Prophecies Against Egypt

INTRO

The major prophets offer a perspective on the end times. Matthew 5:17 states Christ came to fulfill the prophecy included in Scripture. The study of Scripture offers a complete portrait of the Messiah, which asks where we see Jesus in every single book of the Bible. Such a perspective weaves together the judgment and the deliverance as all this comes together. The Word of God was alive and active, and the major prophets were essential. They included the first coming of Christ, the return of Christ, and the Millennium.

Jeremiah had been preaching to the people for 40 years. Jeremiah’s message had mostly been targeting the southern kingdom of Judah. In chapter 46, Jeremiah began to preach to the nations. God had broadened Jeremiah’s message. God was handing him the cup.

TEACHING

Jeremiah 46:1-7: The God of the Old Testament does pour out His wrath when it was needed. The cup mentioned in chapter 46 was the cup of God’s wrath. Chapters 46—51 are about God’s judgment. Nelson’s Commentary explains,

“Jeremiah announces specific judgments that the Lord vowed to bring on nine nations (chs. 46—51). In reading these sobering words, it is important to remember the two truths:

1. God’s wrath was not without cause. There was definite justification for God’s wrath: every single one of the nations listed had turned away from their Creator to worship and serve false gods. Every one of them was guilty, and God’s holy nature required judgment on their sin.
2. God’s wrath was not without remedy. Even as the Lord had called Judah to repent of its sins throughout the years of Jeremiah’s ministry, so He had called the nations to turn to Him and be saved. Tragically, they had refused God’s gracious offer. Now they faced His wrath.”¹

Jeremiah reiterated God’s call in his life. The call of God could not be rushed; it required waiting. Verses 2–28 begin to address the judgment against Egypt and unfolds with Pharaoh Neco (aka. Pharaoh Necho) confronting Nebuchadnezzar. Wiersbe states, “Pharaoh Necho had defeated Judah and killed King Josiah at Megiddo in 609 BC (2 Chronicles 35:20–27), but then Nebuchadnezzar defeated Necho at the famous Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, the fourth year of Jehoiakim. That defeat broke the power of Egypt and made Babylon supreme in the Near East.”² Carchemish brought the Egyptians down. The Babylonians were the powerhouse for the entire region. Wiersbe described this as “Egypt’s shameful defeat.”³ The battle took place by the river.

The Egyptians had prepared for battle with small shields and large shields. They had prepared with horses and lances ready for battle, but they fled in terror. The Babylonians overpowered the Egyptians. Nelson’s Commentary explains, “The strong Egyptian army was overpowered suddenly by the mightier Babylonians. Fear . . . all around: This expression was also the name given to Pashhur by Jeremiah in 20:3, 4, and to Jeremiah’s persecutors in 20:10.”⁴

Jeremiah 46:8–2: Although Egypt was ready to fight (v. 8), Wiersbe explains, “‘That day belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty’ (v. 10 NIV). It was a ‘holy war’ in that God offered Egypt as a sacrifice (v. 10). Egypt’s wounds were incurable and her shame was inevitable (vv. 11–12).”⁵

Why the wrath and why the judgment are questions to be considered. One possible reason for Egypt’s defeat would be the death of Josiah. Nelson’s Commentary states, “The day of the Lord is described here as a day of vengeance in which Egypt is punished for the death of Josiah. The imagery of a devouring sword is also found in 2:30. Egypt’s demise is pictured as a sacrificial feast. As there was no healing balm for sinful Judah, so now Egypt was mortally wounded, stumbling to its death.”⁶

Jeremiah 46:13: When Jeremiah was speaking, this had not yet happened. In verse 13 Jeremiah talks about the invasion that would take place. Up until this verse he had not said exactly who would come to defeat Egypt. However, in verse 13 he identifies the Babylonians as the army that would conquer Egypt. Jeremiah was clear that only the Lord could have communicated all the details of this event to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 46:14: In verse 14 and following Jeremiah describes how the Babylonians would overrun the Egyptians. Wiersbe explains, “The Babylonian soldiers called Pharaoh Necho a ‘big noise.’”⁷

Jeremiah 46:15–27: The Egyptian city of Memphis, as was prophesied by Jeremiah, would be totally destroyed. Egypt was compared to a fatted calf that was to be destroyed. Wiersbe writes, “Look at the graphic images Jeremiah used. Egypt was like a heifer (v. 20). The mercenaries in Pharaoh’s army were like fatted calves that stampeded (v. 21), and the Egyptian soldiers fled like hissing serpents (v. 22) and fell before the Babylonians like trees before woodcutters (v. 23).”⁸

Wiersbe also described the Babylonians, stating, “The invading army was like a swarm of locusts that couldn’t be avoided (v. 23).”⁹ Verse 26 states the Egyptians would be handed over to the Babylonians, but God would not wipe out the Egyptians. There was still some hope that God would reestablish Egypt as in ancient times. In verses 25–26 God stated He would be with Israel. When all was said and done there was still a chance to turn to God.

CLOSING

In Isaiah multiple countries are identified that God would give a future to. One of those countries was Egypt. Judgment was coming against Egypt. However, in the big picture of God’s plan, they actually would turn to worship God. God still gave them a remedy.