The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations. (Jeremiah 46:1, ESV) Today’s reading outlines God’s judgments against the Egyptians, the Philistines, and the Moabites.
So much of what we have been reading has dealt with God’s people. But God doesn’t just deal with His people; He is sovereign over all the nations. Against Egypt, He says: “As surely as I live,” says the King, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “one is coming against Egypt who is as tall as Mount Tabor, or as Mount Carmel by the sea! (Jeremiah 46:18, NLT) Against the Philistines, He says: “The time has come for the Philistines to be destroyed, along with their allies from Tyre and Sidon… (Jeremiah 47:4, NLT) Against Moab, He says: But the time is coming soon,” says the Lord, “when I will send men to pour him from his jar. They will pour him out, then shatter the jar! (Jeremiah 48:12, NLT) Yes, God is sovereign over the nations.
From the view on the ground, it might look as though wars, rumors of wars, famines, disasters, etc., are the mere decisions of men or out-of-control unfortunate natural disasters, but they are not. The Lord God reigns over all these things, and they will serve for His Glory, eternal plan, and our good. ...for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ (Isaiah 46:9–10, ESV) What a comforting thought! There isn’t a nation, a disaster, or a situation outside God’s control! How wise to trust God, how foolish and disappointing not to.
Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Jeremiah 46-48.