came from this area after their parents were expelled in 1948 and resided in Gaza. Most have been killed in the current conflict including Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar.
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Life groups Wednesday – 6:30pm at church. 5:30om for prayer. New Life group starting in Karana Downs.
Prayer Points
1. Keep praying for Anna as she recovers from her operation
2. Easter services – pray for messages and visitors
3. Pray for Israel/Gaza, Ukraine wars. May Yeshua, the Prince of Peace still the storms
4. New people as they settle in
5. New Life group in Karana Downs. One starting soon in Fernvale/Lowood
6. Those that haven’t come to church for a while to return.
7. Revival over our city.
8. Finances to cover our needs
9. Pray for PlayPatch, Kids church, Creche and Kids Hope at Karalee State school.
10. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to increase.
Praise Points
1. Praise God for new people on Sunday.
2. PlayPatch keeps seeing new people every week.
3. The Lord’s grace over our lives and country
4. Café, music, kids church, admin, sound and technical team every week
5. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Easter services. Good Friday 18th Apr 9:00am and Easter Sunday 20th Apr – 9:30am
2. Ministries this week. Life group, Kids@Church, Kids Hope - Karalee.
3. PlayPatch 1-5yos, Fridays 9:30am at church.
4. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
5. Tune in again this week on our YouTube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for April...
Q. 31. Can anyone go to heaven with this sinful nature? A. No - our hearts must be changed before we can be fit for heaven.
