Then say to them, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will set his throne over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy above them. – Jeremiah 43:10

Today’s Scripture Reading (May 7, 2017) Jeremiah 43

Sometimes, the history of Ancient Egypt reads a little like a soap opera. Consider the life of Apries (who Jeremiah calls Hophra). Apries came to power in February 589 B.C.E. at the death of his father, Psamtik II. In the name of Egyptian national security, Psamtik had already begun a policy of meddling in the affairs of his neighbors. Most often, the victim of this meddling appears to be Judah and Jerusalem, but there were other nations to whom Egypt sent their armies. As Apries rises to power, he maintains the same meddling policy. The problem appears to be that Apries was not very good at meddling. A year after rising to power, Apries sends his army into battle with Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians in defense of Jerusalem. In the eyes of Apries, Judah made a nice cushion between Egypt and Babylon. (Consider the concept of Russia attacking Canada. The United States, as much as they pretend to abhor interfering in the wars of other countries, would likely react quickly irrespective of whether they considered Canadians friends or just an annoyance. The truth is that the United States would probably much rather share the world’s longest undefended border with Canadians than with Russians.) But Apries fails in the attempt to defend Jerusalem. His army is quickly crushed, and eighteen months later Jerusalem falls, the walls of the city are leveled, and the Temple is destroyed. Apries is left with an internal uprising which he eventually puts down.

And, for a while, peace reigns in the House of Apries. But in 570 B.C.E., Apries once again marches his army into another neighboring state. This time it is Libya who receives the help from Egypt in their struggle against the Greeks. Once again, Apries army is routed, and few soldiers make it back to Egypt to tell the story of their horrendous loss. And once again, a rebellion rises from within Egypt against the reign of Apries. The nation eventually throws its support behind Amasis, the general who had led a highly successful invasion of the Nubia in 592 B.C.E. Apries is sent into exile and Amasis declares himself to be Pharoah of Egypt.

Whether or not Nebuchadnezzar ever conquered Egypt is an open question among scholars. But what we do know is that Apries went over to the Babylonians and marched back into Egypt with the support of the Babylonian army. (Just a reminder, the Babylonian Army had routed Apries in his attempt to defend Jerusalem a little more than two decades earlier. But that is the way that soap opera plots often go.) This invasion of Egypt is likely the fulfillment of this prophecy of Jeremiah. Babylon fought its way into the very heart of Egypt. What we don’t know is how long they stayed. It is likely that Apries died in the invasion in 567 B.C.E. With no king to place on the Egyptian throne, the Babylonians probably backed their way out of Egypt. But Apries had become the messenger who summoned Nebuchadnezzar to Egypt and brought the conflict to the Judean exiles in Egypt that they had run to Egypt to escape.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 44 & 45

Personal Note: Happy Birthday to my son, Craig. Dad is proud of you.