 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck down Gaza.
2 “Thus says the Lord: Behold, waters are rising out of the north, and shall become an overflowing torrent; they shall overflow the land and all that fills it, the city and those who dwell in it. Men shall cry out, and every inhabitant of the land shall wail. 3 At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels, the fathers look not back to their children, so feeble are their hands, 4 because of the day that is coming to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that remains. For the Lord is destroying the Philistines, the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor. 5 Baldness has come upon Gaza; Ashkelon has perished. O remnant of their valley, how long will you gash yourselves? 6 Ah, sword of the Lord! How long till you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard; rest and be still! 7 How can it be quiet when the Lord has given it a charge? Against Ashkelon and against the seashore he has appointed it.” Meditation God’s judgement is indiscriminate, holding every person accountable. God’s love is astounding, showing grace and mercy for all who turn to Him in faith- even His enemies. The Philistines are famous for their champion Goliath, the giant who challenged for forty days (1 Samuel 17). The Philistines were God’s historic enemies, so we are not surprised to read of God’s judgement “overflowing their land” (2). The “sword of the Lord” (6) would use Egypt from the south (1) and Babylon from the north (2) to devastate the Philistine nation (3-7). God’s judgement is just and His enemies will not prevail. God’s grace is astounding. Stories of God’s enemies converted by grace and transformed into family is the theme of salvation history. All Christians were at one time enemies of God (Romans 5:8), hostile in our hearts. But God shows His great love for us that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Jesus took the judgement we deserve so that we can receive the salvation God offers through faith. We are not surprised, then, to see the judgement pronounced on God’s enemy, the Philistines, is not the end of the story. The prophet Zechariah foresees the Philistines becoming family (Zechariah 9:6-7) and Psalm 87:4 goes further and sees Philistines among native born citizens of Zion. This is amazing grace! Judgement should warn us on the one hand and give hope with the other. God’s enemies will not prevail! And no one is too far away to turn to His love and grace and be saved. Richly Dwelling -What stands out to you about the judgment of God on the Philistines? Are you surprised this is not the end of the story of the Philistines in Scripture? -All believers were at one time enemies of God, so we are no less deserving of judgement than the Philistines. How does this reality humble your heart and deepen your understanding of God’s love and grace? -Jesus took the judgement we deserve so we can know God’s love and grace. Who do you need to show God’s love and grace to as God has loved you? Be specific. Key verse 6 Ah, sword of the Lord! How long till you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard; rest and be still! Comments are closed.
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