The Lord Preserves His People

13 The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to strike the land of Egypt:
            14          “Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in Migdol;
proclaim in Memphis and Tahpanhes;
                        say, ‘Stand ready and be prepared,
for the sword shall devour around you.’
            15          Why are your mighty ones face down?
They do not stand
because the Lord thrust them down.
            16          He made many stumble, and they fell,
and they said one to another,
                        ‘Arise, and let us go back to our own people
and to the land of our birth,
because of the sword of the oppressor.’
            17          Call the name of Pharaoh, king of Egypt,
‘Noisy one who lets the hour go by.’
            18          “As I live, declares the King,
whose name is the Lord of hosts,
                        like Tabor among the mountains
and like Carmel by the sea, shall one come.
            19          Prepare yourselves baggage for exile,
O inhabitants of Egypt!
                        For Memphis shall become a waste,
a ruin, without inhabitant.
            20          “A beautiful heifer is Egypt,
but a biting fly from the north has come upon her.
            21          Even her hired soldiers in her midst
are like fattened calves;
                        yes, they have turned and fled together;
they did not stand,
                        for the day of their calamity has come upon them,
the time of their punishment.
            22          “She makes a sound like a serpent gliding away;
for her enemies march in force
                        and come against her with axes
like those who fell trees.
            23          They shall cut down her forest,
declares the Lord,
though it is impenetrable,
                        because they are more numerous than locusts;
they are without number.
            24          The daughter of Egypt shall be put to shame;
she shall be delivered into the hand of a people from the north.”
25 The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, said: “Behold, I am bringing punishment upon Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh and Egypt and her gods and her kings, upon Pharaoh and those who trust in him. 26 I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their life, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Afterward Egypt shall be inhabited as in the days of old, declares the Lord.
            27          “But fear not, O Jacob my servant,
nor be dismayed, O Israel,
                        for behold, I will save you from far away,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
                        Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
and none shall make him afraid.
            28          Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
declares the Lord,
for I am with you.
                        I will make a full end of all the nations
to which I have driven you,
but of you I will not make a full end.
                        I will discipline you in just measure,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”
Jeremiah 46:13-28
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The Lord Preserves His People
Egypt seemed powerful, but the Lord declared that even this mighty nation would fall before Babylon. No earthly kingdom, army, or ruler can stand against God's righteous judgment. Yet in the midst of these fearful words comes a gracious promise: "Do not fear." The Lord would discipline His people for their sins, but He would not destroy them. His chastening was meant to bring them to repentance, not to abandon them. The same is true for us. God still disciplines those He loves, calling us away from sin and back to Himself. Though we deserve only judgment, Christ has borne that judgment in our place upon the cross. There God's justice and mercy meet. Because Jesus was forsaken, we are not. Because He died and rose again, we can face every earthly upheaval without fear. The kingdoms of this world rise and fall, but the Lord remains faithful. He will preserve His baptized children and bring them safely into His everlasting kingdom.