The judgment of Babylon continues from Chapter 50. This is the last prophesy to the nations and the last regular chapter in the book. This chapter is a must read. It lays the groundwork for much of what we see in Revelations.
Verse 1 starts another "thus says the Lord" direct message. It starts with a bang:
Thus says the Lord:
“Behold, I am going to arouse against Babylon
And against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai
The spirit of a destroyer. Jeremiah 51:1
The spirit of a destroyer! That's intense. Near the end of Chapter 50, there is a mention of who will be Cyrus. I wonder if this is another reference to him or an actual angel of destruction.
This judgement continues, God is dispatching foreigners to winnow and devastate her from all sides.
For neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken
By his God, the Lord of hosts,
Although their land is full of guilt
Before the Holy One of Israel. Jeremiah 51:5
It's comforting to know even though we can dig pretty deep and unpleasant holes for ourselves, we will never be forsaken.
Next, starting in verse 6, the Lord tells His children to flee Babylon when they can because this coming attack will lead to their destruction if they stay. If you don't know the story, that might sound strange to you. They've been taken into captivity, when the enemy takes over and sets them free, why wouldn't they want to get back home. But here's the thing...this is the whole story of the Bible in one scene. We were taken captive by the world; but when given the opportunity to be redeemed by Jesus, many chose to stay in Babylon, in the world. That's what happened in historical Babylon. The people got comfortable and many grew attached to the worldly provisions found in the cosmopolitan city of Babylon.
Babylon, like Egypt, is a symbol of the world. Even when we're enslaved or captured, we chose it over submitting our whole selves to the Lord. Many Israelite settled in Babylon and had no desire to go back to the Promise Land. It was actually the vast majority who wanted to stay. We saw the same bad decision when the first generation left Egypt and, tragically, we'll see it again in Revelations when Jesus comes again to save the whole world from Babylon.
Alright back to today's text.
Verse 7 continues God's message to the Israelite to head home when given the chance. He tells them that Babylon looks like a golden cup from which the whole world is getting drunk. the problem is, those nations drinking from this cup, that looks good from the outside, is going mad from her idolatry. And now, in verse 8, Babylon has fallen, broken, and no balm can make her well. We see this same language about Babylon in the book of Revelations.
There's something interesting in the first line of verse 9, "We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed..." The verb, healed, is combined with a first person common plural. Unless I'm missing something, this is a place that God is referring to Himself in His Triune plural "we". That seems significant. I don't think that happens often. It seems like one more indication that this section has ramification for the end times. This isn't just a description of a judgement against an ancient civilization; but also a prophesy of times to come. He is telling us that He applied healing to the world; but it was not healed.
So what should they do if they are living in a place that the Lord has tried to heal, but was not healed? He tells us very clearly what they (and we) should do in the remaining verse 9:
Forsake her and let us each go to his own country,
For her judgment has reached to heaven
And towers up to the very skies.
Leave her behind and head home.
Choose life.
Accept your salvation from the work of Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection and start the journey home. Those that obeyed and headed by to Israel didn't have an easy time. Sanctification isn't easy. But staying in Babylon and living separate from God for eternity is the alternative.
Wow. This chapter could be its own book in the bible. Absolutely packed with the history of man and the future of man.
Here's the last sentence in this important paragraph. i don't totally understand it, but I can tell that it is significant:
The Lord has brought about our vindication;
Come and let us recount in Zion
The work of the Lord our God! Jeremiah 51:10
The new paragraph, beginning in verse 11, prophesies the inclusion of the Medes in the fall of Babylon (along with the Persians). God arouses the Medes against Babylon, which we also read about in Daniel. All of this as vengeance from the Lord. The rest of the paragraph is the prediction of Babylon's defeat.
Verses 15 and 16 are worshipful praise to the Lord for Who He is and what he's done. Creator who used wisdom and knowledge in his creation. He controls heaven and earth.
In contrast, verses 17-18 we see that man is stupid. And idols, even those made of precious gold, are dumb and will bring about shame and destruction to those who made them.
Verse 19, again, contrasts Himself with the dumb, perishing idols. He made it all, these are his people, and He is the Lord of the host of angel army. The Lord speaks to the man He will be calling out to bring this judgement to Babylon, Cyrus:
- Cyrus will be a war-club, His weapon of war
- He will use Cyrus to shatter nations and destroy kingdoms
- He will shatter horse and rider, man and woman, old and young, boys and virgins, shepherds, flocks, farmers, workers, governors, and leaders.
He will repay Babylon for all of the evil done in Zion. Notice that's Zion and not Israel. I think that's another clue that this is all end time related. in light of that context, here's God promise to Babylon and the Chaldeans:
“Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain,
Who destroys the whole earth,” declares the Lord,
“And I will stretch out My hand against you,
And roll you down from the crags,
And I will make you a burnt out mountain. Jeremiah 51: 25
He goes on to say that it will be desolate forever. Choose life. Choose Jesus. Don't get left behind in desolation.
Verse 27 begins a new paragraph with a call to the nations to rise up against her together. Once again He specifies the Medes. He goes on to describe the terrible state of Babylon in defeat.
Verse 34 is a new paragraph and tells the woe of the inhabitants of Zion, who were crushed and devoured by Babylon; whose blood is on Babylon. In response to Jerusalem's cry, the Lord responds with a promise of vengeance—to dry up her water supply. Babylon will be a ruins; a terror to those who observe her. Her goes on to describe how Babylon is rowdy now; but will get drunk and sleep forever. This seems particularly on point for how Babylon falls considering what we read in Daniel. The final night of their kingdom was a drunken party, using God's holy Temple instruments as part of a plea to their god to save them...the party ends when the Persians sneak in and open the gate to their troops. (That make the promise to dry up Babylon's water particularly important, because the dry river bed was how the Persians gained access.)
The Persians are going to pour in like a flood and Babylon will suffer. Babylon's god, Bel (also Marduk) will be punished.
In verse 45 He once again pleas to His people to leave Babylon to avoid the anger of the Lord. In verse 49, He reiterates that this is happening to Babylon because of the slain of Israel. (Something anti-Semites should take note of. God may chasten His people; but it takes very seriously how others treat them. I'm guessing that includes Christian anti-Semites.)
He tells the Israelite to remember Jerusalem and to come rebuilt His holy Temple. He reviews what will happen to Babylon, the Chaldeans and why.
Starting in verse 59, we return to the narrative, with the message of the Lord being complete. Jeremiah references back to Seraiah, who wrote down the scroll with the full prophesy of the destruction of Babylon (chapter 36). He sent Seraiah to read the scroll, because Jeremiah wasn't allowed in the city. once Seraiah was done reading the scroll, he was to tie to a rock and drop it into the Euphrates as a symbol of Babylon sinking like a stone because of the calamity coming their way.
This is the end of the words of Jeremiah. There is one more chapter, that I think is more of an epilogue, and the book of Lamentations; but this is the end of the narrative from Jeremiah.
What an interesting chapter to end an interesting book. I thank God for His holy word. To learn and grow—to know Him and make Him known.
To God be the Glory. Amen.