Babylon is going down (Part 2 of 2): Jeremiah chapter 51

  Truth and Consequences: 

A study in the prophecy of Jeremiah

Chapter 51

By Bob Mendelsohn

Given 8 December 2022

 

Lesson Fifty:   Babylon is going down (part 2 of 2)

 

INTRODUCTION

 Some weeks ago, when I was readying to teach chapter 46, I stayed up late and watched a sports contest. Today, I cannot remember who were the contestants. Sometime during that contest, I fell asleep and to this day have no recall of who won or lost. What I do remember is awakening to the sound of the television, “But wait, there’s more.” Yes, it was a late-night infomercial with all kinds of special products that would help my life be more improved. I remember that infomercial more than the sport I was watching. I also remember that as an introduction to the recent Bible class on chapter 46 in Jeremiah, I used that phrase to describe what I was hearing as I read the text. 

I tell you that episode in my life to highlight the last verse in chapter 51 and that same impression I got as I read today’s chapter one more time. “But wait, there’s more.” What does the final verse say? “Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.”

Thus far.  עַד־הֵ֖נָּה   What? 51 chapters, 1,364 verses, 33,000 words in English (not even the Amplified version!) and ‘thus far’? You mean there are more words? Or is this only the words of Jeremiah to Babylon? I’m not privy to know, but what I do know is that what God spoke through Jeremiah, to the people of his day, was still available due to the careful maintenance of the scroll(s) for the people of the Return, 70 years later, and it was available to the people of Malachi’s day, of Daniel’s day, of Jesus’ day, and even our day. What we are reading and learning in this sacred scroll, now placed alongside 65 other books and letters and poems and histories, can speak to us, can minister life to us, and can keep us headed in the right direction. When I read the Bible, that’s what I’m hoping to learn. I hope that’s true for you as well.

Today’s chapter breaks down into three sections, with each intensifying the declarations against Babylon. The first through verse 33 is bad. 34 to 44 is worse. 45 to the end is worst! “But wait, there’s more!”

Section One: BAD news for Babylon continues (.1-33)

Chapter 50 began this final announcement about the woes of and the causes of the woe on Babylon.  I want to read to you from the Word Commentary on chapter 50 verse 25, 

Here’s the verse first: “The LORD has opened His armory and has brought forth the weapons of His indignation,  For it is a work of the Lord GOD of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.” (Jer. 50.25)

 

Now the commentary.

“The idea of the LORD’s armory containing the weapons of divine wrath (foreign nations to accomplish the LORD’s purpose) is known from Isa 13:5. Babylon had been the LORD’s hammer (50:23; 51:20–23) but now will suffer the fate of those whom she had pounded into submission. Included in the LORD’s armory on occasion had been Assyria as the flooding river sweeping all before it (Isa 8:7–8), as the rod of the LORD’s anger (Isa 10:5), and as the LORD’s axe. And much earlier the poet had waxed eloquent in declaring that from heaven the stars in their circuits had fought against Sisera (Judg 5:20). Jer 51:1 mentions the destroying wind aroused by the LORD to winnow Babylon.”

I will let the comments stand without my own comment. 

Now on to chapter 51. Verse one, the “destroying wind” could be translated as mine, “spirit of a destroyer.” Whether this is a metaphor or the actual breeze that your weather app would highlight to me is irrelevant. What is clear is that God is done with the Chaldeans of Babylon. Something had to give and it’s going to happen, through the nations around her. We know that Cyrus of the Medes and the Persians will conquer her in 539 BCE, according to Cyrus “without a fight.”

Who is responsible for the ending of the kingdom of Babylon? Verse one. God says, “I am.” No matter what else is happening in the 6^th century BCE, and who rules the roost, at the end of the day, God says he is the One.  And his rules and manners are to be followed. And if not, he will seek vengeance and reparations. 

Verse two. A play on words is in view. The word for ‘winnow’ is Zara. For foreigner is ‘zur.’ God says he will send

זָרִים֙ וְזֵר֔וּהָ

That is, zarim, foreigners who will winnow. Or winnowers who will winnow. This winnowing is a method of agricultural separation, and will leave the good grain to be collected from among the chaff. In THIS case however, there will be nothing left. God will blow it all away. Comprehensive judgment to fall on Babylon. 

Verse 3, the bow won’t keep bending and the scale-armor (remember that we read in chapter 46) wouldn’t protect the warrior. The swords and the weaponry of the opponents will succeed. “Pierced through” (verse 4) in their (own) streets.” No protection anywhere.

Remember, and this is not only in Jeremiah, the nations mock the people of God, saying they deserve their punishment. We’ve heard this in every supersessionist argument about the Jewish people in the time of the Crusades and even in the Holocaust era. What those arguments wrongly allege is that God saw the Jewish people in their sin and (here’s the wrong) he will punish and be done with them. He is NEVER done with us. We have said this regularly in our study. Judgment is the penultimate action of God towards the Jewish people. Verse 5 here says that God has not forsaken his people. Yes, he has judged us, but now, when judgment begins to fall on Babylon, run for your life. Verse 6, ‘flee…and save your life!’

Yes, when we were in Judah, living wrongly and before 586 BCE when our destiny was judgment, Jeremiah sent word to the kings and priests, to the prophets and the people, to submit to the Babylonians and go with them as conquered people. But now, decades later, at the reading of this letter, long after Jeremiah has died in Egypt, the word to the people of Judah is “RUN.” Friends, this is why so many seem confused at God, and about God. Sometimes he says ‘submit’ and sometimes he says ‘get out!’ There is a time for everything, you have heard. To an outsider this could be confusing, but to us who know the Lord, this is why we listen to him daily, why we study his word, why we sit and soak in his love and why we don’t go on yesterday’s manna. Give us THIS DAY our daily bread. 

Verse 9 and 10. The judgment on Babylon has reached heaven. There’s no escape for her. To the Jewish people, we are told, “The LORD has brought about our vindication; Come and let us recount in Zion the work of the LORD our God!”

 

Don’t you want to shout ‘hallelujah!’? On Zoom you are muted, but long after this session, go ahead and let your voice be heard. Let us recount in Zion God’s works! And yes, the word for recount is literal. SAFAR, to count. Name and list what God has done. Many of you watching in the USA have just done that on the holiday of Thanksgiving. Why am I thankful? List it. Name it. Count it! Because if you count and recount it, you will keep counting on the One who does all things well, amen?

Verse 13, the ‘many waters’ could represent the actual liquid near them, but the judgment to come as well. Even the chaos of the original waters (verses 15-16), but we don’t have time to unravel that. It also is a repeat of chapter 10, verses 12 to 16.

Verses 17 and 18, not only are those people stupid, yes, it says that, but it’s depicted in their idols who are without breath. Idolatry, he says, is stupidity. And you and I may think of the story of Abraham and his father in the idol shop. 

Verses 20-23 are the rhythmic sounds of a hammer, tap, tap, tapping. 

וְנִפַּצְתִּ֣י בְךָ֔

God’s word was like a hammer in chapter 23. And the Babylonians were the hammer against all the nations, until now. 

Verses 24 and following, God will destroy the destroyers. The mountains are the governments of Nebuchadnezzar and all the rest. 

Verse 27, blow the shofar!

Verse 28, consecrate the nations. Kadshu! Separate them, make them as holy, particular, useful, set apart. 

Verses 29-33. All hope is lost. Gates broken down. Harvest is coming… the grim reaper if you will. Couriers pass on the message, emails forwarded, twitter feeds lit up. The world will know.

Section 2:  Babylon like lambs to slaughter (.34-44)

Judah was crushed and ruined, so, now, Babylon, though they think they are lions, but ruined. There is no hope for them continues. They will be like lambs led to slaughter. Verse 36, God will be the lawyer in the courtroom, pleading for Judah. That’s more than a ‘got your back’ lawyer. This is a “Vengeance is mine; I will repay” thing.  Verse 38, little cubs in the den, ravaged. 

Verse 41, object of horror. Verse 42, the sea, again the waters, floods, eradication. We in Australia remember the floods of 2021, and so many other years, and know that nothing grows, nothing survives, it rewrites the rivers’ paths. Nothing is the same after the floods. Think of Noah and the aftermath of the Great Flood. The world changed. Here, Babylonia is going down and the world will be different. 

Verse 44. Regurgitating the nations. This is not only will there be nothing but even what you gained will be lost. Emptiness. Wall down. Total ruin. More streaming, more loss.

Section 3: Warning and worst yet for Babylon (.45-64)

The Jewish people now hear clearly, in case ‘flee’ and run for your life wasn’t clear enough. Verse 45: “come out!” It’s the sound of the Exodus. Each man for himself, away from God’s judgment. Don’t look back, Mrs Lot. Go forward. 

Verse 47; Justice on the idols. Sounds like Ex. 12. ‘against the gods of Egypt I will execute my judgment’

Verse 50: Get out and let Jerusalem come to your heart. “Think on these things.” Get a brainwash… some of you adopted Babylonian customs and idolatry. Get that out of your mind right now!

Verses 51-58 God executing judgment on Babylon. No wall. No protection from him. No wise men. No leadership. Perpetual sleep. Good night, Elizabeth Ann. 

Verse 59. The only time Jeremiah commands anything. I’m guessing Baruch has died and his brother is now charged by Jeremiah to take the scroll which apparently Jeremiah himself wrote (chapters 50-51), and to read the words on arrival in the Jewish community in Babylon. He did then he tied a rock to the scroll and tossed it into the Euphrates, thus signalling the beginning of the fall of Babylon. Even though it was decades in the future. 

Why did Babylon fall? Keown says this, “Babylon is condemned for pride (50:31–32, 51:25–26), for idolatry (50:38, 51:17–18), and for sinning against the LORD (50:14, 24, 29; 51:5). The full extent of Babylon’s sin against the LORD, other than pride and idolatry, is not clear, although it may be that Babylon’s action against Judah, even though sanctioned by the LORD, may have exceeded in severity anything that the LORD had intended (cf 50:33). In any case, for the first time in the collection of these chapters in Jeremiah is a nation judged for its treatment of the people of God.”

Judgment is the penultimate action of God towards a people. Babylon didn’t learn their lesson and lived wrong. Judah did learn from judgment and was brought in again. 

Peter wrote to the believers in his first letter, which some say was read at baptismal services for new believers, about judgment and behaviour which should characterize us. As I summarize the last two chapters we have studied, and the major reasons God was so upset at the Babylonians, it was their behaviour which is in view. Listen to Peter sum up the life we should represent in our behaviour no matter what the opinions of the world say of us, 

^“Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.  For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4.15-17)

Live right, dear friends. When judgment comes from God, we are still his. And he wants us to receive his grace, even then. Verse 19 finishes that section of Peter 

“Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”

And with that, I finish this chapter’s reading. 

CONCLUSION

God is calling each of us to know him and to walk with him, today and throughout our days. Have you received Yeshua as your messiah and Lord? He is risen from the dead! Have you renounced your sin, your idolatry, your forsaking God and given him First Place in your life? If not, please, do so now, just now, as we pray together. Use your own words, if you want, but yield, surrender, to the Lord of life. 

 

PRAYER

Then please write us (admin@jewsforjesus.org.au) to tell us what you have just done, and we will send you literature and encourage you. You are part of our family; we love and appreciate you. And we want you to enjoy the presence of the Lord who calls, who knows, who blesses and builds us up. 

We hope to see you again next week as we study chapter 50. Until then, Shabbat shalom!

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barnes, Albert, Commentary on the Old Testament. (Published by many, from 1880 on)

Henry, Matthew, Commentary.

Keown, Gerald, Scalise, Pamela, Smothers, Thomas, Word Biblical Commentary. Book of Jeremiah (Part 2).  1995. 

McConnville, Gordon, Jeremiah, New Bible Commentary. 

Wright, Christopher, The Message of Jeremiah, The Bible Speaks Today. Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 2014.

 

For other links:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/jewsforjesusau

The videos, especially the Bible teachings are always free. However, if you are enjoying and learning from them, and would like to share in the costs $ of putting them together, to donate use this link:  https://www.jewsforjesus.org.au/giving 

T: http://www.twitter.com/jewsforjesusau

I: https://www.instagram.com/jewsforjesusau

If you haven’t yet done so, please click the red box to the right which says ‘SUBSCRIBE’ and you will be notified of any new content on our channel. Thanks!

 

ACTUAL TEXT

Babylon Judged for Sins against Israel

 

Jer. 51:1        Thus says the LORD: 

            “Behold, I am going to arouse against Babylon 

            And against the inhabitants of ¹Leb-kamai 

            ²The ^aspirit of a destroyer.

²          “I will dispatch ¹foreigners to Babylon that they may ^awinnow her 

            And may devastate her land; 

            For on every side they will be opposed to her 

            In the day of her calamity.

³          “¹Let not ²him who ^3abends his bow ³bend it, 

            ¹Nor let him rise up in his ^bscale-armor; 

            So do not spare her young men; 

            Devote all her army to destruction.

⁴          “They will fall down ¹slain in the land of the Chaldeans, 

            And ^apierced through in their streets.”

 

Jer. 51:5        For ^aneither Israel nor Judah has been ¹forsaken 

            By his God, the LORD of hosts, 

            Although their land is ^bfull of guilt 

            ²Before the Holy One of Israel.

^{6          a}Flee from the midst of Babylon, 

            And each of you save his life! 

            Do not be ^1bdestroyed in her ²punishment, 

            For this is the ^cLORD’S time of vengeance; 

            He is going to ^drender recompense to her.

⁷          Babylon has been a golden ^acup in the hand of the LORD, 

            Intoxicating all the earth. 

            The ^bnations have drunk of her wine; 

            Therefore the nations are ^cgoing mad.

⁸          Suddenly ^aBabylon has fallen and been broken; 

            ^bWail over her! 

            ^cBring ¹balm for her pain; 

            Perhaps she may be healed.

⁹          We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed; 

            Forsake her and ^alet us each go to his own country, 

            For her judgment has ^breached to heaven 

            And ¹towers up to the very skies.

¹⁰         The LORD has ^abrought ¹about our vindication; 

            Come and let us ^brecount in Zion 

            The work of the LORD our God!

 

Jer. 51:11    ^aSharpen the arrows, fill the quivers! 

            The LORD has aroused the spirit of the kings of the Medes, 

            Because His purpose is against Babylon to destroy it; 

            For it is the ^bvengeance of the LORD, vengeance for His temple.

^{12         a}Lift up a ¹signal against the walls of Babylon; 

            Post a strong guard, 

            Station ²sentries, 

            Place men in ambush! 

            For the LORD has both ^bpurposed and performed 

            What He spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.

¹³         O you who ^adwell by many waters, 

            Abundant in ^btreasures, 

            Your end has come, 

            The ¹measure of your ^2cend.

¹⁴         The ^aLORD of hosts has sworn by Himself: 

            “Surely I will fill you with a ¹population like ^blocusts, 

            And they will cry out with ²shouts of victory over you.”

 

Jer. 51:15    It is ^aHe who made the earth by His power, 

            Who established the world by His wisdom, 

            And by His understanding He ^bstretched out the heavens.

¹⁶         When He utters His ^avoice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, 

            And He causes the ^bclouds to ascend from the end of the earth; 

            He makes lightning for the rain 

            And brings forth the ^cwind from His storehouses.

^{17         a}All mankind is stupid, devoid of knowledge; 

            Every goldsmith is put to shame by his ¹idols, 

            For his molten images are ^bdeceitful, 

            And there is no breath in them.

¹⁸         They are ^aworthless, a work of mockery; 

            In the time of their punishment they will perish.

¹⁹         The ^aportion of Jacob is not like these; 

            For the ¹Maker of all is He, 

            And of the ²tribe of His inheritance; 

            The ^bLORD of hosts is His name.

²⁰         He says, “You are My ^1awar-club, My weapon of war; 

            And with you I ^bshatter nations, 

            And with you I destroy kingdoms.

²¹         “With you I ^ashatter the horse and his rider, 

            And with you I shatter the ^bchariot and its rider,

²²         And with you I shatter ^aman and woman, 

            And with you I shatter old man and ^byouth, 

            And with you I shatter young man and virgin,

²³         And with you I shatter the shepherd and his flock, 

            And with you I shatter the farmer and his team, 

            And with you I shatter governors and prefects.

 

Jer. 51:24   “But I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of ^aChaldea for ^ball their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes,” declares the LORD.

²⁵         “Behold, ^aI am against you, ^bO destroying mountain, 

            Who destroys the whole earth,” declares the LORD, 

            “And I will stretch out My hand against you, 

            And roll you down from the crags, 

            And I will make you a ^cburnt out mountain.

²⁶         “They will not take from you even a stone for a corner 

            Nor a stone for foundations, 

            But you will be ^adesolate forever,” declares the LORD.

 

Jer. 51:27    ^aLift up a ¹signal in the land, 

            Blow a trumpet among the nations! 

            Consecrate the nations against her, 

            Summon against her the ^bkingdoms of ^cArarat, Minni and ^dAshkenaz; 

            Appoint a marshal against her, 

            Bring up the ^ehorses like bristly locusts.

²⁸         Consecrate the nations against her, 

            The kings of the Medes, 

            ¹Their governors and all ¹their ²prefects, 

            And every land of ³their dominion.

²⁹         So the ^aland quakes and writhes, 

            For the purposes of the LORD against Babylon stand, 

            To make the land of Babylon 

            ¹A ^bdesolation without inhabitants.

³⁰         The ^amighty men of Babylon have ceased fighting, 

            They stay in the strongholds; 

            ^bTheir strength is ¹exhausted, 

            They are becoming ^blike women; 

            Their dwelling places are set on fire, 

            The ^cbars of her gates are broken.

³¹         One ^1acourier runs to meet ¹another, 

            And one ^2bmessenger to meet ²another, 

            To tell the king of Babylon 

            That his city has been captured from end to end;

³²         The fords also have been seized, 

            And they have burned the marshes with fire, 

            And the men of war are terrified.

 

Jer. 51:33    For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 

            “The daughter of Babylon is like a ^athreshing floor 

            At the time ¹it is stamped firm; 

            Yet in a little while the time of ^bharvest will come for her.”

 

Jer. 51:34    “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has ^adevoured me and crushed me, 

            He has set me down like an ^bempty vessel; 

            He has ^cswallowed me like a monster, 

            He has filled his stomach with my delicacies; 

            He has washed me away.

³⁵         “May the ^aviolence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon,” 

            The ¹inhabitant of Zion will say; 

            And, “May my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea,” 

            Jerusalem will say.

³⁶         Therefore thus says the LORD, 

            “Behold, I am going to ^aplead your case 

            And ^bexact full vengeance for you; 

            And ^cI will dry up her ¹sea 

            And make her fountain dry.

³⁷         “^aBabylon will become a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, 

            An ^bobject of horror and hissing, without inhabitants.

³⁸         “They will roar together like ^ayoung lions, 

            They will growl like lions’ cubs.

³⁹         “When they become heated up, I will serve them their banquet 

            And ^amake them drunk, that they may become jubilant 

            And may ^bsleep a perpetual sleep 

            And not wake up,” declares the LORD.

⁴⁰         “I will bring them down like ¹lambs ^ato the slaughter, 

            Like rams together with male goats.

 

Jer. 51:41    “How ^1aSheshak has been captured, 

            And ^bthe praise of the whole earth been seized! 

            How Babylon has become an object of horror among the nations!

⁴²         “The ^1asea has come up over Babylon; 

            She has been engulfed with its tumultuous waves.

⁴³         “Her cities have become an ^aobject of horror, 

            A parched land and a desert, 

            A land in which ^bno man lives 

            And through which no son of man passes.

⁴⁴         “^aI will punish Bel in Babylon, 

            And I will make what he has swallowed ^bcome out of his mouth; 

            And the nations will no longer ^cstream to him. 

            Even the ^dwall of Babylon has fallen down!

 

Jer. 51:45    “^aCome forth from her midst, My people, 

            And each of you ^bsave yourselves 

            From the fierce anger of the LORD.

⁴⁶         “Now ^aso that your heart does not grow faint, 

            And you are not afraid at the ^breport that will be heard in the land — 

            For the report will come ¹one year, 

            And after that ²another report in ²another year, 

            And violence will be in the land 

            With ^cruler against ruler —

⁴⁷         Therefore behold, days are coming 

            When I will punish the ^aidols of Babylon; 

            And her whole land will be ^bput to shame 

            And all her slain will fall in her midst.

⁴⁸         “Then ^aheaven and earth and all that is in them 

            Will shout for joy over Babylon, 

            For ^bthe destroyers will come to her from the north,” 

            Declares the LORD.

 

Jer. 51:49    ^aIndeed Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel, 

            As also for Babylon ^bthe slain of all the earth have fallen.

⁵⁰         You ^awho have escaped the sword, 

            Depart! Do not stay! 

            ^bRemember the LORD from afar, 

            And let Jerusalem ¹come to your mind.

^{51         a}We are ashamed because we have heard reproach; 

            Disgrace has covered our faces, 

            For ^baliens have entered 

            The holy places of the LORD’S house.

 

Jer. 51:52    “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, 

            “When I will punish her ^aidols, 

            And the mortally wounded will groan throughout her land.

⁵³         “Though Babylon should ^aascend to the heavens, 

            And though she should fortify ¹her lofty stronghold, 

            From ^bMe destroyers will come to her,” declares the LORD.

 

Jer. 51:54    The ^asound of an outcry from Babylon, 

            And of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!

⁵⁵         For the LORD is going to destroy Babylon, 

            And He will make her loud ¹noise vanish from her. 

            And their ^awaves will roar like many waters; 

            The tumult of their voices ²sounds forth.

⁵⁶         For the ^adestroyer is coming against her, against Babylon, 

            And her mighty men will be captured, 

            Their ^bbows are shattered; 

            For the LORD is a God of ^crecompense, 

            He will fully repay.

⁵⁷         “I will ^amake her princes and her wise men drunk, 

            Her governors, her prefects and her mighty men, 

            That they may sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake up,” 

            Declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.

⁵⁸         Thus says the LORD of hosts, 

            “The broad wall of Babylon will be completely razed 

            And her high gates will be set on fire; 

            So the peoples will toil for nothing, 

            And the nations become exhausted only for fire.”

 

Jer. 51:59   The message which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the grandson of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. (Now Seraiah was quartermaster.) ⁶⁰ So Jeremiah wrote in a single scroll all the calamity which would come upon Babylon, that is, all these words which have been written concerning Babylon. ⁶¹ Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “As soon as you come to Babylon, then see that you read all these words aloud, ⁶² and say, ‘You, O LORD, have promised concerning this place to cut it off, so that there will be nothing dwelling in it, whether man or beast, but it will be a perpetual desolation.’ ⁶³ “And as soon as you finish reading this scroll, you will tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates, ⁶⁴ and say, ‘Just so shall Babylon sink down and not rise again because of the calamity that I am going to bring upon her; and they will become exhausted.’” Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.