Judgment Like a Flood

Jeremiah 47:1-7 

1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before Pharaoh attacked Gaza.

2 Thus says the LORD:
"Behold, waters rise out of the north,
And shall be an overflowing flood;
They shall overflow the land and all that is in it,
The city and those who dwell within;
Then the men shall cry,
And all the inhabitants of the land shall wail.

3 At the noise of the stamping hooves of his strong horses,
At the rushing of his chariots,
At the rumbling of his wheels,
The fathers will not look back for their children,
Lacking courage,

4 Because of the day that comes to plunder all the Philistines,
To cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains;
For the LORD shall plunder the Philistines,
The remnant of the country of Caphtor.

5 Baldness has come upon Gaza,
Ashkelon is cut off
With the remnant of their valley.
How long will you cut yourself?

6 "O you sword of the LORD,
How long until you are quiet?
Put yourself up into your scabbard,
Rest and be still!

7 How can it be quiet,
Seeing the LORD has given it a charge
Against Ashkelon and against the seashore?
There He has appointed it."

Like a flood Egypt was sent to Gaza of the Philistines to overthrow and overwhelm as an instrument of God’s judgment for their sin against Him and His chosen people before Egypt herself was judged.  God had use for Egypt before leveling her idols and bringing a remnant of His people out of that ungodly refuge for vain protection.  The assault against all the Philistines was to be by Babylon, followed with an attack against the Philistine city of Gaza in the south by Egypt.  They were to find God’s vengeance from all sides. The word of the LORD was given to the messenger Jeremiah as before to pronounce this ordained act of God that everyone then and to this day might know it was His judgment and give Him the honor and glory as the trustworthy sovereign over all His creation.  The Philistines would cry out and mourn their destruction and even abandon their own children along with their courage in trying to run away from the avenging sword of the LORD, but to no avail.  God would plunder Philistia as they had plundered God’s chosen for so long.  Their judgment no longer slept as they were utterly cut off as they had cut themselves for false gods and as a sign of mourning.  They feared the unsheathed sword of the LORD come against them especially knowing the message from Jeremiah that it would not be put away again until the appointed vengeance destroyed their cities and worship of false gods.  God’s vengeance in the last days before the final judgment will be infinitely more severe against His enemies who are set against His Son and those He called in Him as His own.  The false gods will be annihilated and the Kingdom of God will be the only one to remain forever.  That is a picture of our hope of final Justice just as we humbly revel in His deliverance of grace and mercy in His Son our Savior, but He Himself will carry the sword and not another (Revelation 2:16, 19:15, 21), and the flood will be a fiery end (Revelation 20:10, 14) instead of water.  This judgment like a flood is a forewarning of the fiery judgment in the end of days. This is a call to all who read to repent and receive Jesus Christ by faith in His word and work (John 6:29) before that day as the only escape from judgment.  For those in Christ, this is an assurance of justice in the end (Revelation 6:10) for our sufferings now.