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Daily Devotions

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 
Day 
Day 460

"I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt"

Text: Jeremiah 43:12

THE GODS OF EGYPT

One of the hidden reasons why the captains of the remnant of Judah wanted to go to Egypt may be because they felt more protected. Jeremiah proclaimed faith in one God. But Egypt offered many deities. This matter was also addressed!

“When he comes, he shall strike the land of Egypt
and deliver to death those appointed for death,
and to captivity those appointed for captivity,
and to the sword those appointed for the sword.
I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt,
and he shall burn them and carry them away captive.
And he shall array himself with the land of Egypt,
as a shepherd puts on his garment, and he shall go out from there in peace.
He shall also break the sacred pillars of Beth Shemesh that are in the land of Egypt;
and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians he shall burn with fire.”
Jeremiah 43:11-13

1. “When he comes, he shall strike the land of Egypt and deliver to death
those appointed for death, and to captivity those appointed for captivity,
and to the sword those appointed for the sword”

a) This was a prophecy about what Nebuchadnezzar would do in Egypt.
He would strike the land of Egypt.

b) He would execute judgment for the following:

i) Death for some.

ii) Captivity for others.

iii) Still others would be slain by the sword.

c) All things have been appointed by God!

d) Going to Egypt would not be able to thwart God’s decrees.

2. “I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt,
and he shall burn them and carry them away captive.
And he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd puts on his garment,
and he shall go out from there in peace”

a) The houses of the gods of Egypt would be burned.

b) The religious artefacts would be carried away.

c) Nebuchadnezzar would be arrayed with Egypt’s glory.

d) He would depart in peace from Egypt which he would conquer.

e) Egypt would be no more than a sheepfold of Nebuchadnezzar.

3. “He shall also break the sacred pillars of Beth Shemesh that are in the land of Egypt;
and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians he shall burn with fire”

a) Beth Shemesh was the name of those who worshipped the sun god.

b) This was a popular deity of the Canaanites.

c) It was popular in Egypt too.

d) But the sacred pillars of the temple of Beth Shemesh in Egypt would be destroyed.

e) The many other temples in this idolatrous land would be razed to the ground by fire.

f) If the remnant thought that they would be fully protected by so many gods,
they would have been very wrong!

g) The LORD God of Israel is sovereign over all kings and deities.