Session 12 | Jeremiah 50:11-20,33-34
the judgment that was coming for Babylon because they had rejoiced over their defeat of God’s people.
11 Because you rejoice, because you celebrate—
you who plundered my inheritance—
because you frolic like a young cow treading grain and neigh like stallions,12 your mother will be utterly humiliated;
she who bore you will be put to shame.
Look! She will lag behind all the nations—an arid wilderness, a desert.13 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 appalled and scoff because of all her wounds.14 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.15 Raise a war cry against her on every side! She has thrown up her hands in surrender;
her defense towers have fallen;
her walls are demolished.
Since this is the LORD’s vengeance, take your vengeance on her;
as she has done, do the same to her.16 Cut off the sower from Babylon as well as him who wields the sickle at harvest time.
Because of the oppressor’s sword, each will turn to his own people, each will flee to his own land.
the mighty Babylonians had displayed a prideful attitude, celebrating their victory over God’s people
and turning Jerusalem into a desolate wasteland.
They had refused to acknowledge God’s role in their victory
or their responsibility to treat others as He expected them to be treated.
Instead, they demonstrated cruelty and arrogance, which is what God was going to judge.
Point out that God would punish them in the same ways they had punished God’s people.
always look for God’s hand at work and to pray for His wisdom.
Note that believers do not want to fall into the same prideful trap
of missing God’s work in and through us.
God would raise up enemies who would defeat Babylon.
when that happened, the people of God would return to their homelands and follow the Lord.
The fall of the Babylonian empire was but a foretaste of the day of the Lord,
when He will once and for all defeat and eradicate His enemies
and the enemies of His people,
as John described in Revelation 18.
God does not always work things out as quickly as we think He should.
He does things in His own good time, but He does it perfectly.
God promised that justice was coming
because of Babylon’s treatment of His people.
But alo
ng with justice, God also promises forgiveness.