Jeremiah 46-47

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

Jeremiah’s Prophecies against Egypt and Philistia

Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning Egypt included a promise for the future.
Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning the Philistines did not include a promise for the future.

Chapter 46 begins the last major division of the book of Jeremiah. It contains Jeremiah’s prophecies against the _________ _________ surrounding Israel.
Where did the battle take place in which the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptian forces in 605 BC?
Who controlled and determined the outcome of this battle?
In what year did Nebuchadnezzar invade Egypt and what was the significance of this invasion?
In the context of verses 27-28 of chapter 46, who was God referring to when He said, “My servant Jacob”? Has the prophecy in these two verses been partially fulfilled or completely fulfilled?

In this last major division of this book, Jeremiah’s prophecies are against the 9 foreign nations surrounding Israel, moving in a general geographical direction of west to east,beginning with Egypt here in chapter 46. These prophecies emphasize God’s sovereignty over the whole world.
Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian forces defeated the Egyptians in the battle of Carchemish in 605 BC. Carchemish is located “in the north country by the River Euphrates” as recorded by Jeremiah in chapter 46, verse 10. This was a major battle in history because it was a key to the rise of the Babylonian empire and the decline of Egypt’s power.
This same verse (46:10) makes it clear that it was the Lord God who controlled and determined the outcome of the battle of Carchemish.
Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of the land of Egypt took place in 568-567 BC. The cities mentioned in verse 14 are the very cities where the Jewish refugees had fled for safety following the destruction of Jerusalem.
When God said “My servant Jacob” in the context of chapter 46, He was obviously referring to Israel, the Jewish people. The prophecy in verses 27-28 was partially fulfilled when the Jewish people returned home from the Babylonian captivity, but the blessed conditions described in these verses will become a completed reality when the Jewish people return to the Lord in the future.

Discuss the history of the Philistines, their 4 cities mentioned here in chapter 47, and the eventual outcome of the Philistine people. Consider the absence of a connection between the Philistines and the Palestinians of today.

Have the many prophecies found throughout the Old Testament convinced you of the surety of God’s words and the trustworthiness of the Bible? Are you thoroughly convinced of the future restoration of God’s people, Israel? Is the truth of God’s sovereignty, even over all the nations of the world, a great assurance for you in these troubled times? We are to trust Him, completely!

“But do not fear, O My servant Jacob, and do not be dismayed, O Israel! For behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of captivity; Jacob shall return, have rest and be at ease; no one shall make him afraid.” Jeremiah 46:27