Jeremiah 47:1-7 Philistines Future
God moves onto another nation. This time He addresses, through Jeremiah, the Philistines future. God says His sword will not rest until it has finished its appointed tasks.
The battles and animosity between the Philistines and Israel is a subject visited OFTEN in scripture. They were always at odds with one another. I don’t believe there was ever an alliance or agreement between these two nations. David came the closest when he was running from Saul. He lived in Ziklag, one of their cities, and pretended to raid Israel from there. The battle in which Saul was killed, David had prepared to fight in it, pretending to be on the side of the Philistines. He was sent home instead by several of the Philistine kings because they didn’t trust him; and rightfully so.
I don’t know if God told Jeremiah to go to these places and tell the people there what was about to happen, if he was simply supposed to write it down, or if he was to share these prophecies with the people of Judah. This was a bleak future for the Philistines and I doubt they would be any happier to hear it than Judah was to hear their own. Judah might have taken pleasure in hearing the future of the Philistines.
Quite often, God leaves a remnant of people that will carry on their history. This didn’t happen with the Philistines. God said He would “destroy all the Philistines” with His sword from the north; Nebuchadnezzar. There was a ‘remnant’ that gashed themselves either in expressing their grief or praying to their gods but they were the captured. Those that remained alive assimilated into the culture of their captors. The nation of Philistia is no more.
Nebuchadnezzar swept over the land like a flood that none could stand against. The land that spawned Goliath and other giants was powerless against the might of Babylon. The sheer numbers, military might, and machinery did in the nation of the Philistines. But it was GOD’S hand that brought that judgment. Nebuchadnezzar could have done NOTHING if God wouldn’t have used him as His tool.
God’s sword had MUCH work to do before it could rest. And it WOULD accomplish ALL He set it to do. He is unsheathing His sword again in judgment. That time is close at hand. And it will accomplish ALL He has set it to do again. Of this we can be certain! God is patient, not wanting ANY to be lost but He has a limit to His patience. Just ask Israel and Judah if you have any doubts about that. There will be people groups that He makes an end of and those that will have a remnant with which to rebuild but ALL will be judged and changed in the process. Woe to those who refuse to heed His warnings!
Father God, YOU are the One worthy to judge ALL men. None of us are perfect. None of us is without any sin. I am CERTAINLY included in these statements. But because I have surrendered my heart to You and allow You to ‘judge’ me and remake me every day, I am safe in Your arms. I don’t fear Your reproof because I KNOW it brings me more in line with You. Because I submit and not resist, You can continue to grow our relationship in amazing ways! Thank You for loving me enough to take time to ‘refine’ my character.
