Read
Babylon Will Fall
The Lord said:
1 City of Babylon,
You are delicate
and untouched,
but that will change.
Surrender your royal power
and sit in the dirt.
2Start grinding grain!
Take off your veil.
Strip off your fancy clothes
and wade across rivers.
3You will suffer the shame
of going naked,
because I will take revenge,
and no one can escape.
4I am the Lord All-Powerful,
the holy God of Israel.
I am their Savior.
5Babylon, be silent!
Sit in the dark.
No longer will nations
accept you as their queen.
6I was angry with my people.
So I let you take their land
and bring disgrace on them.
You showed them no mercy,
but were especially cruel
to those who were old.
7You thought that you
would be queen forever.
You didn't care what you did;
it never entered your mind
that you might get caught.
8 You think that you alone
are all-powerful,
that you won't be a widow
or lose your children.
All you care about is pleasure,
but listen to what I say.
9Your magic powers and charms
will suddenly fail,
then you will be a widow
and lose your children.
10You hid behind evil
like a shield and said,
“No one can see me!”
You were fooled by your wisdom
and your knowledge;
you felt sure that you alone
were in full control.
11But without warning,
disaster will strike—
and your magic charms
won't help at all.
12Keep using your magic powers
and your charms
as you have always done.
Maybe—just maybe—
you will frighten somebody!
13You have worn yourself out,
asking for advice
from those who study the stars
and tell the future
month after month.
Go ask them how to be saved
from what will happen.
14People who trust the stars
are as helpless as straw
in a flaming fire.
No one can even keep warm,
sitting by a fire
that feeds only on straw.
15These are the fortunetellers
you have done business with
all of your life.
But they don't know
where they are going,
and they can't save you.
Reflect
Every day, every hour, we face the temptation either to put our faith in God or to establish other gods that we feel might be better suited to ground our trust in. This temptation is often stoked by our doubt and insecurity in the unseen, and fueled by the pressures of the trials and circumstances that we often encounter. Worse yet, the temptation to over rely on our own strength and ability can lead us astray, and leave us at odds with God’s will and plans for our lives.
The Babylonians are an example of what can happen when our faith and trust is placed anywhere but with God. In the text, we find Isaiah prophesying to the Babylonian Empire. While they may have won the battle and carried the Israelites off into exile, their faith and reliance on gods other than “the Holy One of Israel” (v 4) lead them to mistakenly assume that their victory was of their own accord. Their pride and arrogance have brought upon them God’s righteous judgment and wrath (vv 8-11).
Similarly, when we rely too heavily on anything other than God, we run the risk of finding ourselves in a similarly destructive place. Our own pride and arrogance have the potential to lead us down the path to destruction as well. However, the good news here is that though God may leave us to our own devices, he remains sovereign and he never forgets us or the designs he has for our lives. The prophet Isaiah demonstrates this in his rebuke of the Babylonians noting that not they, but God, was in control the whole time (v.5-7).
Respond
Heavenly Father, Forgive me today for relying on anything or anyone but you. Though I mistakenly sometimes let the distractions of life lead me astray, I pray that in your sovereignty you would continue to guide my steps and superintend my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Arthur Satterwhite III
Arthur L. Satterwhite III serves as the National Movements Ministry Mobilizer at American Bible Society where he currently oversees the organization’s work with Protestant denominations, para-Church ministries, and Christian events and conferences. In this role, Arthur leads ABS’ efforts to serve, equip and collaborate with Christian leaders in order to positively shift individuals’ perception of the Bible and drive their constituencies toward active Bible engagement.