THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Jeremiah: Prophet Of Judgment Followed By Blessing

Part XC: God's Vengeance Against Babylon For Violating His Word

(Jeremiah 51:1-14)

I. Introduction

A. Paul in 2 Timothy 4:1-2 called Timothy to preach God's Word in view of Christ's judging the living and the dead at His appearing. In other words, people will be held accountable in the end to have heeded Scripture.

B. This accountability is evidenced in Jeremiah 51:1-14 where God predicted His vengeance against Babylon for sins that violated His Word. We view the passage for our insight and edification (as follows):

II. God's Vengeance Against Babylon For Violating His Word, Jeremiah 51:1-14.

A. God predicted He would take vengeance against Babylon for violating His Abrahamic Covenant, Jer. 51:1-10:

1. The Lord said that He would stir up the spirit of a destroying invader against Babylon, against the inhabitants of "Leb Kamai," what literally means "heart of my adversaries" but which as a cryptogram known as an atbash when its consonants are reversed in the Hebrew alphabet spell "Chaldea," Jer. 51:1-2; Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1201. In other words, God was planning to stir up enemy invaders to destroy the heart of His adversaries in Babylonia. The emphasis here is on the destruction of Babylon's very core.

2. This destruction would be traumatic, with Babylon's entire army of young men being devoted to destruction as they would be wounded and slain in her streets in colossal national defeat, Jer. 51:3-4.

3. The reason for this judgment would be God's wrath against Babylon for her mistreatment of His people Israel and Judah, Jeremiah 51:5a. Such mistreatment was actually guilt against God, for He had promised in His Abrahamic Covenant of Genesis 12:1-3 to bless those who blessed the seed of Abraham and to curse those who cursed them: Babylon's mistreatment of God's people violated His Abrahamic Covenant, so Babylon was guilty before God, deserving of His vengeance! (Jeremiah 51:5b)

4. God called for those in Babylon to flee from the city that they might escape His vengeance against her, Jer. 51:6. Though Babylon had been a golden cup of God's wrath in His hand, making the whole earth drunken with the effects of His judgment against them by way of His use of Babylon to defeat them, (Jeremiah 51:7a with Jeremiah 25:15-29; Ibid.), Babylon herself would suddenly fall in divine judgment, and she would not be able to recover from it as if she had an incurable wound, Jeremiah 51:7b-9.

5. Thus, God would vindicate His people for Babylon's mistreatment of them in accord with the Abrahamic Covenant, and God's people would testify of it in Mount Zion after Babylon's fall, Jeremiah 51:10 ESV.

B. God also predicted that He would take vengeance against Babylon for violating His Law, Jeremiah 51:11-14:

1. God's prophet Jeremiah called for the arrows of the Medes to be sharpened and for them to take up their shields in preparation to invade Babylon, for the Lord intended to use the Medes to take vengeance on Babylon for desecrating His temple in the fall of Jerusalem, Jeremiah 51:11. Scripture at Numbers 1:51 called for the execution of anyone besides the Levites who came near the tabernacle, what would also apply to the later temple building, but the pagan Gentile Babylonian soldiers had trespassed the temple grounds, seized the temple's furnishings and destroyed the temple in violation of this rule, Jer. 52:12-23.

2. Accordingly, God called for the Medes to prepare to attack Babylon as the instrument of judgment by the hand of the Lord against Babylon for having committed the capital offense of trespassing His temple precincts and holy furnishings in violation of His Law, Jeremiah 51:12.

3. Though Babylon who dwelt by the waters of the Euphrates River had become wealthy through trade and commerce, her end had come, Jeremiah 51:13; Ibid., p. 1202. The Lord of hosts had sworn by Himself to fill Babylon with invading Medes, soldiers as numerous as locusts in a locust plague that devours the whole countryside, a multitude of men who would raise the victory shout over Babylon, Jeremiah 51:14.

Lesson: For violating His Abrahamic Covenant in mistreating His people and for violating His Mosaic Law in trespassing the temple grounds and desecrating its furnishings and building, God would take vengeance against Babylon, destroying the city and obliterating its army on its own city streets.

Application: (1) May we obey God's Word in our era, knowing that just as the Lord held powerful Babylon accountable to be utterly destroyed for disobeying His Word, He will judge us in accord to our obedience to His Word in the end, 2 Timothy 4:1. (2) May we who teach or preach God's Word faithfully fulfill our duty to do so, knowing God will judge our hearers by that Word in the end, 2 Timothy 4:2.