Study of Jeremiah Chapter 47

Study of Jeremiah
Chapter 47

(Jer 47:1) The word of Jehovah that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before that Pharaoh smote Gaza.

(Jer 47:2) Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall become an overflowing stream, and shall overflow the land and all that is therein, the city and them that dwell therein; and the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall wail.

(Jer 47:3) At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong ones, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers look not back to their children for feebleness of hands;

(Jer 47:4) because of the day that cometh to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that remaineth: for Jehovah will destroy the Philistines, the remnant of the isle of Caphtor.

(Jer 47:5) Baldness is come upon Gaza; Ashkelon is brought to nought, the remnant of their valley: how long wilt thou cut thyself?

(Jer 47:6) O thou sword of Jehovah, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard; rest, and be still.

(Jer 47:7) How canst thou be quiet, seeing Jehovah hath given thee a charge? Against Ashkelon, and against the sea-shore, there hath he appointed it.

Jeremiah foretells the destruction of Gaza of the Philistines. Of course now in this day and age we see that most of these prophecies have already come to pass. It is interesting though the Gaza of today is always in the news. Its a strip of land on the way to Egypt near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

Ashkelon also is nearby. The Babylonian Empire conquered all this territory and later went down into Egypt to conquer them. Babylon was allowed to continue until their time was up and their judgment came by the Medes and Persians. They were taken over by the Kingdom of Grecia and then later by the Romans. Romans were the rulers in the time of Christ. All these had a purpose but when their time was up, they were conquered.

The way a nation can be assured that their country continues and never is defeated is for that nation to fear the Lord. If the fear of God is present, evil is subdued. God has to stop evil and He sometimes waits and gives offending nations a chance to repent and to hear the gospel. If they never change and continue in sin, He allows them to continue until that evil gets so bad that they have to go. I don't really know what causes God to allow the destruction of nations but I can venture a guess as to what may be the last straw for God.

1. human sacrifice

2. sacrificing children (including abortion)

3. Cruel slavery

4. Persecution of God's people

5. Idolatry that causes evil

6. Human suffering caused by wicked leaders.

7. Men and women doing things that are against nature such as homosexuality to the point where it is forced upon the innocent.

8. Torture and bondage of the innocent.

9. Forbidding the preaching of the gospel to save the lost.

10. The worst of these being persecution of those preaching and teaching the word of God. When a nation does this last thing, they've gone too far.

There are some in the good old USA who would forbid the gospel if they could on the ground of accusing them of hate crimes or other such nonsense. I've heard that Canada even now forbids preachers to warn against homosexuality for fear of offending that group of people.

When you forbid someone to preach what God tells them to preach you are on dangerous ground. In that case they have to obey God rather than the law of the land.

If we know that a certain act is destroying people both physically and spirituality, woe to us if we don't warn them and testify that such things are an abomination to God and will destroy whole societies if they do not repent and stop this open sin which is against God's creation. He did not create us in that way. Through the power of God one who realizes that they are in sin whether it is this sin or any other, can be made free from that sin and be born again. Faith in Jesus Christ and His power to change lives can bring this about. Jesus can change any person and free him or her from any sin provided they recognize themselves as sinners in need of a savior. We then have to want to be free from sin and receive eternal life. We can be free.

Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal life.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Study of Jeremiah 48