GEMS FROM JEREMIAH (50) Babylon as tool and target

 

“Thus says the Lord: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. Those who stay in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but those who go out and surrender to the Chaldeans who are besieging you shall live and shall have their lives as a prize of war. For I have set my face against this city for evil and not for good, says the Lord; it shall be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.” (Jer. 21.8-10)

     One aspect of Jeremiah’s message had been to challenge and denounce the presumption of the people of God, who believed that since they were the people of Yahweh and since his temple was in Jerusalem, the city was impervious to attack and defeat (cf. Jer. 7.1-15).  Jeremiah had reminded the inhabitants of Zion that Yahweh’s presence/protection was not a foregone conclusion, but was rather dependent on his people’s faithful honouring of the covenant.  Yahweh cannot be manipulated and remains the sovereign King of the nations (cf. Ps. 47.2), who uses the kingdoms of the earth to fulfill his purposes.  Yahweh laughs at the arrogance of kings and emperors, who believe that they are endowed with divine power (cf. Ps. 2.4-6; Jer. 50.31-32).  Yahweh is the Lord of history, and guides the rise and fall of empires in such a way that his will is accomplished (cf. Jer. 50.45).

     The people of God are no exception to the rule of Yahweh over the nations.  Throughout the book of Jeremiah, the prophet had proclaimed that Babylon was Yahweh’s instrument of judgment against his people – the Judahites and the residents of Jerusalem.  Indeed, from the very first verses of the book, disaster “from the north” had been predicted:

“Out of the north disaster shall break out on all the inhabitants of the land. For now I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord, and they shall come, and all of them shall set their thrones at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its surrounding walls and against all the cities of Judah.” (Jer. 1.14-15)

When disaster strikes Jerusalem, the people of God are not to understand this as the result of “blind historical forces”, or (only) the result of political machinations; au contraire, Jeremiah had insisted that when disaster befalls Zion, it would be precisely because Yahweh had willed it to happen.  In chapter 39, the worst finally occurred – the forces of Nebuchadnezzar penetrated the walls of Jerusalem, sacked the city along with Yahweh’s Temple and had exiled the inhabitants to Babylonia.

     However, just as Yahweh did not choose Israel to be his people because of their inherent virtue or value (cf. Dt. 7.7-8), so Yahweh does not use Babylon as his tool of judgment because Babylon is “better” than Israel.  Yahweh’s “use” of the kingdoms of the earth do not depend on either their virtue or their vice, but rather on his sovereign plan.  Every nation is held accountable for their actions, and every kingdom will be judged in turn.  In chapters 50—51, Jeremiah predicts the moment when the tables will have been turned and when Babylon herself will receive her comeuppance.  Once again, judgment will come out of “the north” (Jer. 50.3, 9, 41) which, this time, means the Medes and the Persians (Jer. 51.11, 28-29).  Indeed, in the year 539 B.C. (48 years after the destruction of Jerusalem), Cyrus the Persian conquered Babylon (cf. Is. 45.1).  As Jeremiah had said that Jerusalem would be an uninhabited desolation (cf. Jer. 32.42-43), so now he says the same about Babylon (50.3).

     Jeremiah links the deliverance of the people of God with the “destruction” of Babylon (in actuality, when the Persians conquered the Babylonian empire, they did not destroy the city of Babylon, as the Babylonians had done to Jerusalem).  Jeremiah prophecies that when this happens, the (reunited) people of God will “ask the way to Zion” (Jer. 50.4-5).  Jeremiah compares the people of God to lost sheep (50.6-7, 17-20) whom Yahweh will gather and lead to pasture in their own land.  Jeremiah urges the people of God to “flee from Babylon” (50.8; 51.6, 45).  Jeremiah announces that Yahweh will apply the law of lex talionis to Babylon (cf. Ex. 21.24; Lev. 24.20; Jer. 50.15, 29); what Babylon has done to Jerusalem will be done to her.  Jeremiah proclaims that Yahweh will avenge himself against Babylon (Jer. 50.15, 28; 51.11, 35-36, 56; cf. Rom. 12.19).

     In Jer. 50.35-38, Yahweh issues a 6-part summons for “a sword” against the Chaldeans, the inhabitants of Babylon, her officials and her sages, the diviners, her warriors, her horses and chariots, all the foreign troops in her midst and against all her treasures – as well as a drought against her waters.  “At the sound of the capture of Babylon the earth shall tremble, and her cry shall be heard among the nations” (Jer. 50.46).  Babylon, “the hammer of the whole earth, is cut down and broken!” (Jer. 50.23).  The judgment of Babylon is also the judgment of her gods (Jer. 50.2; 51.44, 47, 52).  Yahweh, the creator of heaven and earth, will demonstrate his uniqueness and power when he conquers Babylon and all her idols (Jer. 51.15-19).  All nations have their gods and all kingdoms seek to rule the earth, says Jeremiah, but Yahweh will demonstrate that he is the one true God when he vindicates his people (Jer. 51.10; cf. chapters 30—33).