Jeremiah 47

O you sword of the Lord,
How long until you are quiet?
Put yourself up into your scabbard,
Rest and be still! v.6

Read chapter 47
We continue to read of the prophesies to the surround nations of Israel through the prophet Jeremiah. This short chapter is against the Philistines, one of Israel's longest standing enemies as you may remember Golioth, the giant who David fought as a young boy, was a Philistine.  Philistine was going to be destroyed by the Chaldeans as well (just as we saw so with Egypt in chapter 46).  The destruction would be so great and intimidating that parents would even lose their natural tendencies of saving their children first before their own lives as we see in verse three.  It's hard to tell if it's the cry of the Philistines or that of Jeremiah in verse six asking the Lord how long will the sword of the Lord be going forth destroying, but the answer is in the following verse: until it has done what it was sent to do.  Kind of seems like the opposite cry we have today: How long will God be quiet?  When will His justice and rule come upon the earth to finally destroy the enemy and all it's deceit?  Oh how we want both for God to be active and still in justice depending on the circumstance of how it affects us.  God may be quiet now, but when He will soon speak we will never desire His silence again knowing how good and perfect His ways are and how lost and destructive we are without Him.  How are you listening to God in this time of His quietness?  Are you ready for Him to speak and come in all authority of heaven and earth?