Jeremiah 46:1-12. Yesterday we finished a section of Jeremiah that dealt with the final years of the kingdom of Judah, including the last residents flight to Egypt (586 BC). Jeremiah had warned them not to run to Egypt for protection but they would not listen. In yesterday’s reading we saw a message to Jeremiah’s helper, Baruch. It was written several years earlier when Jeremiah dictated a long scroll to him containing many of the messages Jeremiah had given over the years. Many Bible experts think that the scroll contained most of chapters 1-20. Baruch then read the scroll to the people during a religious festival and again to the advisors to then king Jehoiakim. Not only was the content of the messages depressing but the rejection of those messages by the people was too. Baruch had been from a powerful family in the kingdom and now was the friend and helper of a rejected prophet. Understandably he was depressed by the events of his life. Chapter 25 was Jeremiah’s (really God’s) message to Baruch. Basically Baruch was told, “I (Yahweh, God) am going to bring on all of the disasters that you have just written about. I know you wanted to be great and powerful. You need to get over that and know that at least you will survive all of this.” That might not sound very encouraging but it was the reality of living in a time and place where God was being rejected, and he would survive.
Today we start a new section (chapters 46-51). Most of the book has been about punishment or correction that God was bringing into the lives of the Jewish people. A little bit has been about things that would happen to other nations. This section is mostly about what would happen in the future of nine or ten different nations around the land of Israel. In Jeremiah 1:4 Yahweh (the God of Israel, the one true God) told Jeremiah that before he was even born that God had picked him to be a messenger “to the nations”. In this section we will see Jeremiah fulfilling that destiny in a bigger way than he has so far.
In verse 1 we see that connection to God’s purpose for Jeremiah’s life (Jeremiah 1:4). We don’t want to miss out on the fact that the LORD (Yahweh) is interested in more that just Jewish or Israelite people. In the ancient world god’s were usually seen as local, interested in a particular area and/or group of people. Here we see a Jewish prophet with a message for the surrounding nations. These messages just weren’t about those nations but were “to” them (see Jeremiah 27:3-11).
The first nation to receive a message was Egypt. In verses 2 we are told that this prediction is about the army of Pharaoh Necho. Pharaoh means king and this king, Necho, ruled Egypt from 609 BC to 597 BC. In 609 BC he marched into the region to help support a last ditch effort by the assyrians against the Bbylonians. Josiah, king of Judah, tried to stop him and was killed in the battle at Megiddo. In 605 BC, the time of this prediction, Egypt was still dominant in the area. Nebuchadnezzar brought Babylonian forces into the area and met the forces of Necho at Carchemish, 500 miles north and slightly east of Jerusalem, on the Euphrates River. Necho’s forces were overwhelmed and retreated to the town of Hamath 150 miles south, thinking that Nebucahdnessar would not follow them that far they hoped to regroup. Nebuchadnessar did pursue them and basically destroyed Necho’s army. Necho managed to escape and retreat to Egypt leaving the area around Israel in Nebuchadnezzar’s hands. Nebuchadnezzar marched through the area conquering cities and taking certain citizens captive to be advisors in his government (Daniel was one of these men). Nebuchadnezzar’s father, King Nabopolassar died in Agust of 605 and Nebuchadnezzar had to return home to take control of the kingdom. In 601 BC Nebuchadnezzar returned to fight Egypt but was stopped at the Egyptian border by Necho and his troops.
Verses 3-4 describe Necho’s army preparing for battle, probably the one at Carchemish. Verses 5-6 describe the retreat and defeat of the Egyptian soldiers. In verses 7-8 get a hint about what is really going on in this battle. The Nile River is the heart of Egypt. The water from the Nile provides life to both the people, their livestock , and farms. Every year the Nile would flood and bring rich soil with it to the lower areas, sort of a self-fertilization of the area. As was common the Egyptian’s believed there was a “god” in charge of all of this, the god of the Nile, Hapi. The picture that Jeremiah painted, of the Nile flooding and covering an area, would have made any Egyptians who read this think of the power of Hapi and the good corps that came from the flooding. The army probably saw their conquest as making Egypt richer. We also see a picture of destruction of the non-Egyptians in the area “flooded” by their army. In verse 9 we see reference to other people groups in the army of Necho; Ethopia (the area south of Egypt alon the Nile), Put and Lydia (we are unsure where theses areas were). These were mercenaries, hired soldiers who were not Egyptians, in the army of Necho.
In verse 10 we see that God was closely involved in this battle between Egypt and Babylon. IN verse 10 we see a name for God that has been used before by Jeremiah, Yahweh, God of the armies (hosts). In verse 10 we learn that the defeat of Egypt “up north by the Euphrates” was an act of revenge by God. The idea of vengeance relates to dealing with actions against someone. In this case the Egyptians had done something wrong with respect to God and God was “paying them back”. Just four years earlier Necho had killed Josiah, one of the few good kings of Judah, in battle. Some Bible scholars think this defeat may have been in response to that. If you read through Isaiah with us you might remember that Egypt had been a distraction to the Israelite people for a long time. The Israelites often looked to Egypt to take care of them. They were warned time and again that God was their source of safety not nations around them. It was probably as a response to this long term distraction of the people of Israel that God was responding. Military defeat could teach Egyptians as well as Israelites that God has standards and is in control and will not stand by and let people be distracted from the truth. For more about why God is so strict you might want to see “The Old Testament Connection”. In verses 11-12 we see some hints about God’s motives. Some experts think that the reference to Gilead is a taunt, you know, God is saying, “Nana nana nana!”. Gilead was a part of Israel east of the Jordan River. It extended almost from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. It was known for healing ointments. But in the rest of the verse we see that the Egyptians had tried many other medicines and had not been healed. By telling the Egyptians to look for healing from Israel he wasn’t making fun of them but rather pointing them to the true “medicine”. The real sickness that Egypt had (along with all the rest of us in the world) was a broken relationship with God. The promised one of Israel would be the only true “medicine” for that (see John 14:6) and so Egypt must look to Israel for true healing. If you are not convinced and think that God was “laughing” at the Egyptians think about the name he uses for them in verse 11, “O virgin daughter of Egypt”. That is a term of affection and protection. IN ancient times a father was supposed to protect his unmarried daughter (virgin) until she was entrusted to another in marriage. God is clearly looking at Egypt as a beloved child, disobedient and rebellious, but beloved. The punishment at Carchemish was in hope that “she” would look to Him for healing. In verse 12 we see that God really is concerned about all the nations, the world has heard of the trouble that Egypt is having, the offer of healing is a true one; God want the Egyptians healed in their relationship with him, news the world needs to hear too.
Sometimes it is hard to hear about God destroying things or letting us destroy each other. And a lot of people hate it when God is described as vengeful or jealous. We all want God to be love, love, love. But we live in a real world with a real God; God is pure, God has standards and character. God doesn’t ignore bad stuff, God doesn’t play favorites, and God created us with the ability to chose or reject him. God wants to have a relationship with us and has offered the solution to our disobedience and rebellion; Jesus. While he patiently waits for us to see and hear and decide, a lot of bad stuff happens, but God knows and has a record of it all. For those who chose Jesus the record will be cleared; Jesus’ suffering was enough for all of us. For those who reject Jesus, they will be left on their own; unfortunately one guilty act is all it takes to banish a person from the forever kingdom of God. That is why God is so serious about helping us see the consequences of our rebellion before it is too late. If you haven’t already give your life and eternity to Jesus, he is the “way the truth and the life and no one comes to God except through him”.
God help us never doubt your love. Help us see the truth about you in the way you have dealt with us in life. Help us understand your perfection and purity. Help us understand your love and patience. Help us understand how serious our disobedience and rebellion (sin) are. Thank you for taking the time to communicate to us through the Bible. Thank you for giving us evidence of it’s accuracy. Thank you for the example Israel has been. Help us learn from her mistakes. Thank you for caring about the “nations”. Thank you for caring about me. Thank you for protecting me, even if it has been painful at times. Let me come back to you with a whole heart. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who helps and thank you for Jesus who paid the price and unlocked the door to heaven for us.