Jeremiah 47:1-7 – There will be a day of divine reckoning.

Jeremiah 47 contains Jeremiah’s prophecy to Philistia. Just as God knew all about Egypt, He also knew all about Philistia. Although the prophecy was given in seven short verses, it nonetheless was as severe as that one given to Egypt. As the prophet saw the destruction of Egypt, he also saw the destruction of Philistia.

In verses 1-2, Babylon was described as a rising tide from the north. It would sweep Philistia just as it did Egypt. Like a mighty torrent, the Babylonians would overrun and flood Philistia fully. Sounds of despair would be heard from the weeping of every inhabitant of the Philistia. Describing the invasion, verse 3 said that sound of galloping horses and the rumbling noises made by the wheels of the chariots would send the people into a great panic. So petrified would the men be that they would become so demoralized and discouraged even to protect their own families.        

 

In verse 4, He saw how the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon even their allies would be cut off. But God was determined to destroy the Philistines. Here we get a little history of the Philistines. In referring to the Philistines as “the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor.” We are given a clue to the roots of the Philistines. Caphtor was the ancient name for the Island of Crete situated in the Mediterranean.  This was where the Philistine's heritage was traced to.  

 

Verse 5 pictures firstly the Philistines in Gaza and Ashkelon with shaved heads mourning their loss and cutting themselves. All to no avail. In despair, they would even lament wondering how long they would have to endure the sword of the Lord. What Philistia had to endure was the judgment of the Lord. Rhetorically, Jeremiah asserted in verse 7 that no one could stop the judgment of God until what He had set in motion had run its course.

 

The Philistines had a history of troubling God’s people. Much of what they had done could be traced to the time of King Saul and King David and even during the time of King Hezekiah. In this passage on the judgment of Philistia, we learn that cruelty will always be paid back in full. For the despair one brings upon others, there will be consequences that shall not be averted till they reach their purpose. How we treat others matters. There will come a time for the reckoning.