PREPARING, HARNESSING, AND POLISHING

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^{1

46:15
Hebrew He does 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.”

Footnotes

[1] 46:15 Hebrew He does not stand

Jeremiah 46 begins the prophecies of judgment against foreign nations. It begins with Egypt, a neighboring nation whose involvement with Israel was significant. Abraham sojourned there. Jacob and his sons settled there, survived there, grew into a nation there, were enslaved there, and escaped from there. During Jeremiah's life, Egypt attacked Judah, killed their king, imprisoned another, and took many into captivity. And despite Jeremiah's warnings, Judah aligned with Egypt, and many sought refuge there. Ultimately, Jeremiah died there. Egypt did not seek the God of Israel and even influenced Israel to worship Egyptian gods. Jeremiah proclaims God's judgment on Egypt.

Notice how God mocks Egypt's effort in verses 3-4 (NIV): prepare, march, harness, mount, take, polish and put. Despite their efforts, God's Word stands, and destruction comes upon them: "For that day belongs to the Lord GOD of hosts" (46:10). It is easy for me to read this and think, Why would Egypt even try to fight if God has already proclaimed the outcome? Do they think they're going to thwart God's Word or stand in His way? Do they not hear? Do they not believe?

But I'm like Egypt. I prepare, harness, and polish to control my world. I depend on myself. Before I trusted Christ as my Savior, I thought I could prepare my way into heaven by being good enough. But even now that I know the truth that I cannot earn my way in, I still prepare, harness, and polish. I fail to seek and trust His Word. God continues to hold up the mirror, and I see that I am Israel. I flee to Egypt and worship idols. I continue to ignore God's Word. I do not trust and believe. But thankfully, when my preparations end in destruction, God is there and saves me: "But as for you, O Jacob My servant, do not fear, nor be dismayed, O Israel! For, see, I am going to save you from afar, and your descendants from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return and be undisturbed and secure, with no one making him tremble." (46:27)

1. Have you trusted in Jesus? Do you believe God's Word, or are you ignoring God's Word and think you can prepare your own way into heaven?

2. In what areas of your life are you preparing, harnessing, and polishing rather than trusting in God?

3. How has God saved you from destruction when you have ignored His Word? Give thanks for His grace and mercy!

WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY

JEREMIAH 45-49 (JUNE 6-10)

Read Jeremiah 45.

What does it say that Baruch did for Jeremiah in verse 1? Go back and read Jeremiah 36 to read about the actual events.

Baruch did not have a computer to type out the words Jeremiah spoke. Baruch had to write them all by hand. How long do you think it took him? How do you think he felt when he found out the scrolls had been burned? Then, what did Jeremiah have him do?

After all of his writing, the people did not repent! How does it say Baruch felt in Jeremiah 45:3? What does the Lord say in response to his complaining? Look at verse 5, what does it say Baruch was seeking?

What does it mean to "[seek] great things for yourself?" Are you ever tempted to do things so you get the glory or recognition? For whose glory should you do all things? (See Colossians 3:23)

ACTIVITY: As a family, think of someone in your neighborhood whom you can serve. Be creative, intentional, and sacrificial (i.e. mow their lawn, bring them their paper each morning, bring them breakfast, clean their pool, etc.) When they ask you WHY you are doing it, take the time to sit with them and talk about what Christ has done for you. Remember to give God the glory!