Jeremiah 46:1-12: a reflection

1The LORD’s word which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations. 2Of Egypt: concerning the army of Pharaoh Necoh king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah. 3“Prepare the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle! 4Harness the horses, and get up, you horsemen, and stand up with your helmets. Polish the spears, put on the coats of mail. 5Why have I seen it? They are dismayed and are turned backward. Their mighty ones are beaten down, have fled in haste, and don’t look back. Terror is on every side,” says the LORD. 6“Don’t let the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape. In the north by the river Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen. 7“Who is this who rises up like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge? 8Egypt rises up like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge. He says, ‘I will rise up. I will cover the earth. I will destroy cities and its inhabitants.’ 9Go up, you horses! Rage, you chariots! Let the mighty men go out: Cush and Put, who handle the shield; and the Ludim, who handle and bend the bow. 10For that day is of the Lord, GOD of Armies, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge himself of his adversaries. The sword will devour and be satiated, and will drink its fill of their blood; for the Lord, GOD of Armies, has a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates. 11Go up into Gilead, and take balm, virgin daughter of Egypt. You use many medicines in vain. There is no healing for you. 12The nations have heard of your shame, and the earth is full of your cry; for the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty, they both fall together.”

In an oracle concerning Egypt and its mighty army, the prophet exposes the vanity of trusting in strength and remedies apart from God: for all Egypt's forces and all its medicines, there is no healing when God's purpose stands against it. You use many medicines in vain, the word says; there is no healing for you. Egypt trusted in its great army, its horses and chariots, its store of remedies; but none of these could avail against the purpose of God. All the strength and all the medicines were in vain. This exposes the vanity of trusting in our own strength and remedies rather than in God. Strength and remedies apart from God's favor are in vain. No amount of remedy avails when we rely on it instead of God. Trusting in our own strength apart from God proves empty. Many medicines are in vain without God.

Notice what the oracle exposes: the emptiness of trusting in strength and remedies apart from God. Egypt was a great power, with a formidable army, horses and chariots and warriors, and every resource; and it trusted in these. It used many remedies, sought many cures for its troubles. But the prophet says all of it was in vain, that there was no healing, because the trust was misplaced, resting in Egypt's own strength and remedies rather than in God. This speaks to a temptation in us. We too can trust in our own strength, our resources, our many remedies and strategies, to save us from our troubles, as though these were enough in themselves. But strength and remedies apart from God are finally in vain; no amount of our own resource can secure us against what God's purpose has determined, and to rely on them instead of on God is to trust in what cannot finally save. This turns us to trust not in our own strength or remedies but in God. Our own strength and remedies cannot save apart from God. Do not trust in your resources instead of in God. Many remedies relied on apart from God prove vain. Trust God, not your own strength and cures.

That is worth taking to heart, for trusting in our own strength and remedies apart from God is finally in vain, and we are called to trust in God rather than in our own resources. We can trust in our strength, our resources, our many remedies and strategies to save us, as though these were enough; but the oracle against Egypt exposes the vanity of this, saying that for all its army and all its medicines there was no healing, because its trust was misplaced. Our own strength and remedies cannot finally save. Do not trust in your own strength and remedies instead of in God; turn your trust to him. Turn your trust to God rather than to your own strength and remedies, which are finally in vain apart from him, as the oracle concerning Egypt exposed the emptiness of its trust in its great army and its many medicines, saying there was no healing for it; for we can trust in our own strength, resources, and remedies to save us from our troubles as though these were enough in themselves, but strength and remedies relied on apart from God are finally in vain, since no amount of our own resource can secure us against what God's purpose has determined, and to rely on them instead of on God is to trust in what cannot finally save, so that we do well to turn our trust not to our own strength or cures but to God, in whom alone is our true security.

Lord, in an oracle concerning Egypt and its great army, the prophet exposes the vanity of trusting in strength and remedies apart from you: for all Egypt's forces and all its medicines, there is no healing when your purpose stands against it. You use many medicines in vain, the word says; there is no healing for you. Egypt trusted in its great army, its horses and chariots, its store of remedies; but none of these could avail against your purpose. All the strength and all the medicines were in vain. This exposes the vanity of trusting in my own strength and remedies rather than in you. Show me what the oracle exposes: the emptiness of trusting in strength and remedies apart from you. Egypt was a great power, with every resource; and it trusted in these. It used many remedies, sought many cures for its troubles. But the prophet says all of it was in vain, because the trust was misplaced, resting in Egypt's own strength rather than in you. This speaks to a temptation in me. I too can trust in my own strength, my resources, my many remedies and strategies, to save me from my troubles, as though these were enough in themselves. But strength and remedies apart from you are finally in vain; no amount of my own resource can secure me against what your purpose has determined, and to rely on them instead of on you is to trust in what cannot finally save. Take that to my heart, for trusting in my own strength and remedies apart from you is finally in vain. Keep me from trusting in my own strength and remedies instead of in you; help me turn my trust to you, Lord, in whom alone is my true security, rather than relying on my own resources and cures that cannot finally save.