JEREMIAH LESSON 48

     We will begin this lesson in Jeremiah 45:1 "The word that
Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had
written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth
year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,"

     We know that Baruch was a very good friend of Jeremiah's. He
acted as secretary to Jeremiah, when he wrote the prophecies that
Jeremiah spoke with his mouth. This chapter is looking back to the 4th
year of the reign of Jehoiakim.

     Jeremiah 45:2 "Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee,
O Baruch;"

     This prophecy is very unusual, in that it was addressed to an
individual. This means that the general prophecy against the family of
Judah did not include Baruch.

     Jeremiah 45:3 "Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath
added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no
rest."

     Baruch was like many ministers, he found himself alone. His
friends did not associate with him, because they did not like
Jeremiah's message. In turn, they did not like Jeremiah. Baruch was
included in that, because he believed everything Jeremiah said. Baruch
did not want to associate with them for a totally different reason. He
was grieved at their sinful way of life. He was even more grieved that
they did not repent of their sins. It grieved him greatly when the
writing he made for Jeremiah, was burned in the fire. He was a godly
man, and could not understand their sinfulness. He was greatly
grieved, because these were his people.

     Jeremiah 45:4  "Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith
thus; Behold, [that] which I have built will I break down, and that
which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land."

     Judgement had come upon the whole land. Baruch just happened to
be living there, when it happened. Many godly people endure hardships,
because of the sins of the people around them. All of it belonged to
God, and He would do with it as He pleased.

     Jeremiah 45:5 "And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek
[them] not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the
LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places
whither thou goest."

     God said unto him, "This is no time for you to prosper. You will
have to be satisfied that I will save your life". Baruch would
probably have to move about from place, to place because of the
people's hatred of him. There would not be good times for anyone, even
Jeremiah. A prophet usually suffers some of the hardships of the
people they prophesy to.

     We will, now, continue on in Jeremiah 46:1 "The word of the LORD
which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;"

     The Gentiles covered all who were not Jews. We will notice,
however, that much of this is meant for Egypt and the other Gentile
nations in this vicinity.

     Jeremiah 46:2 "Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh-necho
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."

     This prophecy is addressed to Pharaoh-necho. This Pharaoh was not
Jewish. This battle had already occurred, before the destruction of
Jerusalem. The Babylonian, Nebuchadnezzar was the attacker. Carchemish
was a very prominent Hittite city in Mesopotamia.

     Jeremiah 46:3 Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to
battle. Jeremiah 46:4 "Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen,
and stand forth with [your] helmets; furbish the spears, [and] put on
the brigandines."

     This is a warning to get ready for war.

     Jeremiah 46:5 "Wherefore 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."

     The Egyptian army was a well equipped, well trained army. It is
interesting that they would turn and run. This is speaking of
overwhelming fear, that came upon them and caused them to run.

     Jeremiah 46:6 "Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man
escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river
Euphrates."

     This is saying, it would, probably, do no good to run. Since this
is a prophecy of God, there is no running from it. It will happen,
whether they fight, or not.

     Jeremiah 46:7 "Who [is] this [that] cometh up as a flood, whose
waters are moved as the rivers?"

     This is speaking of a large army, that spreads out and covers
everything it comes in contact with.

     Jeremiah 46:8 "Egypt 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."

     Egypt was a strong force, and intended to take over their part of
the world. They had planned to take many of the cities around them.
They had no thought for human life. They were a very worldly country.
     Jeremiah 46:9 "Come 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."

     These Ethiopians, Libyans, and Lydians were hired soldiers to
fight in the Egyptian army. They were what we would call today
mercenaries. They were soldiers for hire.

     Jeremiah 46:10 "For 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."

     The Egyptians had been cruel in their dealings with others. God
has not overlooked that, and now it is their turn. There is a day set
aside for God's vengeance. The sword, in this instance is the sword of
the Lord. We remember, "satiate" means overflowed, or soaked. This is
just speaking of the overwhelming deaths, that will occur, and the
blood will flow profusely.

     Jeremiah 46:11 "Go 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."

     When God speaks judgement, there is no stopping it. There is no
medicine strong enough to heal this wound.

     Jeremiah 46:12 "The 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."

     This is really speaking of them turning their swords on each
other, and this is not one nation, but many. Egypt is a mighty man,
but stumbleth against mighty, as well, and they both fall.

     Jeremiah 46:13  "The word that the LORD spake to Jeremiah the
prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come [and] smite
the land of Egypt."

     Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon.

     Jeremiah 46:14 "Declare 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."

     Migdol was near the Red Sea. Noph was a Hebrew name for the city
of Memphis. Memphis was the capital of lower Egypt. Tahpanhes was the
home of the Pharaoh. Nebuchadnezzar did attack this very area of
Egypt. The attack was as much against God's people exiled here, as it
was against Egypt.

     Jeremiah 46:15 "Why are thy valiant [men] swept away? they stood
not, because the LORD did drive them."

     They were valiant against other men, not against the power of
God. They fled from the LORD.

     Jeremiah 46:16 "He 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."

     This is the very thing those from Judah said when they fled to
Egypt. We can hide from man, but there is no place to hide from God.
The Egyptian army was made up of mercenaries from many countries. That
is what they are speaking of, about going to their own country. They
were in such a hurry to run, that they fell over each other.

     Jeremiah 46:17 "They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt [is
but] a noise; he hath passed the time appointed."

     They had come to fight for Pharaoh, because they thought Egypt
was a powerful nation. It appears, Egypt is no match for this battle.
The reason being, this battle is of God. Nebuchadnezzar's army may be
the ones fighting, but it is God's battle.

     Jeremiah 46:18 "[As] 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."

     This just means, he was coming from every direction at once.

     Jeremiah 46:19 "O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish
thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate
without an inhabitant."

     Noph is Hebrew for Memphis, you remember. The "daughter dwelling
in Egypt" is referring to those of Judah who are exiled there. It
appears, that Memphis will be destroyed by the army of Nebuchadnezzar.

     Jeremiah 46:20 "Egypt [is like] a very fair heifer, [but]
destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north."

     The "very fair heifer" is speaking of a land that is fruitful and
beautiful. Nothing is beautiful, after it is ravaged by war.

     Jeremiah 46:21 "Also 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."

     This, again, is speaking of those hired by Egypt from other
countries to be their army. They had been sitting back and drawing
their wages in peacetime, but suddenly there is war. They have fled
the country. They realized they would die, if they stayed, so they
ran.

     Jeremiah 46:22 "The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for
they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as
hewers of wood."

     When the army leaves, Egypt is left helpless. The voice like a
serpent is a soft hissing sound. There will not be great clamour, as
is usually in a war. The soldiers have fled, and it is no trouble for
the enemy to use axes and hewers to cut everything in sight.

     Jeremiah 46:23 "They shall cut down her forest, saith the LORD,
though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the
grasshoppers, and [are] innumerable."

     This does not mean that they cut all the trees that they came to,
because there were too many. They, perhaps, cut a path to pass
through. "The trees being as grasshoppers" and innumerable, means the
forest was very thick with trees.

     Jeremiah 46:24 "The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she
shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north."

     Daughter, here, does not mean women, but men who are as weak as
women. They were not the soldiers. They had run, because they were
hired men. This just means Nebuchadnezzar shall take Egypt.

     Jeremiah 46:25 "The 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:"

     No had to do with the false sun god Ra. No was known as Amon-Ra.
This is an attack on all the false gods of Egypt, and the false gods
those of Judah had been worshipping, as well. Some even worshipped
Pharaoh, so the false gods included him. This is not just literal
Egypt, but is worldliness of all kind, which Egypt symbolizes.

     Jeremiah 46:26 "And 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."

     Egypt will be destroyed, as was Judah and Jerusalem, but it will
come back again. God does not utterly destroy it to where it will
never come back, like He does the city of Babylon at a later date.

     Jeremiah 46:27  "But 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."

     When Jacob is mentioned instead of Israel, it is speaking of the
twelve tribes of Israel. This is not just speaking to Judah and
Benjamin, but to all the twelve tribes. This prophesies their return
to the promised land. This speaks of a time of peace for all Israel.
This had a near fulfillment in their return from Babylon, but this
also has a far fulfillment that is going on even today. Physical
Israel is being called from all nations of the world, where they had
been scattered, even today. They were to be scattered, until the time
of the Gentiles was fulfilled. Luke 21:24 "And they shall fall by the
edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and
Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of
the Gentiles be fulfilled."

     Jeremiah 46:28 "Fear 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."

     This is primarily speaking of Babylon, who they were captive to.
Babylon will be destroyed, and they will return to their land God gave
them. This chastisement they suffered, was to turn them back to God.
This, also, includes the inhuman acts against them, like the holocaust
in Germany in World War 2. One sixth of all the Jews were killed in
these atrocities against them.  God has always saved a remnant of
them.  They are moving back to their promised land today by the
millions.
































                         Jeremiah 48 Questions


1.  Who was this prophecy in verse 1 addressed to?
2.  What was he to Jeremiah?
3.  What does this prophecy to an individual mean?
4.  How was Baruch like many ministers?
5.  Why did his friends not associate with Baruch?
6.  Why did Baruch not want to associate with them?
7.  What does the LORD say, He will do in verse 4?
8.  What would Baruch have to be satisfied with from God?
9.  Who is the prophecy of Jeremiah, in chapter 46 verse 1, speaking
    to?
10. Who are the Gentiles?
11. Who attacks the Pharaoh-necho?
12. Carchemish was a very prominent __________ city of Mesopotamia.
13. What is verse 3 and 4 speaking of?
14. The Egyptian army was _______ trained and equipped.
15. Why will it not help to run?
16. What is the flood of verse 7?
17. What was the intention of Egypt toward their neighbors?
18. There is a day set aside for God's ____________.
19. What does "satiate" mean?
20. Who would smite Egypt?
21. What was another name for Noph?
22. ___________ was the home of the Pharaoh.
23. The Egyptians army was made up of _____________.
24. Who is "the daughter dwelling in Egypt"?
25. What did the Egyptian hired army do when the fighting came?
26. What is meant by "the trees being as grasshoppers"?
27. What does "daughter", in verse 24, mean?
28. What false God did No have to do with?
29. Quote Jeremiah chapter 46 verse 27.
30. Who will God make a full end of?
31. What is the modern fulfillment of this?