Day #237

Sermon - Audio
Jeremiah 51-52 - Audio
Jeremiah 51-52 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Jeremiah 51

v2 - Just as God winnowed Judah *(Ch 15), He will now do so to Babylon, because they opposed God (50:24).

v3-4 - It is futile for Babylon to try to stand, they will be taken over.

v5 - Israel & Judah have not been forsaken, but Babylon will be, and Jeremiah tells the people to flee from the coming destruction.

v7-10 - This is a metaphor (Babylon is God's instrument of judgment that was used against His people). However, just because God withheld the protection of His people in order that Babylon would be used to hopefully turn His people back to Him...does not mean they are not responsible for their sin/injustice/etc like everyone else is. In 9 and 10 we see this discussed.

v11 - The Medes (Is 13:17-18) are part of the Persian Empire and will be used by God to overtake Babylon around 545BC.

v13 - "Many Waters, Rich in Treasures" - This is Babylon. They did not use their resources in a God-pleasing manner.

v14 - "locusts" - swarm

v15-23 - We see the author write the Words of God on what He is like.

v22-44 - The future of Babylon is made clear...desolation

45-46 - Israel’s exiles should not worry about all the intrigue in Babylon. There will be violence, political unrest, and rulers vying for power. -ESVSB-

49 - Babylon made other nations drink the cup of God’s wrath (25:15–25), and soon Babylon will drink the same cup (25:26). -ESVSB-

63-64 - Jeremiah’s final symbolic act (cf. 13:1–14; 16:1–9; 19:1–15; etc.) fulfills his initial call to be a prophet to the nations (1:5). Thus far are the words of Jeremiah indicates the end of Jeremiah’s words either for the whole book or for the scroll composed in 594–593 B.C.

Jeremiah 52

*Again, not in order, but this chapter recounts how Babylon took over King Zedekiah and Judah, much like in ch 39.

v2 - This is not good. What is evil in the site of the Lord? (Ezekiel 16:49) What is good in God's site (Micah 6:8, 2 Tim 2:22).

v6 - As we saw in earlier chapters, the people were starving in the land while being attacked.

v10-11 - Again, Zedekiah has a horrible ending to his life.

13 - Nebuzaradan (captain) burns the temple...this is not good and will make God angry later on.

15 - Many of the people chose to surrender and their lives were spared and many later rescued when Babylon is destroyed.

16 - Again, many of the poor were left behind to work the land.

24-30 - The leaders of Judah are taken, so that the people left will have no direction.

32-34 - Whatever Evil-merodach’s motives, Jehoiachin was treated well as long as he lived. The Davidic lineage, like the people, waited in exile for the 70 years to end -ESVSB-