What does "more numerous than locusts" reveal about Egypt's impending judgment? Egypt’s Dark Forecast in Jeremiah 46 “ ‘They have cut down her forest,’ declares the LORD, ‘though it be impenetrable, for they are more numerous than locusts; they are without number.’ ” Why the Holy Spirit Chose the Locust Image • Locusts arrive suddenly, in staggering swarms, blotting out the sky (Exodus 10:13-15). • They consume everything in their path—fields, trees, even the bark—leaving total desolation (Joel 1:4). • They are virtually impossible to stop or count while the plague is in progress (Proverbs 30:27). What “More Numerous Than Locusts” Declares About Egypt’s Judgment • Overwhelming invasion – God warns that troops from the north will pour into Egypt in numbers as incalculable as a locust swarm. Resistance will be futile (Jeremiah 46:20-24). • Total consumption – Just as locusts strip vegetation bare, the invading armies will strip Egypt of strength, wealth, and security. Nothing worth taking will remain. • Swift, inevitable advance – Locusts travel on the wind; the invading forces move at God’s command. The judgment will descend quickly, allowing no time to regroup. • Divine remembrance of past sins – Centuries earlier, Egypt’s refusal to release Israel brought literal locusts (Exodus 10). Now metaphorical “locusts” return, showing God has not forgotten unrepented rebellion. • Hopeless human math – “Without number” underscores human inability to measure or control what God unleashes (cf. Psalm 33:10-11). Egypt’s famed armies and chariots will be dwarfed. Confirming Passages That Amplify the Picture • Joel 2:2-5 – A day of darkness; troops “like mighty men” compared to locusts. • Nahum 3:15-17 – Nineveh’s soldiers likened to locusts that flee when the sun rises, showing both number and eventual disappearance. • Psalm 105:34-35 – God “spoke and the locusts came… and devoured every plant,” recalling the earlier Egyptian plague. The Unmistakable Message “More numerous than locusts” is God’s vivid way of saying Egypt’s downfall will be: • Numerically overwhelming • Desolating in effect • Unstoppable by human means • A just echo of earlier judgments When the Lord speaks this way, He is emphasizing not poetic flair but literal certainty: the judgment is coming, and it will be complete. |
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