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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Jeremiah Chapter 46

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Jeremiah
Date Penned: (627-586 BC)
Overview: To Urge God's People to Turn from Sin to God (c 1-52)
Theme: God's Judgement on the Nations (c 46-52)
Message: Prophecies on Foreign Nations (v 1-28)

Jeremiah 46 Commentary

(46:1) God's Plan for this World - This chapter reveals several insights about God and his plan for this world: (1) Although God chose Israel for a special purpose, he loves all people and wants them to come to him. (2) God is holy and will not tolerate sin. (3) God's judgments are not based on prejudice or a desire for revenge but on fairness and justice. (4) God does not delight in judgment but in salvation. (5) God is impartial--he judges everyone by the same standard. 46:2 At the battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, Babylon and Egypt, the two major world powers after Assyria's fall, clashed. The Babylonians entered Carchemish by surprise and defeated Egypt. This battle, which passed world leadership to Babylon, was Nebuchadrezzar's first great victory, establishing him as king of the Babylonian Empire. With Egypt's power declining, it was both poor strategy and disobedience to God for Judah to form an alliance with Egypt. 


(46:9) The Soldiers - The soldiers from Ethiopia and Libya were from eastern and northern Africa. The people of Lydia may have been from Greece. 

(46:11) Gilead -  Why go to Gilead to get medicine? Gilead, the Israelite territory on the east side of the Jordan River, was settled by Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. The trees of Gilead produce a sap that was used as a medicine in the ancient world because of its healing properties. Merchants and traders would sell sap from trees in Gilead throughout the ancient Middle East. When Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, he was bought by Ishmeelite traders who were bringing a load of goods to Egypt, including balm and aromatic resin from Gilead (Genesis 37:25). 

(46:17) A Missed Opportunity - The Egyptian pharaoh was "but a noise" who "passed the time appointed" (that is, "missed his opportunity") because, although he had come to help Jerusalem, he beat a hasty retreat when the Babylonians turned on him. Jeremiah had prophesied that Pharaoh-hophra would be killed by his enemies (44:30). This was fulfilled nearly 20 years later when his co-regent, Ahmose, led a revolt. 

(46:18) Mount Carmel and Mount Tabor - Mount Carmel and Mount Tabor are two of the most prominent mountains in the northeast of Israel. Mount Tabor rises more than 1,800 feet above sea level, and Mount Carmel stands more than 1,700 feet above sea level. Mount Tabor is where Barak followed Deborah's instructions to gather an army (Judges 4:4-7). The top of Mount Carmel is where Elijah prayed for rain (1 Kings 18:42). 

(46:28) Discipline - God disciplined his people in order to bring them back to himself, and he disciplines us to correct and purify us. No one welcomes rebuke or punishment, but we should all welcome its results: correction, cleansing, and restoration.

 


David Burnette's Life Application


There is a Balm in Gilead

 Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue in the Book of Jeremiah 46. In our text today we see Prophecies about foreign nations looking today at the Egyptians giving his purpose for Israel, how God will not tolerate sin, how God is Holy, how He wants all to come to Him giving an example of a balm in Gilead that will heal all wounds. In making application we see that Jesus is that balm that will heal a person of their sin sickness. How about you? Have you applied the balm of Jesus to your sin sickness? Let us learn from our text today and the example given of this balm of Gilead which is a picture of Jesus-Christ and examine ourselves to see if we have this balm to our lives so we will be healed of our sin sick condition.  

 

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Jeremiah 46

Jeremiah 46

 1The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;

 2Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaohnecho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah.

 3Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.

 4Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.

 5Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD.

 6Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.

 7Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?

 8Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.

 9Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.

 10For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

 11Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.

 12The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.

 13The word that the LORD spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.

 14Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.

 15Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the LORD did drive them.

 16He made many to fall, yea, one fell upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.

 17They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.

 18As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

 19O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.

 20Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north.

 21Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation.

 22The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

 23They shall cut down her forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.

 24The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.

 25The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him:

 26And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD.

 27But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.

 28Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.