神必刑罰法老、和倚靠他的人 (耶四十六) 中英bilingual
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God Is Going to Punish Pharaoh and Those Who Trust in Him (Jeremiah 46)
August 12, 2026
“The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations. To Egypt, concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt... which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah... “Why have I seen it? They are terrified, they are drawing back, and their warriors are defeated and have taken refuge in flight, without looking back; terror is on every side!” declares the LORD... The LORD of armies, the God of Israel says: “Behold, I am going to punish Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh, and Egypt along with her gods and her kings, even Pharaoh and those who trust in him.” (Jeremiah 46:1–2, 5, 25 NASB2020)
This chapter details God's punishment upon Pharaoh Neco. Why would God punish Egypt, Pharaoh, and those who relied on him? The reasons are none other than Egypt's arrogance, relying on its own power, becoming a false source of support for Judah, practicing idolatry, and disregarding the fact that "God alone is the true Sovereign "!
In his days Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the Euphrates River. And King Josiah went to meet him, and Pharaoh Neco killed him at Megiddo when he saw him. (2 Kings 23:29 NASB2020)
Reflecting on the historical relationship between Egypt and Judah, after the death of Josiah, the people made Jehoahaz as king. However, three months later, upon his return trip, Neco deposed Jehoahaz and put him in chains. Pharaoh Neco then made Josiah’s son Eliakim king, changing his name to Jehoiakim (cf. 2 Kings 23:33–35). Around 605 BC, “the famous Battle of Carchemish” took place, where Nebuchadnezzar, the crown prince of Babylon, led his army to decidedly defeat Pharaoh Neco (cf. Jeremiah 46:2). Earlier, when Hezekiah faced the threat of the Assyrian Empire, some in the royal court advocated for an alliance with Egypt. The prophet Isaiah warned:
“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD! Now the Egyptians are human beings and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit; so the LORD will stretch out His hand, and he who helps will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and all of them will come to an end together. “(Isaiah 31:1, 3 NASB2020)
God had long warned through the prophets not to rely on Egypt, but to unite their hearts to the LORD, true God. Yet, even after the fall of Judah, the remnants of the people persisted in depending on Egypt. Even more regrettably, after Jerusalem fell, the remaining people of Judah still refused to believe what Jeremiah spoke; they continued to commit evil and burn incense to idols. In Jeremiah Chapter 42–44, we see that in their hardship, the people once asked the prophet Jeremiah to inquire of God (cf. Jeremiah 42:1–3). But when the prophet brought back the answer, the people turned adverse and refused to believe. This mirrors why the kings and people of Judah were so stubborn in relying on the king of Egypt during times of trouble.
If we were in their position at that time, what our eyes could see were Egypt's strong shields, mighty armies, powerful horses, and strong national power—and they had personally experienced Egypt easily defeating Judah. But regarding the LORD of armies spoken of by the prophet, had these kings and people truly experienced God's power? Imagine when we encounter tremendous difficulties today: what is it in our hearts that we want to rely on?
Expertise? connections? Resources? Or are we willing to humbly bow down before God and plead for His guidance?
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5–6 NASB2020)
If we become accustomed to "seeing is believing" and depending only on expertise and science, our hearts will fail to truly entrust themselves to and rely on the invisible God. If we do not personally experience God in our daily lives, our relationship with Him will remain merely at an intellectual level, and the power of the Holy Spirit risks becoming a talk. We will often make decisions based on worldly logic and values. When crises arise, will we, like the people of Judah, rely on Egypt depend on worldly power? Furthermore, when outstanding and helpful friends around us constantly become everyone's source of help, we might subconsciously run to them whenever trouble strikes. Without realizing it, they may become the object of everyone's hope and trust, even replacing God's rightful priority in our inquiries—this, too, calls for our careful vigilance.
Thank God that at the end of this chapter, our loving God still comforts the rebellious and unbelieving people:“But as for you, Jacob My servant, do not fear, nor be dismayed, Israel! For behold, I am going to save you from far away, and your descendants from the land of their captivity. And Jacob will return and be undisturbed and secure, with no one to make him afraid. Do not fear, Jacob My servant,” declares the LORD, “for I am with you. For I will make a complete destruction of all the nations where I have driven you, but I will not make a complete destruction of you. I will correct you properly, but I will by no means leave you unpunished." (Jeremiah 46:27–28) Therefore, we must constantly remind ourselves to rely on God, not on the things of this world!
“Some praise their chariots and some their horses, but we will praise the name of the LORD, our God.” (Psalm 20:7 NASB2020)
By Jun-Yen Hsieh
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