Title: Fall of Babylon / Jeremiah 50
The Fall of Babylon
Jeremiah 50
1. Babylon's Defeat (1-16)
① Destruction prophecy against Babylon (1-3)
② Restoration of Israel (4-8)
③ God’s position on the nation that will be used as an instrument of Babylon’s judgment (9-16)
This paragraph shows the hidden intention of God's judgment prophecy against the Gentiles as the conclusion of the prophecies of the Gentiles so far in context. Judgment against the Gentiles so far has not focused on the judgment itself, but on the formation of a new covenant community following the total destruction of Judah and the Gentiles. In particular, this passage describes the fall of Babylon and the rebuilding of Judah. The Babylonians are taken captive, and Bel, the chief god of Babylon, known as Merodach, is also put to shame. Babylon will be destroyed by all the nations from the north, leaving it uninhabited. However, in inverse proportion to the devastating destruction of Babylon, God's new promises are fulfilled and Israel is fully restored.
God realistically accomplishes the salvation of Israel by breaking the rod that judged the covenant people. And he sends his wrath on Babylon, which has excessively destroyed God's covenant people, and brings utter destruction to the point of ridicule by those passing by.
2. The cause of the restoration of Jerusalem and the destruction of Babylon (17-32)
① Restoration of Jerusalem (17-20)
② Prophecy about Babylon's judgment and its cause (21-32)
God promises to restore northern Israel and southern Judah, which have already been destroyed. This is particularly evident in the reference to the place names of various places in Canaan. God hints that a spiritual newness will arise within the people at that time, and he asserts that even if someone mentions the sins of Israel and Judah, they will not be found because God forgives them. The restoration of all Israel now has a contextual connection with the destruction of Babylon. Babylon, who enjoyed destroying other nations, experiences the same destruction. Babylon is slaughtered mercilessly, and those who return to Israel will say that Babylon's destruction was a judgment for the destruction of God's temple.
Our people of God should not worry about the temporary rise and fall of the wicked, but wait for God's ultimate judgment and live by faith.
3. Repeated Proclamation of Judgment Against Babylon (33-46)
① The devastation of Babylon as a result of judgment (33-40)
② The enemy who invaded Babylon and the reaction of Babylon (41-46)
This paragraph emphasizes that God, the Lord of the covenant, guarantees the return of Israel. This declaration gives new hope to the people suffering from judgment in the field of captivity and reminds them of the covenant by relieving their anxiety. Especially the use of Babylon is the real fulfillment of the promise. The sword of judgment will fall on the princes of Babylon, the wise men, the false prophets, and the soldiers in turn. And the cities that used to be prosperous become desolate wildernesses and transform into ghastly places where the creatures of the desert and owls live.
To execute this judgment, God uses the Gentile nations that will come down from the north. When they attack Babylon, they act cruelly beyond comparison with those of Babylon before. They will attack you as cruelly as a lion attacking a lamb.
Even those who have been used as instruments of God's justice, if they fall, He will punish them without fail.