Shalom

In the days of Samson, Samuel and Saul, the Philistines were well organized and aggressive. Champions like Goliath and advanced weaponry made them a formidable fighting force. However, by the time of Jeremiah, the Philistines were much weaker. Jeremiah’s clear prophetic insight warns that the Philistine nation is in danger of annihilation. He employs the metaphor of a river (2). The destructiveness of a fast-flowing river is incredible, sweeping away all in front of it. Jeremiah uses this metaphor to illustrate how quickly and mercilessly the once proud Philistine nation would be swept away.

In Jeremiah’s world, as one nation destroyed another, might was right and human rights were ignored. It was a recipe for despair; it was a time to ask serious questions about where it would all end. Was there nothing to stop the downward spiral of destruction? Jeremiah’s message is that someone is in control. When the Philistines are attacked it will not be the sword of the Babylonians or the sword of the Egyptians but the “sword of the Lord” (6).

The psalms often refer to God as the rock. This is a wonderful image that brings reassurance in the midst of change and fear. The Philistines had chosen to worship gods that were nonentities, such as Dagon (1 Sam. 5:1,2). Threatened with danger, they gash themselves in an effort to attract the attention of their false deities, but all to no avail (5). They did not know the God of Israel, the rock, the powerful defender. Israel would suffer, but they would not be wiped out. Their God was in control. In our changing world where trusted institutions can suddenly collapse and economic forecasts are fickle and uncertain, we can get tremendous reassurance when we remember that our God is the unchanging Rock of Ages.

God never changes, but our circumstances do. If you have any uncertain situations before You, lay them before the Lord.