- I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea before your very eyes for all the evil that they have done in Zion, declares the Lord. Jeremiah 51:24 – While a very long chapter to read through, the message of it isn’t difficult to find. Babylon was to be destroyed. This nation that had destroyed so many other nations was now going to be seeing their own defeat and destruction. While Babylon certainly had its level of sinfulness for it was a pagan nation filled with idols and despicable practices of worship, our verse illuminates a primary reason Babylon was defeated. Babylon had brought extreme evil to Zion, to the nation of God’s people. They killed, plundered, separated, and destroyed. Even the temple of the Lord was destroyed by the hands of the Babylonians. What we then see in this chapter is God’s response to an enemy coming against Him and after His people. That enemy is going down. As Judah and Israel had the Lord standing up for them against Babylon, He is standing up for you as well. As He loved His people then, He loves you now. He is watching out for you, He is standing up against your enemy, and He will not allow the enemy to utterly crush you. While its hard sometimes to believe this for we still feel the darts of the enemy and even feel the crushing taking place, remember that the presence of the enemy isn’t a sign of the absence of God. As present as the enemy is, the Lord is more present. However much the enemy is working against you, God is working more for you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3281
- Every man is stupid and without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish. Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob, for he is the one who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; the Lord of hosts is his name. Jeremiah 51:17-19 – There is such a difference between what we create as our source of hope and the true source of hope Jesus. For those in the passage it was idols they created in which they put their hope. For us it could be our standing within the community we are in or the amount in our checkbook that we find our hope. Like the idols spoken of, whatever we place our hope in other than Jesus has no life to it and will pass away. Place then your hope in something that’s alive and permanent. Place your hope in something that when you need it, it will come through for you. Place your hope in Jesus. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 970
- 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. Jeremiah 51:53 – As you read this long chapter, it’s impossible to not see the main theme. The great nation of Babylon was finally coming down. In the verse above, we see Babylon building up her defenses and seeking to create a way to survive this promised destruction. The words of God were spoken to Babylon, Babylon sought to defend herself from the wrath of God, and the end result was her losing just like God said would happen. I point this out because this can happen in people’s lives today as well. God has made clear their sin and the destruction their sin will bring. They choose to continue in sin resting in the belief God’s not real and this whole eternity in Hell thing doesn’t actually happen. Then they die without Him and spend eternity in torment. I am unsure how many read these devotionals that aren’t followers of Jesus already, but if you aren’t a follower of Jesus yet my prayer and plea is that you acknowledge the need for Jesus in your life. Whether you accept it or not, death is coming to your story someday and without Jesus your story will end worse than Babylon. Reach out to me or another Christian for we’d love to help you see the life and rescue you can have in Jesus. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2183
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