October 24, Isaiah 47
You felt secure in your wickedness, you said,
"No one sees me"; your wisdom and your
knowledge led you astray, and you said in your
heart, "I am, and there is no one besides me."
But evil shall come upon you, which you will not
know how to charm away; disaster shall fall
upon you, for which you will not be able to
atone; and ruin shall come upon you suddenly,
of which you know nothing. - Isaiah 47:10-11
After prophesying that Babylon would destroy Jerusalem and take the surviving people captive, Isaiah foretold that Babylon would itself be destroyed. In Chapter 47, the prophet described Babylon's wickedness and the judgment of God that would come upon the Babylonians. Isaiah wrote his prophecy about Babylon's fall 150 years before it happened.
The Lord allowed Jerusalem to fall only after many warnings and attempts to turn his apostate people back to him. God gave the Babylonians victory over his people to take them captive and destroy their great capital city. He gave his people into the Babylonians' hands. But Babylon made the same serious error that other nations, including Assyria, made before them. The Babylonians went far beyond God's instruction as they assaulted and captured the Israelites. God said he gave the people of Jerusalem into their hands, but the Babylonians showed their captives no mercy.
The prideful Babylonians did not acknowledge God, but spoke of themselves as if they were gods, saying, "I am, and there is no one besides me." So God told them through Isaiah that they would be ruined and humiliated. Their dark arts and idols would be powerless against God's vengeance on them, and their ruin would take them by surprise. The Babylonians imagined themselves to be wise, but God said their "wisdom" had led them astray. Their counselors were worthless. They would be burned up like stubble, and the flame of their destruction would provide no heat for the people who listened to them. The Babylonians would be defenseless against the wrath of God.
There's a good reminder for us about mercy in the prophecy about Babylon's prophesied fall. Remember what James wrote in the New Testament about that: "For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy." We all need to remember that, but especially those who have authority over others. When we are cruel and abusive as we use our authority, we do not glorify God or bless anyone.
God's judgment against Babylon also reminds us that pride is offensive to God. Pride leads us to do so many things contrary to God's will. We should guard against that bitter root of arrogance among ourselves, but especially before God.
As we ponder these matters, let's also realize that there is no reliable source of wisdom and guidance among the many voices clamoring for our attention in the world. God's word is the source of true counsel. We are grateful for teachers who can help us understand and apply God's word to our lives. But ultimately a human teacher or guide is only as reliable as he or she is faithful to God's word.
History confirmed the accuracy and truth of Isaiah's prophecy many years after he foretold Babylon's ruin by Cyrus the Persian. When we trust that God's word is true and accurate and act on that trust, we will see the fruit of his guidance and be blessed by it.
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—October 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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