Jeremiah 46:13-28. Yesterday started a new section of Jeremiah that contains messages to several nations. The first message was to Egypt. The part we read yesterday involved a battle in 605 BC in a place called Carchemish. The Egyptians lost that battle to Babylon and we saw that God was behind the defeat. The reason seemed to be that Egypt was a constant distraction to the Israelites. They were always looking to Egypt to “cure” their political problems. In reality though Israel had the cure to all problems, political and otherwise. God is the solution to all that is wrong in the world but the world doesn’t quite get it; we constantly try to fix our world our way. Today’s reading continues the warnings to Egypt but in a different time frame.

These chapters in Jeremiah come after chapters in which we learned of the downfall of Jerusalem. They also come after messages from Jeremiah to refugees in the land of Egypt. In chapter 44 we saw a message to four towns in Egypt in which Jewish refugees were living. Three of those towns are mentioned here in verse 14. The events in verses 1-12 took place in 605 BC and the refugees moved to Egypt in 586 BC, 19 years later. We want to remember that whoever put the book of Jeremiah together as a book (many scholars think it was Baruch) that they put theses chapters where they are for who ever they were writing to at the time, probably the refugees and maybe the Jewish people in exile in Babylon (in fact later in the book we see a message to those exiles).   The message in verses 1-12 was probably originally given around the time of the events. Sometimes the wording sounds like it was before and sometimes the wording sounds like it was after. We need to remember that prophets were not specifically in the business of foretelling the future they were messengers for God. Predictions of the future were one way people in their day (and us too) could tell that their message wasn’t made up by them, but in the end their messages were mostly warnings from God. The cool thing is that these messages often contained information on how to get right with God. The message in verses 1-12 is included here many years after the facts of the story probably to give “perspective” to the rest of the message, today’s reading. We need to remember as we read today’s words that God has dealt with Egypt before and caused them to fail.

In verse 13 we see that Nebuchadnezzar is still on the scene and that he is coming to attack Egypt. There was an attack on Pharaoh Necho in 601 BC  but it ended with Nebuchadnezza and Necho in a tie or draw at the border between Egypt and region around Israel (the border was probably from the tip of the Gulf of Aqaba to just south of Gaza). As we will see in the coming verses this attack goes much deeper into Egypt than that one did. Necho was succeeded by his son Psammetichus II who was succeeded by his son Aipres. Aipres was Pharaoh at the time that Nebuchadnezzar invaded and destroyed Jerusalem and was the Pharaoh who briefly tried to assist the Jew’s during the siege of Jerusalem. Aipres was also the pharaoh when the refugees from Jerusalem arrived and settled down (586-585 BC). Aipres’ unsuccessful military campaigns led to unrest in Egypt and he was overthrown by one of his general Amasis II who was declared Pharaoh by unhappy soldiers in 570 BC. In 568-67 BC Aipres allied himself with Nebuchadnezzar and attacked Egypt. Aipres was probably killed during this invasion but Nebuchadnezzar’s army did a great deal of damage and archaeological discoveries indicate that he marched as far as Syene (known today as Aswan, near Elephantine, more that 400 miles south of the Mediterranean Sea). It is probably this invasion that Jeremiah is describing in verses 13-26.

Notice in verse 14 we see military defeat of those around Egypt. In 573 Nebuchadnezzar ended a 13 year siege of Tyre, on the coast north of Israel. We also see in verses 15-16 the defeat of the Egyptian forces. This may be a reference to the failed assistance that Aipres gave to Lybia to the west. That failed battle led to the revolt that led to Amasis becoming the new pharaoh. The Egyptian soldiers largely allied themselves with Amasis leaving Aipres with only foreign mercenaries (rented soldiers) at his side. In verse 17 we see the Egyptian soldiers complaining that they have been abandoned by their king; he is just a “big noise”” and has failed to plan correctly.

In verse 18 the true king, Yahweh of the armies (host) has something to declare; this message seems to be for the Jews who have taken refuge in Egypt. “A guy is coming who is like Tabor and Carmel”. That is a reference to two very prominent mountains in the north of Israel, both are very obvious kind of like Saddleback is to us. It is not likely that many Egyptians would have gotten the comparison. In verse 19 the people God is talking to are called his “daughter living in Egypt”. Unlike verse 11 this is not a reference to Egypt like she is a daughter but to the Jews themselves who had fled there. These people are told to “pack their bags”. Earlier we learned that not many of the refugees would ever return home to Judah. It is unclear where theses people were going to go but one thing is clear, they were not safe and secure where they were. Memphis, one of the main towns of Egypt about 100 miles south of the Mediterranean Sea, and had once been the capital. This city so far from Jerusalem would fall to Nebuchadnezzar and be burned. In verse 20 Egypt is compared to a beautiful cow but she is going to be plagued by an annoying “horsefly”. The word translated “horsefly” is only found once in the bible but seems to be related to a word that means to “nip”; like bite. The mercenary soldiers on pharaoh’s payroll are compared to a fattened calf both of theses groups will be motivated to run by the annoying biting army of Nebuchadnezzar.

In verse 22 we see that the fleeing Egyptians will be like a fleeing snake, hissing all the way. But their pursuer, the Babylonian army, will be large and well equipped, snakes are no match for a loggers axe. Of course these pictures are just that, pictures. Nebuchadnezzar’s army probably didn’t carry a lot of axes and the Egyptians probably didn’t hiss much as they ran. In verse 24 we see that the Egyptians have lost the battle, the people of the north have one. Remember that although Babylon was mostly east of Israel and Egypt that the main route into the area for them was from the north. Although most historians will give the credit to Nebuchadnezzar verse 25 gives us the real story. “Yahweh of the armies, God of Israel” was behind the defeat of Egypt. Amon was a “god” worshipped in the town of Thebes and eventually became a chief god in Egypt. Pharaoh is the word used for the king of Egypt. In verse 25 we find that the kings, gods, and people of Egypt are suffering this invasion and defeat because of their trust in Pharaoh and his political and religious system. In verse 26 we find that the defeat would not be total and that Egypt would eventually be rebuilt. This prediction is confirmed by the history of Egypt. Notice that verse 26 ends with Yahweh confirming what he has said.

I think that verses 1-12 were a reminder of the power of Yahweh to make happen what he says he will make happen. That would be the point of putting those verse before these. It is like Baruch (or whoever) was saying, “Here is what is going to happen and remember what happened last time God talked like this.” Or since the words in 13-26 were a spoken message by Jeremiah first maybe Baruch is putting them together here to remind all readers that God does what he says he will do. It is hard to know when the book of Jeremiah was assembled together and if this part was put together first as a separate part at the time of the second prediction. What we need to see is that God does deal with disobedience, defection, and rebellion. God is jealous of other gods because he knows that false gods separate us from the truth about him, his standards, our failures, and the way back to him.

In verses 27-28 we see a reminder of these facts with respect to the descendants of Jacob (Israel, see “What’s in a Name”). God had made promises that descendants of Jacob would have a part in his forever kingdom and these verse reaffirm those promises. But we also see that God wants to “correct” them, convince them to turn from their false gods and return to the one true God. He will not leave disobedience unpunished.

I think it is cool how God started where the people were, in Egypt, and challenged them about their defection. They could run but they could not hide. Why? Because God is serious about showing us the truth about himself and about our broken relationship with him. He wants us to know that he is serious about the promises he makes to us, he is serious about being a part of our lives but he is serous too about his purity. He cannot allow evil to be un-dealt with. Thankfully he has dealt with evil (sin) through the self-sacrifice of Jesus, the eternal God-man. Jesus died (death is the idea of separation, spiritual death is separation from God), was separated from God the Father in our place. His death was enough for all mankind (1 john 2:2). Unfortunately not all will turn back to God and allow Jesus’ sacrifice to pay for them. That is a very sad choice since it results in eternal separation from God and all he has to offer.

God thank you for taking notice of us. Thank you for knowing where we are, what we are up to and what we need. Thank you for pursuing us. Thank you for punishing us when we need it. Thank you for caring about all of us, not playing favorites. Thank you for your consistency, your love, and your sacrifice. Help me appreciate you and do what you what me to do. Let me not follow gods of my own making or anybody else’s either. Let me turn to and follow you alone. Thank you for your spirit who lives in me and helps me honor you with my life. Thank you for loving the world.