Is Babylon symbolic of this world’s various oppressive systems that will eventually be destroyed? Let’s look at Jeremiah 51.
Though Babylon was an instrument of punishment against Judah, did they go too far, committing atrocities, desecrating the temple, and continuing in their idolatry?
This is what the Lord says: I am about to stir up a destructive wind against Babylon and against the population of Leb-qamai [Chaldea]. I will send strangers to Babylon who will scatter her and strip her land bare, for they will come against her from every side in the day of disaster.
Don’t let the archer string his bow; don’t let him put on his armor. Don’t spare her young men; completely destroy her entire army! Those who were slain will fall in the land of the Chaldeans, those who were pierced through, in her streets. For Israel and Judah are not left widowed by their God, the Lord of Hosts, though their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel. (Jer 51:1-5 HCSB)
Can circumstances change, so that one time God said not to flee Jerusalem, but now to flee Babylon?
Flee from Babylon, and each of you, escape with your life! Don’t be destroyed because of her guilt, for it’s time for the Lord’s vengeance. He is paying back what is due to her. Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine, therefore the nations have gone mad.
Suddenly, Babylon fell down and was shattered. Wail for her! Bring balm for her wound, perhaps she will be healed. We tried to heal Babylon, but she wouldn’t be healed. Leave her, and let each of us go to his own country. For her judgment has reached to the heavens, and is lifted up to the sky. The Lord will vindicate us. Come! Let us declare the work of the Lord our God in Zion. (Jer 51:6-10 ISV)
Who will destroy Babylon? Did the Medes and Persians invade Babylon from the north? Is a key statement: though abundant in treasures, Babylon’s end has come?
Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the Lord hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance of his temple. Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the Lord hath both devised and done that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon.
O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness. The Lord of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillers; and they shall lift up a shout against thee. (Jer 51:11-14 KJV)
How great is the one true God? Are molten images a lie, a work of mockery?
It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom, And by His understanding He stretched out the heavens. When He gives forth His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, And He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain And brings forth the wind from His storehouses.
All mankind is senseless, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his graven image, For his molten images are a lie, And there is no breath in them. They are vanity, a work of mockery; In the time of their punishment they will perish. The portion of Jacob is not like these; For the Maker of all is He, And of the tribe of His inheritance; Yahweh of hosts is His name. (Jer 51:15-19 LSB)
Is judgment about to fall upon Babylon, not just for general sins, but also for atrocities committed against Zion?
He says, “You are My war-club, My weapon of war; And with you I shatter nations, And with you I destroy kingdoms. With you I shatter the horse and his rider, And with you I shatter the chariot and its rider, And with you I shatter man and woman, And with you I shatter the old man and youth, And with you I shatter the young man and virgin, And with you I shatter the shepherd and his flock, And with you I shatter the farmer and his team, And with you I shatter governors and officials.
“But I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes,” declares the Lord. (Jer 51:20-24 NASB)
Why does God call Babylon a destructive mountain, not even useful for stone masonry?
“I am against you, you destroying mountain, you who destroy the whole earth,” declares the Lord. “I will stretch out my hand against you, roll you off the cliffs, and make you a burned-out mountain. No rock will be taken from you for a cornerstone, nor any stone for a foundation, for you will be desolate forever,” declares the Lord. (Jer 51:25-26 NIV)
Would God be sending a coalition of nations, the Medo-Persian empire, against Babylon?
Set up a banner in the land, Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her, Call the kingdoms together against her: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a general against her; Cause the horses to come up like the bristling locusts. Prepare against her the nations, With the kings of the Medes, Its governors and all its rulers, All the land of his dominion.
And the land will tremble and sorrow; For every purpose of the Lord shall be performed against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant. The mighty men of Babylon have ceased fighting, They have remained in their strongholds; Their might has failed, They became like women; They have burned her dwelling places, The bars of her gate are broken.
One runner will run to meet another, And one messenger to meet another, To show the king of Babylon that his city is taken on all sides; The passages are blocked, The reeds they have burned with fire, And the men of war are terrified. (Jer 32:27-32 NKJV)
Is all this detail to offer reassurance of justice and rescue to those who have suffered under a brutal regime?
This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Babylon is like wheat on a threshing floor, about to be trampled. In just a little while her harvest will begin.”
“King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has eaten and crushed us and drained us of strength. He has swallowed us like a great monster and filled his belly with our riches. He has thrown us out of our own country. Make Babylon suffer as she made us suffer,” say the people of Zion. “Make the people of Babylonia pay for spilling our blood,” says Jerusalem. (Jer 51:33-35 NLT)
While God brought Babylon to punish Judah, did they go too far, with excessive brutality and arrogance? Is this why He punishes Babylon as well?
Therefore Yahweh says: “Behold, I will plead your cause, and take vengeance for you. I will dry up her sea, and make her fountain dry. Babylon will become heaps, a dwelling place for jackals, an astonishment, and a hissing, without inhabitant. They will roar together like young lions. They will growl as lions’ cubs.
When they are inflamed, I will make their feast, and I will make them drunk, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake up,” says Yahweh. “I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with male goats. (Jer 51:36-40 (WEB)
Does the pride of Babylon picture the arrogance of this world’s idolatrous and oppressive systems?
How Sheshach [Babylon] has been defeated, the pride of the whole earth taken captive! How Babylon has become a wasteland among the nations! The sea has risen over Babylon; its pounding waves overwhelm her. Her towns are devastated; her land is scorched and barren, a place where no one lives or dares to pass through. I will punish Bel [an idol] in Babylon; I will force him to vomit what he’s consumed. Then nations will no longer stream to him, and Babylon’s walls will collapse! (Jer 51:41-44 CEB)
Is leaving Babylon symbolic of separating ourselves from worldly ways?
Get out of Babylon, my people, and run for your lives, before I strike the city in my anger! Don't be afraid or lose hope, though year after year there are rumors of leaders fighting for control in the city of Babylon. The time will come when I will punish Babylon's false gods. Everyone there will die, and the whole nation will be disgraced, when an army attacks from the north and brings destruction. Then the earth and the heavens and everything in them will celebrate. Babylon must be overthrown, because it slaughtered the people of Israel and of many other nations. (Jer 51:45-49 CEV)
Will God punish Babylon and her images for desecrating the temple in Jerusalem?
“You who have escaped from the sword, go, do not stand still! Remember the Lord from far away, and let Jerusalem come into your mind: ‘We are put to shame, for we have heard reproach; dishonor has covered our face, for foreigners have come into the holy places of the Lord's house.’
“Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will execute judgment upon her images, and through all her land the wounded shall groan. Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height, yet destroyers would come from me against her, declares the Lord. (Jer 51:50-53 ESV)
How much are our nations like Babylon, mighty, proud, and headed for destruction?
The sound of a cry from Babylon! The sound of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans! For the Lord is going to devastate Babylon; He will silence her mighty voice. Their waves roar like abundant waters; the tumult of their voice resounds, for a destroyer is coming against her, against Babylon. Her warriors will be captured, their bows shattered, for the Lord is a God of retribution; He will certainly repay.
I will make her princes and sages drunk, along with her governors, officials, and warriors. Then they will fall asleep forever and never wake up. This is the King’s declaration; Yahweh of Hosts is His name. This is what Yahweh of Hosts says: Babylon’s thick walls will be totally demolished, and her high gates consumed by fire. The peoples will have labored for nothing; the nations will exhaust themselves only to feed the fire. (Jer 51:54-58 HCSB)
What act did Jeremiah perform to illustrate Babylon’s fall?
This is the message that Jeremiah the prophet delivered to Neriah’s son Seraiah, the grandson of Mahseiah, when he went with King Zedekiah of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. Seraiah was the quartermaster. Jeremiah wrote on a single scroll all the disasters that would come on Babylon, all these things that were written about Babylon.
Jeremiah told Seraiah, “When you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words, and say, ‘Lord, you have declared about this place that you would destroy it so that there wouldn’t be an inhabitant in it, neither human nor animal, because it will be a wasteland forever.’
When you finish reading this scroll, tie a rock around it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates. Then say, ‘Babylon will sink like this and won’t rise from the disaster that I’m bringing on her. Her people will be exhausted.’” This concludes the writings of Jeremiah. (Jer 51:59-64 ISV)
Is this also symbolic of the fall of the final Babylon at Christ’s return?
And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. (Rev 14:8 KJV)
Is Babylon symbolic of this world’s various oppressive systems that will eventually be destroyed? You decide!
Against Babylon (Jeremiah 50)
No matter how powerful and arrogant an empire becomes, can God make it fade to nothing? Let’s look at Jeremiah 50.
What did God say about a nation from the north, the Medes attacking Babylon?
This is what the Lord said concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians through the prophet Jeremiah: Tell the nations; proclaim it far and wide! Set up a flag; proclaim it far and wide! Hold nothing back; just shout it: “Babylon is captured; Bel is shamed; Marduk is panic-stricken. Her images are shamed; her idols are panic-stricken.” A nation from the north has risen up against her. It will decimate her land, and no one will live in it. Every living thing will flee. (Jer 50:1-3 CEB)
Will Israel and Judah eventually embrace the new covenant? Were they like lost sheep?
The Lord said: People of Israel and Judah, when these things happen you will weep, and together you will return to your land and worship me, the Lord your God. You will ask the way to Zion and then come and join with me in making an agreement [covenant] you won't break or forget.
My people, you are lost sheep abandoned in the mountains by their shepherds. You don't even remember your resting place. I am your true pastureland, the one who gave hope to your ancestors. But you abandoned me, so when your enemies found you, they felt no guilt as they gobbled you up. (Jer 50:4-7 CEV)
Would Babylon be conquered? Will the end times Babylon also be conquered?
“Flee from the midst of Babylon, and go out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as male goats before the flock. For behold, I am stirring up and bringing against Babylon a gathering of great nations, from the north country. And they shall array themselves against her. From there she shall be taken. Their arrows are like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed. Chaldea shall be plundered; all who plunder her shall be sated, declares the Lord. (Jer 50:8-10 ESV)
As God used Babylon to punish Judah, will He also punish Babylon and make it desolate?
Because you rejoice, because you sing in triumph—you who plundered My inheritance—because you frolic like a young cow treading grain and neigh like stallions, your mother will be utterly humiliated; she who bore you will be put to shame. Look! She will lag behind all the nations—a dry land, a wilderness, an Arabah. Because of the Lord’s wrath, she will not be inhabited; she will become a desolation, every bit of her. Everyone who passes through Babylon will be horrified and scoff because of all her wounds. Line up in battle formation around Babylon, all you archers! Shoot at her! Do not spare an arrow, for she has sinned against the Lord. (Jer 50:11-13 HCSB)
In being used by God to punish Judah, had Babylon not learned who God is?
Deploy the troops all around Babylon. All who bend the bow, shoot at her and spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the Lord. Raise a battle cry against her on every side. She has surrendered, her pillars have fallen, her walls are thrown down. For this is the vengeance of the Lord. Take vengeance on her; as she has done, do to her. Eliminate from Babylon the one who plants seeds and the one who uses the sickle at harvest time. Because of the oppressor’s sword, let each one turn toward his own people and flee to his own land.” (Jer 50:14-16 ISV)
Had the tribes of Israel been conquered first by Assyria and then by Babylon?
Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones. (Jer 50:17 KJV)
Will God pardon the remnant of Israel and Judah, because no sin will be found? How is that possible except in Jesus?
Therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria. And I will return Israel back to his pasture, and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan, and his desire will be satisfied in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead. In those days and at that time,’ declares Yahweh, ‘search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.’ (Jer 50:18-20 LSB)
Was Babylon also to be completely destroyed because they fought against the Lord?
“Against the land of Merathaim [double bitterness], go up against it, And against the inhabitants of Pekod [punishment]. Kill and completely destroy them,” declares the Lord, “And do according to everything that I have commanded you. The noise of battle is in the land, And great destruction.
How the hammer of the whole earth Has been cut off and broken! How Babylon has become An object of horror among the nations! I set a trap for you and you were also caught, Babylon, While you yourself were not aware; You have been found and also seized Because you have engaged in conflict with the Lord.”
The Lord has opened His armory And has brought out the weapons of His indignation, For it is a work of the Lord God of armies In the land of the Chaldeans. Come to her from the farthest border; Open up her barns, Pile her up like heaps of grain And completely destroy her, Let nothing be left to her.
Put all her bulls to the sword; Let them go down to the slaughter! Woe be upon them, for their day has come, The time of their punishment. There is a sound of fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon, To declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, Vengeance for His temple. (Jer 50:21-28 NASB)
Had Babylon defied the Lord? Had she been an arrogant city? Have our nations been arrogant?
“Summon archers against Babylon, all those who draw the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her for her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,” declares the Lord.
“See, I am against you, you arrogant one,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty, “for your day has come, the time for you to be punished. The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no one will help her up; I will kindle a fire in her towns that will consume all who are around her.” (Jer 50:29-32 NIV)
Would God plead the case for Israel and Judah against their oppressors?
Thus says the Lord of hosts: “The children of Israel were oppressed, Along with the children of Judah; All who took them captive have held them fast; They have refused to let them go. Their Redeemer is strong; The Lord of hosts is His name. He will thoroughly plead their case, That He may give rest to the land, And disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon. (Jer 50:33-34 NKJV)
Is the lack of repentance from idolatry one reason that God is about to punish Babylon?
“The sword of destruction will strike the Babylonians,” says the Lord. “It will strike the people of Babylon—her officials and wise men, too. The sword will strike her wise counselors, and they will become fools. The sword will strike her mightiest warriors, and panic will seize them.
The sword will strike her horses and chariots and her allies from other lands, and they will all become like women. The sword will strike her treasures, and they all will be plundered. A drought will strike her water supply, causing it to dry up. And why? Because the whole land is filled with idols, and the people are madly in love with them. (Jer 50:35-38 NLT)
Is Babylon still a ruin to this very day, inhabited by wild animals?
Therefore the wild animals of the desert with the wolves will dwell there. The ostriches will dwell therein. It will be inhabited no more forever, neither will it be lived in from generation to generation. As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and its neighbor cities,” says Yahweh, “so no man will dwell there, neither will any son of man live therein. (Jer 50:39-40 WEB)
Would Babylon be conquered from the north, by the Medes?
Look! An army is on the move from the northern regions. A powerful nation and many kings are coming from the ends of the earth. Equipped with bow and spear, they are cruel and show no mercy. Their horsemen sound like the roaring sea, arrayed in battle formation against you, Daughter Babylon. The king of Babylon has heard reports of them and is panic-stricken; distress overwhelms him, pain like that of a woman in labor. (Jer 50:41-43 CEB)
Who does God say is ultimately responsible for Babylon’s destruction?
Babylonia, I will attack you like a lion from the forest, attacking sheep in a meadow along the Jordan. In a moment the flock runs, and the land is empty. Who will I choose to attack you? I will do it myself! No one can force me to fight or chase me away.
Listen to my plans for you, people of Babylonia. Your children will be dragged off, and your country destroyed. The sounds of your destruction will be heard among the nations, and the earth will shake. (Jer 50:44-46 CEV)
Is there an end time Babylon that will experience a similar fate?
Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; (Rev 18:21 ESV)
No matter how powerful and arrogant an empire becomes, can God make it fade to nothing? You decide!
What did God say about a nation from the north, the Medes attacking Babylon?
This is what the Lord said concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians through the prophet Jeremiah: Tell the nations; proclaim it far and wide! Set up a flag; proclaim it far and wide! Hold nothing back; just shout it: “Babylon is captured; Bel is shamed; Marduk is panic-stricken. Her images are shamed; her idols are panic-stricken.” A nation from the north has risen up against her. It will decimate her land, and no one will live in it. Every living thing will flee. (Jer 50:1-3 CEB)
Will Israel and Judah eventually embrace the new covenant? Were they like lost sheep?
The Lord said: People of Israel and Judah, when these things happen you will weep, and together you will return to your land and worship me, the Lord your God. You will ask the way to Zion and then come and join with me in making an agreement [covenant] you won't break or forget.
My people, you are lost sheep abandoned in the mountains by their shepherds. You don't even remember your resting place. I am your true pastureland, the one who gave hope to your ancestors. But you abandoned me, so when your enemies found you, they felt no guilt as they gobbled you up. (Jer 50:4-7 CEV)
Would Babylon be conquered? Will the end times Babylon also be conquered?
“Flee from the midst of Babylon, and go out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as male goats before the flock. For behold, I am stirring up and bringing against Babylon a gathering of great nations, from the north country. And they shall array themselves against her. From there she shall be taken. Their arrows are like a skilled warrior who does not return empty-handed. Chaldea shall be plundered; all who plunder her shall be sated, declares the Lord. (Jer 50:8-10 ESV)
As God used Babylon to punish Judah, will He also punish Babylon and make it desolate?
Because you rejoice, because you sing in triumph—you who plundered My inheritance—because you frolic like a young cow treading grain and neigh like stallions, your mother will be utterly humiliated; she who bore you will be put to shame. Look! She will lag behind all the nations—a dry land, a wilderness, an Arabah. Because of the Lord’s wrath, she will not be inhabited; she will become a desolation, every bit of her. Everyone who passes through Babylon will be horrified and scoff because of all her wounds. Line up in battle formation around Babylon, all you archers! Shoot at her! Do not spare an arrow, for she has sinned against the Lord. (Jer 50:11-13 HCSB)
In being used by God to punish Judah, had Babylon not learned who God is?
Deploy the troops all around Babylon. All who bend the bow, shoot at her and spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the Lord. Raise a battle cry against her on every side. She has surrendered, her pillars have fallen, her walls are thrown down. For this is the vengeance of the Lord. Take vengeance on her; as she has done, do to her. Eliminate from Babylon the one who plants seeds and the one who uses the sickle at harvest time. Because of the oppressor’s sword, let each one turn toward his own people and flee to his own land.” (Jer 50:14-16 ISV)
Had the tribes of Israel been conquered first by Assyria and then by Babylon?
Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones. (Jer 50:17 KJV)
Will God pardon the remnant of Israel and Judah, because no sin will be found? How is that possible except in Jesus?
Therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria. And I will return Israel back to his pasture, and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan, and his desire will be satisfied in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead. In those days and at that time,’ declares Yahweh, ‘search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.’ (Jer 50:18-20 LSB)
Was Babylon also to be completely destroyed because they fought against the Lord?
“Against the land of Merathaim [double bitterness], go up against it, And against the inhabitants of Pekod [punishment]. Kill and completely destroy them,” declares the Lord, “And do according to everything that I have commanded you. The noise of battle is in the land, And great destruction.
How the hammer of the whole earth Has been cut off and broken! How Babylon has become An object of horror among the nations! I set a trap for you and you were also caught, Babylon, While you yourself were not aware; You have been found and also seized Because you have engaged in conflict with the Lord.”
The Lord has opened His armory And has brought out the weapons of His indignation, For it is a work of the Lord God of armies In the land of the Chaldeans. Come to her from the farthest border; Open up her barns, Pile her up like heaps of grain And completely destroy her, Let nothing be left to her.
Put all her bulls to the sword; Let them go down to the slaughter! Woe be upon them, for their day has come, The time of their punishment. There is a sound of fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon, To declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, Vengeance for His temple. (Jer 50:21-28 NASB)
Had Babylon defied the Lord? Had she been an arrogant city? Have our nations been arrogant?
“Summon archers against Babylon, all those who draw the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her for her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,” declares the Lord.
“See, I am against you, you arrogant one,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty, “for your day has come, the time for you to be punished. The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no one will help her up; I will kindle a fire in her towns that will consume all who are around her.” (Jer 50:29-32 NIV)
Would God plead the case for Israel and Judah against their oppressors?
Thus says the Lord of hosts: “The children of Israel were oppressed, Along with the children of Judah; All who took them captive have held them fast; They have refused to let them go. Their Redeemer is strong; The Lord of hosts is His name. He will thoroughly plead their case, That He may give rest to the land, And disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon. (Jer 50:33-34 NKJV)
Is the lack of repentance from idolatry one reason that God is about to punish Babylon?
“The sword of destruction will strike the Babylonians,” says the Lord. “It will strike the people of Babylon—her officials and wise men, too. The sword will strike her wise counselors, and they will become fools. The sword will strike her mightiest warriors, and panic will seize them.
The sword will strike her horses and chariots and her allies from other lands, and they will all become like women. The sword will strike her treasures, and they all will be plundered. A drought will strike her water supply, causing it to dry up. And why? Because the whole land is filled with idols, and the people are madly in love with them. (Jer 50:35-38 NLT)
Is Babylon still a ruin to this very day, inhabited by wild animals?
Therefore the wild animals of the desert with the wolves will dwell there. The ostriches will dwell therein. It will be inhabited no more forever, neither will it be lived in from generation to generation. As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and its neighbor cities,” says Yahweh, “so no man will dwell there, neither will any son of man live therein. (Jer 50:39-40 WEB)
Would Babylon be conquered from the north, by the Medes?
Look! An army is on the move from the northern regions. A powerful nation and many kings are coming from the ends of the earth. Equipped with bow and spear, they are cruel and show no mercy. Their horsemen sound like the roaring sea, arrayed in battle formation against you, Daughter Babylon. The king of Babylon has heard reports of them and is panic-stricken; distress overwhelms him, pain like that of a woman in labor. (Jer 50:41-43 CEB)
Who does God say is ultimately responsible for Babylon’s destruction?
Babylonia, I will attack you like a lion from the forest, attacking sheep in a meadow along the Jordan. In a moment the flock runs, and the land is empty. Who will I choose to attack you? I will do it myself! No one can force me to fight or chase me away.
Listen to my plans for you, people of Babylonia. Your children will be dragged off, and your country destroyed. The sounds of your destruction will be heard among the nations, and the earth will shake. (Jer 50:44-46 CEV)
Is there an end time Babylon that will experience a similar fate?
Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; (Rev 18:21 ESV)
No matter how powerful and arrogant an empire becomes, can God make it fade to nothing? You decide!
Against Nations (Jeremiah 49)
What judgments did Jeremiah predict for surrounding nations, and what would God say about our modern nations? Let’s look at Jeremiah 49.
Against Ammon
Had Ammon seized territory from Gad, east of the Jordan River, while Israel was in exile?
Of the children of Ammon. Yahweh says: “Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then does Malcam [an idol, a king, Molech] possess Gad, and his people dwell in its cities? (Jer 49:1 WEB)
What is the modern name of the city of Rabbah, the capital of Ammon?
Therefore, the time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will sound the battle alarm against Rabbah [Amman], the capital city of the Ammonites. The city will be demolished, and its neighboring villages will be burned to the ground. Then Israel will repossess the land seized by its captors, says the Lord. Weep, you people of Heshbon; Ai has been destroyed. Wail, you daughters of Rabbah; put on funeral clothing, cry your eyes out, run for shelter. Milcom will surely go into exile, together with his priests and ministers. (Jer 49:2-3 CEB)
Is the arrogance that comes with wealth a deceptive delusion of safety?
You rebellious Ammonites trust your wealth and ask, “Who could attack us?” But I warn you not to boast when your strength is fading. I, the Lord All-Powerful, will send neighboring nations to strike you with terror. You will be scattered, with no one to care for your refugees. Yet someday, I will bring your people back home. I, the Lord, have spoken. (Jer 49:4-6 CEV)
Against Ammon
Had Ammon seized territory from Gad, east of the Jordan River, while Israel was in exile?
Of the children of Ammon. Yahweh says: “Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then does Malcam [an idol, a king, Molech] possess Gad, and his people dwell in its cities? (Jer 49:1 WEB)
What is the modern name of the city of Rabbah, the capital of Ammon?
Therefore, the time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will sound the battle alarm against Rabbah [Amman], the capital city of the Ammonites. The city will be demolished, and its neighboring villages will be burned to the ground. Then Israel will repossess the land seized by its captors, says the Lord. Weep, you people of Heshbon; Ai has been destroyed. Wail, you daughters of Rabbah; put on funeral clothing, cry your eyes out, run for shelter. Milcom will surely go into exile, together with his priests and ministers. (Jer 49:2-3 CEB)
Is the arrogance that comes with wealth a deceptive delusion of safety?
You rebellious Ammonites trust your wealth and ask, “Who could attack us?” But I warn you not to boast when your strength is fading. I, the Lord All-Powerful, will send neighboring nations to strike you with terror. You will be scattered, with no one to care for your refugees. Yet someday, I will bring your people back home. I, the Lord, have spoken. (Jer 49:4-6 CEV)
Against Edom
What does God have to say about Edom, south of the Dead Sea?
Concerning Edom. Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Is wisdom no more in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom vanished? Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan! For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time when I punish him. If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings? If thieves came by night, would they not destroy only enough for themselves?
But I have stripped Esau bare; I have uncovered his hiding places, and he is not able to conceal himself. His children are destroyed, and his brothers, and his neighbors; and he is no more. Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive; and let your widows trust in me.” (Jer 48:7-11 ESV)
Would the capital city of Edom be punished and desolate?
“For this is what the Lord says: If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, can you possibly remain unpunished? You will not remain unpunished, for you must drink it too. For by Myself I have sworn”— this is the Lord’s declaration —“Bozrah will become a desolation, a disgrace, a ruin, and a curse, and all her cities will become ruins forever.” (Jer 49:12-13 HCSB)
Was Edom, a nation of terror, to become the least of nations?
I’ve heard a message from the Lord, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: “Gather together and come up against her, and rise up to fight. Indeed, I’ll make you the least of the nations, despised among men. The terror you cause and the pride of your heart have deceived you. You who live in hidden places in the rocks, who hold on to the heights of the hill, although you make your nest high like the eagle, I’ll bring you down from there,” declares the Lord. (Jer 49:14-16 ISV)
Were Sodom and Gomorrah, once in this region, a warning?
Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it. Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me? (Jer 49:17-19 KJV)
Did Teman, the grandson of Esau, give his name to a region in Edom?
Therefore hear the counsel of Yahweh which He has counseled against Edom, and His purposes which He has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: surely they will drag them off, even the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their pasture desolate because of them. The earth has quaked at the noise of their downfall. There is an outcry! The noise of it has been heard at the Red Sea. Behold, He will mount up and swoop like an eagle and spread out His wings against Bozrah; and the hearts of the mighty men of Edom in that day will be like the heart of a woman in labor. (Jer 49:20-22 LSB)
What does God have to say about Edom, south of the Dead Sea?
Concerning Edom. Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Is wisdom no more in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom vanished? Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan! For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time when I punish him. If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings? If thieves came by night, would they not destroy only enough for themselves?
But I have stripped Esau bare; I have uncovered his hiding places, and he is not able to conceal himself. His children are destroyed, and his brothers, and his neighbors; and he is no more. Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive; and let your widows trust in me.” (Jer 48:7-11 ESV)
Would the capital city of Edom be punished and desolate?
“For this is what the Lord says: If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, can you possibly remain unpunished? You will not remain unpunished, for you must drink it too. For by Myself I have sworn”— this is the Lord’s declaration —“Bozrah will become a desolation, a disgrace, a ruin, and a curse, and all her cities will become ruins forever.” (Jer 49:12-13 HCSB)
Was Edom, a nation of terror, to become the least of nations?
I’ve heard a message from the Lord, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: “Gather together and come up against her, and rise up to fight. Indeed, I’ll make you the least of the nations, despised among men. The terror you cause and the pride of your heart have deceived you. You who live in hidden places in the rocks, who hold on to the heights of the hill, although you make your nest high like the eagle, I’ll bring you down from there,” declares the Lord. (Jer 49:14-16 ISV)
Were Sodom and Gomorrah, once in this region, a warning?
Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it. Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me? (Jer 49:17-19 KJV)
Did Teman, the grandson of Esau, give his name to a region in Edom?
Therefore hear the counsel of Yahweh which He has counseled against Edom, and His purposes which He has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: surely they will drag them off, even the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their pasture desolate because of them. The earth has quaked at the noise of their downfall. There is an outcry! The noise of it has been heard at the Red Sea. Behold, He will mount up and swoop like an eagle and spread out His wings against Bozrah; and the hearts of the mighty men of Edom in that day will be like the heart of a woman in labor. (Jer 49:20-22 LSB)
Against Damascus
Is much of this prophecy against Syrian cities yet to be fulfilled?
Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, For they have heard bad news; They despair. There is anxiety at the sea, It cannot be calmed. Damascus has become helpless; She has turned away to flee, And panic has gripped her; Distress and labor pains have seized her Like a woman in childbirth. How the city of praise has not been deserted, The town of My joy! Therefore, her young men will fall in her streets, And all the men of war will perish on that day,” declares the Lord of armies. “I will set fire to the wall of Damascus, And it will devour the fortified palace of Ben-hadad.” (Jer 49:23-27 NASB)
Is much of this prophecy against Syrian cities yet to be fulfilled?
Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, For they have heard bad news; They despair. There is anxiety at the sea, It cannot be calmed. Damascus has become helpless; She has turned away to flee, And panic has gripped her; Distress and labor pains have seized her Like a woman in childbirth. How the city of praise has not been deserted, The town of My joy! Therefore, her young men will fall in her streets, And all the men of war will perish on that day,” declares the Lord of armies. “I will set fire to the wall of Damascus, And it will devour the fortified palace of Ben-hadad.” (Jer 49:23-27 NASB)
Against Kedar and Hazor
Are Kedar and Hazor, allied nomadic and semi-nomadic clans of Arabia, descended from Ishmael, also warned of a Babylonian invasion?
Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked: This is what the Lord says: “Arise, and attack Kedar and destroy the people of the East. Their tents and their flocks will be taken; their shelters will be carried off with all their goods and camels. People will shout to them, ‘Terror on every side!’ “Flee quickly away! Stay in deep caves, you who live in Hazor,” declares the Lord. “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has plotted against you; he has devised a plan against you. (Jer 49:28-30 NIV)
Would that Babylonian invasion be for them total devastation?
“Arise, go up to the wealthy nation that dwells securely,” says the Lord, “Which has neither gates nor bars, Dwelling alone. Their camels shall be for booty, And the multitude of their cattle for plunder. I will scatter to all winds those in the farthest corners, And I will bring their calamity from all its sides,” says the Lord. “Hazor shall be a dwelling for jackals, a desolation forever; No one shall reside there, Nor son of man dwell in it.” (Jer 49:31-33 NKJV)
Are Kedar and Hazor, allied nomadic and semi-nomadic clans of Arabia, descended from Ishmael, also warned of a Babylonian invasion?
Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked: This is what the Lord says: “Arise, and attack Kedar and destroy the people of the East. Their tents and their flocks will be taken; their shelters will be carried off with all their goods and camels. People will shout to them, ‘Terror on every side!’ “Flee quickly away! Stay in deep caves, you who live in Hazor,” declares the Lord. “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has plotted against you; he has devised a plan against you. (Jer 49:28-30 NIV)
Would that Babylonian invasion be for them total devastation?
“Arise, go up to the wealthy nation that dwells securely,” says the Lord, “Which has neither gates nor bars, Dwelling alone. Their camels shall be for booty, And the multitude of their cattle for plunder. I will scatter to all winds those in the farthest corners, And I will bring their calamity from all its sides,” says the Lord. “Hazor shall be a dwelling for jackals, a desolation forever; No one shall reside there, Nor son of man dwell in it.” (Jer 49:31-33 NKJV)
Against Elam
What did God say to Elam, between Iraq and Iran on the northern shore of the Persian Gulf? Though He disciplined them severely, did God promise later restoration?
This message concerning Elam came to the prophet Jeremiah from the Lord at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “I will destroy the archers of Elam—the best of their forces. I will bring enemies from all directions, and I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds. They will be exiled to countries around the world.
I myself will go with Elam’s enemies to shatter it. In my fierce anger, I will bring great disaster upon the people of Elam,” says the Lord. “Their enemies will chase them with the sword until I have destroyed them completely. I will set my throne in Elam,” says the Lord, “and I will destroy its king and officials. But I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Jer 49:34-39 NLT)
Were representatives of these nations present at Pentecost?
How do we hear, everyone in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes (Acts 2:8-10 WEB)
What judgments did Jeremiah predict for surrounding nations, and what would God say about our modern nations? You decide!
What did God say to Elam, between Iraq and Iran on the northern shore of the Persian Gulf? Though He disciplined them severely, did God promise later restoration?
This message concerning Elam came to the prophet Jeremiah from the Lord at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “I will destroy the archers of Elam—the best of their forces. I will bring enemies from all directions, and I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds. They will be exiled to countries around the world.
I myself will go with Elam’s enemies to shatter it. In my fierce anger, I will bring great disaster upon the people of Elam,” says the Lord. “Their enemies will chase them with the sword until I have destroyed them completely. I will set my throne in Elam,” says the Lord, “and I will destroy its king and officials. But I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Jer 49:34-39 NLT)
Were representatives of these nations present at Pentecost?
How do we hear, everyone in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes (Acts 2:8-10 WEB)
What judgments did Jeremiah predict for surrounding nations, and what would God say about our modern nations? You decide!
Against Moab (Jeremiah 48)
In Moab, is there a lesson about national arrogance? Let’s begin in Jeremiah 48.
Is this prophecy concerning the kingdom of Moab, east of the Dead Sea, the people descended from Lot’s son, Moab, known for Balak and Balaam, and child sacrifice to the idol Chemosh?
This message was given concerning Moab. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: (Jer 48:1a NLT)
What specific cities east of the Dead Sea are mentioned?
“What sorrow awaits the city of Nebo; it will soon lie in ruins. The city of Kiriathaim will be humiliated and captured; the fortress will be humiliated and broken down. No one will ever brag about Moab again, for in Heshbon there is a plot to destroy her. ‘Come,’ they say, ‘we will cut her off from being a nation.’ The town of Madmen, too, will be silenced; the sword will follow you there.
Listen to the cries from Horonaim, cries of devastation and great destruction. All Moab is destroyed. Her little ones will cry out. Her refugees weep bitterly, climbing the slope to Luhith. They cry out in terror, descending the slope to Horonaim. (Jer 48:1b-5 NLT)
Does trusting in national achievements and wealth save a country from devastation?
Flee! Save your lives! Be like the juniper bush in the wilderness. For, because you have trusted in your works and in your treasures, you also will be taken. Chemosh will go out into captivity, his priests and his princes together. The destroyer will come on every city, and no city will escape; the valley also will perish, and the plain will be destroyed, as Yahweh has spoken. (Jer 48:6-8 WEB)
What would God say to those who believe He should restrain from punishing a nation for its sins?
Give wings to Moab, and it would fly away because its towns lie in ruins, with no one left in them. Cursed is the one who is halfhearted in doing the Lord’s work. Cursed is the one who restrains the sword from bloodshed. (Jer 48:9-10 CEB)
Did either prosperity or a pagan god aid Moab in surviving a military attack?
Moab, you are like wine left to settle undisturbed, never poured from jar to jar. And so, your nation continues to prosper and improve. But now, I will send enemies to pour out the wine and smash the jars! Then you will be ashamed, because your god Chemosh cannot save you, just as Bethel could not help the Israelites. (Jer 48:11-13 CEV)
If the might and wealth of a nation like Moab could not save them, what about us?
“How do you say, ‘We are heroes and mighty men of war’? The destroyer of Moab and his cities has come up, and the choicest of his young men have gone down to slaughter, declares the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts. The calamity of Moab is near at hand, and his affliction hastens swiftly. Grieve for him, all you who are around him, and all who know his name; say, ‘How the mighty scepter is broken, the glorious staff.’ (Jer 48:14-17 ESV)
If God wants to punish even a glorious nation for gross sins, who is going to stop Him?
Come down from glory; sit on parched ground, resident of the daughter of Dibon, for the destroyer of Moab has come against you; he has destroyed your fortresses. Stand by the highway and look, resident of Aroer! Ask him who is fleeing or her who is escaping: What happened? Moab is put to shame, indeed dismayed. Wail and cry out! Declare by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed. (Jer 48:18-20 HCSB)
Would God judge many cities in our nations today? Do we exalt ourselves against the Lord?
Judgment has come to the plateau: to Holon and Jahzah, and against Mephaath, Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim, against Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon, against Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the towns in the land of Moab, both far and near. The strength of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken,” declares the Lord.
“Make him drunk for he has exalted himself against the Lord. Moab will wallow in his vomit, and he will be the object of mocking. Wasn’t Israel an object of mocking for you? Wasn’t he treated like a thief, so that whenever you spoke about him you shook your head in contempt? (Jer 48:21-27 ISV)
Did God encourage people to flee their homes, to live in caves for protection?
O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole's mouth. (Jer 48:28 KJV)
Is pride a weakness in very rich countries? Does such arrogance really accomplish anything? Will God mourn Moab?
We have heard of the pride of Moab—he is very proud—Of his haughtiness, his pride, his arrogance, and the exaltedness of his heart. I know his fury,” declares Yahweh, “But it is nothing; His idle boasts have accomplished nothing. Therefore I will wail for Moab, Even for all Moab will I cry out; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres.
More than the weeping for Jazer I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah! Your branches stretched across the sea, They reached to the sea of Jazer; Upon your summer fruits and your grape harvest The destroyer has fallen. So gladness and joy are gathered up From the fruitful orchard, even from the land of Moab. And I have made the wine to cease from the wine presses; No one will tread them with shouting, The shouting will not be shouts of joy. (Jer 48:29-33 LSB)
Will God punish a nation worshiping idols, break them like an unwanted vessel, and make them a laughing stock?
From the outcry at Heshbon to Elealeh, to Jahaz they have raised their voice, from Zoar to Horonaim, and to Eglath-shelishiyah; for even the waters of Nimrim will become desolate. And I will put an end to Moab,” declares the Lord, “the one who offers sacrifice on the high place and the one who burns incense to his gods.
“Therefore My heart makes a sound like flutes for Moab; My heart also makes a sound like flutes for the men of Kir-heres. Therefore they have lost the abundance it produced. For every head is shaved bald, and every beard cut short; there are gashes on all the hands, and sackcloth around the waists. On all the housetops of Moab and in its public squares there is mourning everywhere; for I have broken Moab like an undesirable vessel,” declares the Lord. “How shattered it is! How they have wailed! How Moab has turned his back—he is ashamed! So Moab will become a laughingstock and an object of terror to all around him.” (Jer 48:34-39 NASB)
Is God even more specific regarding the sins and punishment of Moab? Does defying the Lord eventually cause a nation’s destruction?
This is what the Lord says: “Look! An eagle is swooping down, spreading its wings over Moab. Kerioth will be captured and the strongholds taken. In that day the hearts of Moab’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor. Moab will be destroyed as a nation because she defied the Lord. Terror and pit and snare await you, you people of Moab,” declares the Lord. “Whoever flees from the terror will fall into a pit, whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare; for I will bring on Moab the year of her punishment,” declares the Lord. (Jer 48:40-44 NIV)
Will God allow the descendants of Moab to return home in the latter days?
“Those who fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon Because of exhaustion. But a fire shall come out of Heshbon, A flame from the midst of Sihon, And shall devour the brow of Moab, The crown of the head of the sons of tumult. Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh [their main idol] perish; For your sons have been taken captive, And your daughters captive. “Yet I will bring back the captives of Moab In the latter days,” says the Lord. Thus far is the judgment of Moab. (Jer 48:45-47 NKJV)
Does God warn against national pride and arrogance? Is there a difference between love of nation and national pride?
And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6 NLT)
In Moab, is there a lesson about national arrogance? You decide!
Is this prophecy concerning the kingdom of Moab, east of the Dead Sea, the people descended from Lot’s son, Moab, known for Balak and Balaam, and child sacrifice to the idol Chemosh?
This message was given concerning Moab. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: (Jer 48:1a NLT)
What specific cities east of the Dead Sea are mentioned?
“What sorrow awaits the city of Nebo; it will soon lie in ruins. The city of Kiriathaim will be humiliated and captured; the fortress will be humiliated and broken down. No one will ever brag about Moab again, for in Heshbon there is a plot to destroy her. ‘Come,’ they say, ‘we will cut her off from being a nation.’ The town of Madmen, too, will be silenced; the sword will follow you there.
Listen to the cries from Horonaim, cries of devastation and great destruction. All Moab is destroyed. Her little ones will cry out. Her refugees weep bitterly, climbing the slope to Luhith. They cry out in terror, descending the slope to Horonaim. (Jer 48:1b-5 NLT)
Does trusting in national achievements and wealth save a country from devastation?
Flee! Save your lives! Be like the juniper bush in the wilderness. For, because you have trusted in your works and in your treasures, you also will be taken. Chemosh will go out into captivity, his priests and his princes together. The destroyer will come on every city, and no city will escape; the valley also will perish, and the plain will be destroyed, as Yahweh has spoken. (Jer 48:6-8 WEB)
What would God say to those who believe He should restrain from punishing a nation for its sins?
Give wings to Moab, and it would fly away because its towns lie in ruins, with no one left in them. Cursed is the one who is halfhearted in doing the Lord’s work. Cursed is the one who restrains the sword from bloodshed. (Jer 48:9-10 CEB)
Did either prosperity or a pagan god aid Moab in surviving a military attack?
Moab, you are like wine left to settle undisturbed, never poured from jar to jar. And so, your nation continues to prosper and improve. But now, I will send enemies to pour out the wine and smash the jars! Then you will be ashamed, because your god Chemosh cannot save you, just as Bethel could not help the Israelites. (Jer 48:11-13 CEV)
If the might and wealth of a nation like Moab could not save them, what about us?
“How do you say, ‘We are heroes and mighty men of war’? The destroyer of Moab and his cities has come up, and the choicest of his young men have gone down to slaughter, declares the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts. The calamity of Moab is near at hand, and his affliction hastens swiftly. Grieve for him, all you who are around him, and all who know his name; say, ‘How the mighty scepter is broken, the glorious staff.’ (Jer 48:14-17 ESV)
If God wants to punish even a glorious nation for gross sins, who is going to stop Him?
Come down from glory; sit on parched ground, resident of the daughter of Dibon, for the destroyer of Moab has come against you; he has destroyed your fortresses. Stand by the highway and look, resident of Aroer! Ask him who is fleeing or her who is escaping: What happened? Moab is put to shame, indeed dismayed. Wail and cry out! Declare by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed. (Jer 48:18-20 HCSB)
Would God judge many cities in our nations today? Do we exalt ourselves against the Lord?
Judgment has come to the plateau: to Holon and Jahzah, and against Mephaath, Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim, against Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon, against Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the towns in the land of Moab, both far and near. The strength of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken,” declares the Lord.
“Make him drunk for he has exalted himself against the Lord. Moab will wallow in his vomit, and he will be the object of mocking. Wasn’t Israel an object of mocking for you? Wasn’t he treated like a thief, so that whenever you spoke about him you shook your head in contempt? (Jer 48:21-27 ISV)
Did God encourage people to flee their homes, to live in caves for protection?
O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole's mouth. (Jer 48:28 KJV)
Is pride a weakness in very rich countries? Does such arrogance really accomplish anything? Will God mourn Moab?
We have heard of the pride of Moab—he is very proud—Of his haughtiness, his pride, his arrogance, and the exaltedness of his heart. I know his fury,” declares Yahweh, “But it is nothing; His idle boasts have accomplished nothing. Therefore I will wail for Moab, Even for all Moab will I cry out; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres.
More than the weeping for Jazer I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah! Your branches stretched across the sea, They reached to the sea of Jazer; Upon your summer fruits and your grape harvest The destroyer has fallen. So gladness and joy are gathered up From the fruitful orchard, even from the land of Moab. And I have made the wine to cease from the wine presses; No one will tread them with shouting, The shouting will not be shouts of joy. (Jer 48:29-33 LSB)
Will God punish a nation worshiping idols, break them like an unwanted vessel, and make them a laughing stock?
From the outcry at Heshbon to Elealeh, to Jahaz they have raised their voice, from Zoar to Horonaim, and to Eglath-shelishiyah; for even the waters of Nimrim will become desolate. And I will put an end to Moab,” declares the Lord, “the one who offers sacrifice on the high place and the one who burns incense to his gods.
“Therefore My heart makes a sound like flutes for Moab; My heart also makes a sound like flutes for the men of Kir-heres. Therefore they have lost the abundance it produced. For every head is shaved bald, and every beard cut short; there are gashes on all the hands, and sackcloth around the waists. On all the housetops of Moab and in its public squares there is mourning everywhere; for I have broken Moab like an undesirable vessel,” declares the Lord. “How shattered it is! How they have wailed! How Moab has turned his back—he is ashamed! So Moab will become a laughingstock and an object of terror to all around him.” (Jer 48:34-39 NASB)
Is God even more specific regarding the sins and punishment of Moab? Does defying the Lord eventually cause a nation’s destruction?
This is what the Lord says: “Look! An eagle is swooping down, spreading its wings over Moab. Kerioth will be captured and the strongholds taken. In that day the hearts of Moab’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor. Moab will be destroyed as a nation because she defied the Lord. Terror and pit and snare await you, you people of Moab,” declares the Lord. “Whoever flees from the terror will fall into a pit, whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare; for I will bring on Moab the year of her punishment,” declares the Lord. (Jer 48:40-44 NIV)
Will God allow the descendants of Moab to return home in the latter days?
“Those who fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon Because of exhaustion. But a fire shall come out of Heshbon, A flame from the midst of Sihon, And shall devour the brow of Moab, The crown of the head of the sons of tumult. Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh [their main idol] perish; For your sons have been taken captive, And your daughters captive. “Yet I will bring back the captives of Moab In the latter days,” says the Lord. Thus far is the judgment of Moab. (Jer 48:45-47 NKJV)
Does God warn against national pride and arrogance? Is there a difference between love of nation and national pride?
And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6 NLT)
In Moab, is there a lesson about national arrogance? You decide!
Against Philistia (Jeremiah 47)
Did God cause the Philistines, a coastal culture that arose from Crete and possibly the Aegean, to disappear from history as punishment? What does God think about our civilization? Let’s begin in Jeremiah 47.
What is the next nation that God had a message for?
This is the message from the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh conquered Gaza. (Jer 47:1 ISV)
How does God figuratively describe an invasion from the north, from Babylon?
Thus saith the Lord; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl. (Jer 47:2 KJV)
Which coastal cities specifically will be destroyed? From which island were the Philistines a remnant?
Because of the noise of the galloping hoofs of his valiant steeds, The quaking of his chariots, and the tumult of his wheels, The fathers have not turned back for their children, Because of the limpness of their hands, On account of the day that is coming To destroy all the Philistines, To cut off from Tyre and Sidon Every ally that is left; For Yahweh is going to destroy the Philistines, The remnant of the coastland of Caphtor [Crete]. (Jer 47:3-4 LSB)
What other coastal areas are also included in this destruction? Were shaving the head and self-mutilation customs of mourning?
Baldness has come upon Gaza; Ashkelon has been destroyed. Remnant of their valley, How long will you gash yourself? (Jer 47:5 NASB)
Who commanded the divine sword to attack Ashkelon and the coast?
“‘Alas, sword of the Lord, how long till you rest? Return to your sheath; cease and be still.’ But how can it rest when the Lord has commanded it, when he has ordered it to attack Ashkelon and the coast?” (Jer 47:6-7 NIV)
Where else is God’s punishment of nations described as like a sharp sword?
Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Rev 19:15 NKJV)
Did God cause the Philistines, a coastal culture that arose from Crete and possibly the Aegean, to disappear from history as punishment? What does God think about our civilization? You decide!
What is the next nation that God had a message for?
This is the message from the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh conquered Gaza. (Jer 47:1 ISV)
How does God figuratively describe an invasion from the north, from Babylon?
Thus saith the Lord; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl. (Jer 47:2 KJV)
Which coastal cities specifically will be destroyed? From which island were the Philistines a remnant?
Because of the noise of the galloping hoofs of his valiant steeds, The quaking of his chariots, and the tumult of his wheels, The fathers have not turned back for their children, Because of the limpness of their hands, On account of the day that is coming To destroy all the Philistines, To cut off from Tyre and Sidon Every ally that is left; For Yahweh is going to destroy the Philistines, The remnant of the coastland of Caphtor [Crete]. (Jer 47:3-4 LSB)
What other coastal areas are also included in this destruction? Were shaving the head and self-mutilation customs of mourning?
Baldness has come upon Gaza; Ashkelon has been destroyed. Remnant of their valley, How long will you gash yourself? (Jer 47:5 NASB)
Who commanded the divine sword to attack Ashkelon and the coast?
“‘Alas, sword of the Lord, how long till you rest? Return to your sheath; cease and be still.’ But how can it rest when the Lord has commanded it, when he has ordered it to attack Ashkelon and the coast?” (Jer 47:6-7 NIV)
Where else is God’s punishment of nations described as like a sharp sword?
Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Rev 19:15 NKJV)
Did God cause the Philistines, a coastal culture that arose from Crete and possibly the Aegean, to disappear from history as punishment? What does God think about our civilization? You decide!
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