“This shall be the sign to you, declares the Lord, that I will punish you in this place, in order that you may know that my words will surely stand against you for harm: Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and sought his life.””
I am fascinated to see the extended effects of sin. First, this remnant from Judah is steadfast in their idolatry. Jeremiah faithfully warned them, but to no avail.
The Lord promises their destruction (23), which immediately makes sense. What is less intuitive to me is how this rebellion lands Egypt in trouble. This is not to say that the Pharaoh was not an idolater. However, Jeremiah specifically said that Pharaoh would be conquered as a sign to Israel that God would punish them.
This is an important lesson for me. When I sin, I not only put myself in jeopardy, but I may also put others in harm’s way. Yikes!
Father, please help me to see how wicked my sin is and the broad effects it carries. Amen.
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