ORACLES AGAINST THE NATIONS
Chs.46-51: These poems, confirming the survival of those who wait in obedient faithfulness, consist of a collection of prophetic poems in judgement against Israel's enemies. Their location at the end of the book gives meaning to Jeremiah's title "propjet tot he nations (1.5, 10). God's voice in these poems announces that foreign nations had been instruments of divine punishment of Israel and Judah, but soon tables will turn to create a new future. These oracles address Israel's neighbors first (chs. 46-490 and close with oracles against Babylon (chs. 50-51).
Read 46.1-12. In 46.1-25: Against Egypt. These poems bring to poetic fulfillment Jeremiah's prophecies to the Judean remnant that escaped into Egypt (ch.s 43-44). Babylon will destroy their safe haven. In verse 2: The date of the first poem in the fourth year of Jehoiakim sets the prophecy in the years when Babylon destroyed Egyptian power in the region. This means Jeremiah's word of the destruction of Egypt came much earlier than the events themselves. For survivors in exile, the date indicaesthat God plans have long been in place and that there is hope for the future. In verses 3-12: A battle scene, similar to scenes of the cosmic battle with the foe from the north in chs. 4-6 and 8-10, opens the poems. God calls troops to prepare for war. In verses 7-12: The Nile River, famous for its flooding, resembles the rise and fall of Egypt. Egypt cannot possible defend itself since, in this poetic vision, the enemy is divine. Comments or Questions..
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