March 19, Jeremiah 47
“The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck down Gaza.” - Jeremiah 47:1
In the Western world, we tend to prefer for our stories to unfold in chronological order. Some folks do not like flashbacks in movies or books. You're familiar with those scenes when the narrator shows us something from the past, or a character remembers something that has already happened. It's not a straightforward time line, and it confuses some readers or viewers.
The book of Jeremiah is not arranged in chronological order. The chapters are more like vignettes than an ordered sequence. They are more like photographs that capture a moment than a video that shows the images in sequence. Some of the chapters have a timestamp, tying it to a certain year of a certain king’s reign. But other prophecies and narrative information do not contain such dating.
Chapter 47 has a timestamp of sorts, but it seems to point to when Jeremiah wrote it and not the date of the events. It's in the text verse: "before Pharaoh struck down Gaza." But this prophecy is not about the Egyptian invasion, but rather the Babylonian conquest of the western shore of Palestine. The line about Pharaoh striking down Gaza must refer to the time frame in which Jeremiah received this word from God, which was well before the Babylonians arrived.
Two things in this chapter are of much more value and importance to us than any precision dating might be. This chapter contains two images, word pictures that describe the awesome wrath of God.
The first image of the destruction coming to the Philistines is a raging torrent of floodwater pouring into the land from the north. That identifies Babylon as the invader, not Egypt. Jeremiah was not talking about a literal flood of water. But Babylonian forces on their stallions and in their chariots would be like a raging torrent sweeping across the land and cities. Grown men would cry out in fear, and fathers would be too weak to save themselves, let alone their children. No ally would be able to help them. The survivors would cut themselves to express their overwhelming grief. Jeremiah said God would destroy the Philistines, Israel's longtime nemesis, and he would use the Babylonians to do it.
That idea suggests the second image of the wrath of God in this chapter. As God's wrath poured out on another nation and people, either Jeremiah himself or perhaps the hapless victims would cry out, "Ah, sword of the LORD! How long till you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard; rest and be still." The invaders were described as the sword of the LORD. They were lethal weapons in God's hand. The sword could not rest, because God commanded and appointed it (them) to do his will.
“The sword of the Lord” had been Gideon's battle cry as he fought and led Israel to overcome the Midianites. We can imagine the army of Israel being God's sword against the Canaanites as they fought and drove out the Canaanites to take control of the Promised Land. But now, the Assyrians and their king had been used as "God's razor" against the Northern Kingdom of Israel. And the Babylonians were now the sword of the Lord, punishing Judah and their neighbors for their sinfulness. And like their enemies in the past, Egypt, Judah and the Philistines would find that the sword of the Lord was irresistible and unstoppable.
We love to read and hear about the amazing grace and long-suffering mercy of God. Our hope lies in those beautiful marks of God's character and nature. But we also need to hear about the terrible wrath of God against impenitent sinners when their time is up and their opportunities to repent have passed. These ruined cities and devoured lands remind us that God means what he says, and the day of his vengeance will come for those who are not reconciled to him in Christ. Let's maintain a holy, reverent awe for the flood and the sword of God's wrath. Jesus is the light to save us from the awful darkness of doom.
Copyright © 2024 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—March 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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