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God’s plan for ‘Babylon’!

Scripture reading for July 19: Isaiah 13-16

Babylon was an ancient kingdom in the time of Isaiah.  It rose to world-dominating status a few decades after the ministry of the prophet.  As a city, Babylon rose to legendary status with it’s walls surrounding it and it’s hanging gardens an imitation of God’s garden.  It was located in the present-day country of Iraq and was near to where the Garden of Eden was originally located.  Babylon was characterized by pride, false religion, idolatry and man-centered achievement.  Isaiah brought God’s Word to those in Babylon.

God has an army of “holy ones” who will carry out His wrath and judgment, (Isaiah 13:3)and in mercy warned the Babylonians that His judgment was coming.  God’s army would bring “the day of the Lord”, a day of wrath against sinners.  (Isaiah 13:6-9)  This judgment will put an end to pride and arrogance and the evil of the wicked.  It would be a day of trembling heavens and shaking on the earth!  (Isaiah 13:11-13)  This army of “holy ones” will be none other than the Medes in the immediate fulfilment!  (Isaiah 13:17)  Isaiah prophetically predicted what God would do over 150 years before it happened!  Daniel the prophet got to read the handwriting of God on the wall of Babylon the night it fell to the Medes!  (Daniel 5:25-28) The city would be like Sodom and Gomorrah, never to be inhabited again!  (Isaiah 13:19-20)

But God is a God of hope and vision. Isaiah saw a day when God would have compassion on Israel and settle them in their own land.  (Isaiah 14:1-2)  Others would join themselves to Israel and Israel would possess the nations that took them captive!  God’s foresight revealed brings faith to endure!

The rest of Isaiah 14 is a taunt against the “king of Babylon” to be spoken by God’s people in the day they were set free!  God, Himself, would break the power of this wicked king.  He would be brought down to the grave and maggots and worms would cover him.  This prophecy prefigures the final destruction of Babylon and Satan foretold in Revelation 18 and Revelation 20:1-3 and verse 10:

Behind all earthly power and humanistic pride lurks the evil influence of Satan!  God will judge Satan and those under him.  We must be born again to escape!  God has provided the way out in Jesus Christ!  Can you take up the taunt against the “king of Babylon” today!  God’s Word declares His ultimate defeat!