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Text: Jeremiah 50-51
Pride before the fall
- The next two chapters in Jeremiah record God’s judgment on the Babylonian nation.
- 50:17, 51:59-64 shows the audience of this prophecy is Babylon.
- Judgment coming to Babylon (50:1-3)
- Remnant will return to Israel (50:4-8)
- Confederacy of nations will attack Babylon (50:9-16)
- Pride goes before destruction for Babylon (50:21-32) – Most proud vs 31
- Sword will destroy Babylon (50:33-46)
- Jeremiah details the desolation coming to Babylon (ch 51)
- Babylon was used by God, but became arrogant.
- Used by God does not mean right with God.
- People, and nations, we are not static creatures. We grow, we fall, we succeed, we fail. Because something good or bad happened yesterday doesn’t mean we’re in the same position today.
- Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
- God opposes the proud.
- Jeremiah’s record becomes a reality when Belshazzar is the king of Babylon. After two instances of national warning, this one by Jeremiah and another through Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel witnesses and explains the judgment to the king of Babylon in Daniel 5:17-31.
- Fall is described in 51:63-64
- Matches Jerusalem’s fall in Revelation 18:21-24. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. 21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. 22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; 23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
- Being the cause of others’ sin is something Jesus linked to this type of destruction.
- Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
- Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
- Luke 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
- There is an archeologist named Joel Kramer who puts out a documentary series on Biblical archeology called Expedition Bible. He went to the ruins of the city of Babylon and found some interesting things about it. This is Jeremiah’s prophecy against Babylon.
Preservation of the Seed
- Israel scattered by Babylon, but still carried the Seed
- Regathering of the remnant with a pardon (50:17-20)
- Christ is both the pardon and the source of regathering in unity. He’s lifted up and draws all men to himself.
The preacher
- 51:59-64
- Seraiah is Baruch’s brother. They are both the sons of Neriah.
- Study to be quiet. This man is the opposite of the hasty and proud nation he’s speaking against.
- Being quiet doesn’t necessarily mean silence, it means rest. It means not being contentious. It means not instigating fights.
- Study to be quiet. Learn to control your tongue so aren’t the cause of the fires that James speaks about. The tongue is a fire he says. Learn to control the fire. Learn to be a peacemaker.
