Jeremiah 47

Verses 1-7, “The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before Pharaoh attacked Gaza. 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. 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, 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. Baldness has come upon Gaza, Ashkelon is cut off With the remnant of their valley. How long will you cut yourself? “O you sword of the Lord, How long until you are quiet? Put yourself up into your scabbard, Rest and be still! How can it be quiet, Seeing the Lord has given it a charge Against Ashkelon and against the seashore? There He has appointed it.”

God spoke through Jeremiah a word of judgement against the Philistines, who were an enemy of Israel. The Babylonians would rise and overtake them like a flood, as the people wailed. Things would be so bad that the fathers would act cowardly, and not even attempt to protect their children. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, would conquer all of their great cities, and deep sorrow would come upon their land. Try to imagine how bad this scene must've been for the Philistines, then keep in mind that the whole earth has a coming judgement that will be worse than this situation, or any other that has happened so far. Matthew 24:15‭-‬22, “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place”  (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”

There is no hope of surviving this coming judgment, as it will come by surprise and trap all the inhabitants on earth. Our only hope is to escape it altogether by abiding in Christ.  Luke 21:34‭-‬36, “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”