Egyptian wins and losses…

I put some links in today’s post to a couple articles about the history in these chapters. They’re pretty interesting if you have a couple extra minutes to read them.

Remember how King Josiah went out to battle Pharaoh Necho II and lost? That wasn’t the only battle Necho fought.

The battle of Carchemish was a big deal in ancient history. For an overview of the battle, here is the Wikipedia article on it. Pharaoh Necho II was soundly defeated by Nebuchadnezzar. And though the Babylonian records boast, (in typical ancient fashion), that Nebuchadnezzar killed every last soldier in Necho’s army, that simply isn’t true. Necho himself survived and led his defeated troops back to Egypt.

Necho and Nebuchadnezzar were like two kids fighting over a single toy. This toy:

They are basically playing tug-of-war. Only it really was war.

Around 601 BC (4 years after the defeat at Carchemish), Pharaoh Necho II conquered Gaza (Jer. 47) as he was trying to regain some of the territory he lost control over.

More territory means more tribute money.

😒 It’s always about the money…

Well, the Bible doesn’t call the love of money the “root of all evil” for nothing.

Egypt didn’t control Gaza terribly long. About 30(ish) years later, in 568 BC, Nebuchadnezzar marched all the way down into Egypt and took over Gaza along the way.

Not only did Jeremiah prophesy these events in chapters 46 and 47 (600 BC), so did Ezekiel (571 BC)!

“On April 26, the first day of the new year, during the twenty-seventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, the army of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon fought so hard against Tyre that the warriors’ heads were rubbed bare and their shoulders were raw and blistered. Yet Nebuchadnezzar and his army won no plunder to compensate them for all their work. Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He will carry off its wealth, plundering everything it has so he can pay his army. Yes, I have given him the land of Egypt as a reward for his work, says the Sovereign Lord, because he was working for me when he destroyed Tyre.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭29‬:‭17‬-‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

But some skeptics try to use this text as “proof” that the Bible isn’t accurate because Nebuchadnezzar never ruled Egypt. But note that the prophecy doesn’t say that Nebuchadnezzar would reign over Egypt. It just says he would plunder it. And he did.

The people of Judah are living in the land Egypt and Babylon are fighting over. Not the safest place to be. It would be like being in the water while two sharks are fighting over a hunk of fish. But Yahweh assures them:

“Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, for I am with you,” says the Lord. “I will completely destroy the nations to which I have exiled you, but I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you, but with justice; I cannot let you go unpunished.””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭46‬:‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Even in the midst of their punishment, Yahweh is merciful. It reminds me of this verse from Habakkuk:

“O Lord, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O Lord, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.” Habakkuk‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

We’ve spent most of the book of Jeremiah reading how “It’s over!” “You’re done!” And then Jerusalem was destroyed and the remnant scattered. And it is over.

But not.

And it can be that way for us. The end of one season is the beginning of another.

Sometimes grownups need story time. Here’s an appropriate story to wrap up today.

Beginning, by Shelley Moore Thomas.