Jeremiah 51:1-5
The people of 'Leb Kamai' were more likely a type of people. The phrase means 'heart of one who rises against me'. Babylon had become Leb Kamai itself. Because of this the Lord stirred up a destroyer to come in judgment. The total destruction of Babylon, her army and specifically her young men show that Judah and Israel were not forsaken by God. Even though both were full of guilt and deserving of judgment, the promises and covenant was not forsaken.
Jeremiah 51:6-10
Babylon was the gold cup in the Lord's hand; a took of judgment as they delivered the 'cup of wrath' to Israel and Judah. Babylon made the whole world drink of that wrath. The Lord will now take vengeance on Babylon and repay what is deserved.
The sins of Babylon were so great they reached the sky, the judgment then equaled the evil brought against others. There is no balm to heal the injury she has caused. God's children have been vindicated and can return home.
Jeremiah 51:11-14
Battle preparations are made among the Medes (to the north). When they come upon Babylon it is for the Lord's vengeance for the destruction of the temple. The destruction would come as a type of ambush in the complacency and arrogance of the king. The end had been declared and it would be brought about. The Lord stands as His witness. As the highest authority, He can swear by no higher authority; and by the testimony of two or more a thing shall be done.
Jeremiah 51:15-19
This passage is nearly the same as 10:12-16. It is the Lord's creation and that makes Him sovereign over it. The same power He uses to create can be used to judge those oppose Him. He is a creative God, but in justice He will un-create to bring a new creation again. Is this not what He does in us? We were born, created in His image. Yet, sin accompanied our flesh in our humanity. Yet, when we are broken for him, when our pride is finished, and we lay down arms, we can be 'born again' into Him.
The goldsmith forms something beautiful with his hands and believes he's created something of value. But the idols shame him in that they are without power, without authority or knowledge. It is senseless to think we can create something bigger than our self. Our creations are small and are often the result of putting our self in the place of God. Someone once said, "God created man in His own image and man has forever attempted to return the favor." God is God; we don't get to create a god of our own understanding or to our liking. These gods are worthless. Those who worship and know Yahweh are not like that. They know their Maker. Lord Almighty is His name, Jesus is His name.
Jeremiah 51:20-23
The tool of God's nation is referred to as a 'war club'. In Isaiah 10:5 we Assyria called the rod of God's anger. In other places Babylon is likened to the hammer on the anvil of judgment. Babylon became a weapon in God's hand. Every work, every victory, every move was at the Lord's will, for His prupose.
Jeremiah 51:24-26
God would avenge his people before their eyes for the destruction of the temple and other wicked works of Babylon. God had now set His hand against them. This nation appeared mighty and immovable as a mountain, but God is the mover of mountains. They would be rolled off the cliff. This mountain of a nation would be brought low.
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Jeremiah 51:27-32
The banner lifted up would be a call to arms, a gathering of armies against Babylon. The territories listed were controlled by the Medes. Battle preparations were to be made. This great battle would be on the horizon. The land is characterized as writhing, as if trying to escape what was coming. The destruction called for by God is sure.
The warriors of Babylon are shown to have become weaklings, or, the Hebrew word means 'womanlike'. The news of the fall comes to the king of Babylon, one messenger at a time.
Jeremiah 51:33-35
Babylon becomes like the threshing floor. This is where the grain is beat from the stalks, where the chaff is removed. It is place of judgment. All that was done by Nebuchadnezzar to Jerusalem is now called for to be done to them in vengeance for what happened at Zion.
Jeremiah 51:36-40
The Lord would therefore avenge Zion. Babylon would be the heap of ruins and haunt of jackals, an object of horror and scorn just as Zion was when it was judged by the hand of Babylon. The people roar like young lions; they growl and pretend to be mighty and strong when they were not. While they are stirred up in their passions, the Lord would throw a feast for them. They would be drunk and shout with laughter. The Lord would even allow them to use the implements of the temple to drink wine from. After that party, they would sleep forever. The Lord would deliver them into the hands of the Medes and the Persians. Cyrus would see to their destruction.
Jeremiah 51:41-44
Sheshak is an athbash cryptogram. This is a cryptogram where the beginning of the Hebrew alphabet is assigned letter starting on the opposite end of the alphabet and progressing this way through. Sheshak is the cryptogram designation of Babylon. It is unclear why this is presented this way. I suspect it is another picture of the reversal of fate as we've seen across this chapter.
The nation is characterized as being covered by the sea and roaring waves. Yet, also desolate, dry and deserted. No one will live there or travel there. It will have become 'nowhere'. Bel was the god of Babylon.
Jeremiah 51:45-53
As God's wrath approaches, the call goes out for God's people to come out. As the righteous were called out of Sodom and Gomorrah, as Noah and his family were called out of his day, we will be called out of this world someday. The rumors and tales will cause men to lose heart, but faith keeps us grounded. Babylon would be disgraced, the idols punished.
The slain fell because of Babylon, because they were to be judged. This same holds true of Babylon because of the work of their hand. Israel was disgraced and stood in shame of face because the destruction of the temple. In a similar way, punishment would come on Babylon's idols and on her land. She could not run far enough away or fortify her stronghold enough to escape God's hand.
Jeremiah 51:54-58
All the nation's labor will feed the flames of the destruction the Lord is bringing against Babylon. This nation that was once 'the destroyer' now has a destroyer coming against it. They will be drunk and die in their sleep. This could be literally true at the kings party when he saw the writing on the wall. That very night Babylon fell. This drunkenness also brings to mind the idea of them having to drink the cup of God's wrath. They would stagger and fall, never to rise again.
Jeremiah 51:59-64
The long oracle against Babylon ends with this symbolic act. Jeremiah wrote on a scroll all that would come against Babylon. Seraiah was part of the delegation accompanying Zedekiah to Babylon in 593BC. This may have been bring tribute to the King and making peace to show submission in response to a rebellion.
Seraiah was the brother of Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe (32:12). To perform this task could have been dangerous considering they were going to make peace after a rebellion. To flaunt their eventual destruction seems dangerous. We don't how this ended for Seraiah.
©2019 Doug Ford
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