Read Jeremiah 51.
God's judgment against Babylon required two chapters. In chapter 50,
there are details of an invasion from the north to totally destroy the land.
It became obvious that many of the statements refer to a distant future
punishment. Here, in chapter 51, more detail is provided about the
immediate invasion.
Though their destruction will be at the hands of another nation, God takes full
credit. "I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer against
Babylon." (v.1) In the first fall of Babylon, God used the Medes
along with the Persians (v.11a). The Babylonians had been His instrument
to mete out His punishment against others. But the long-suffering
patience of the LORD had come to an end. "The land of the Chaldeans
is full of guilt." (v.5b) It is not only their personal sin that
was "full" according to God, but He had not forgotten their
desecration of His Temple in Jerusalem (v.11b) "This is the time of
the LORD's vengeance, the repayment he is rendering to her." (v.6)
What about Israel and Judah? Had God forgotten them? Will they be
caught in the cross-fire of Babylon's collapse? There were days when the
Jews felt forsaken. To the contrary, God said, "For Israel and Judah
have not been forsaken by their God, the LORD of hosts." (v.5a) In
fact, when Cyrus, King of Persian, took over, he offered to let the Jews return
to their homeland and even paid for the rebuilding of the Temple (2 Chronicles
36:22-23).
God always takes care of His own in the midst of dealing with sin and delivers
them. God sees every sin and every injustice. In His time, He will
carry out His justice. Though for the present it may appear that the
guilty are unchecked, we need only to wait on God's timing. No one gets
away with sin.
"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for
it is written, 'Vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord.'"
(Romans 12:19)
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