Daily Devotions
Jeremiah
"Babylon is taken"
Text: Jeremiah 50:2
THE PROPHECY AGAINST BABYLON
The Babylonians defeated the Assyrian empire. The Babylonians went on to build an even stronger empire. They seemed unstoppable. This prophecy against the Babylonians was truly amazing!
“The word that the LORD spoke against Babylon
and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.
‘Declare among the nations,
Proclaim, and set up a standard;
Proclaim—do not conceal it—
Say, ‘Babylon is taken, Bel is shamed.
Merodach is broken in pieces;
Her idols are humiliated,
Her images are broken in pieces.’
For out of the north a nation comes up against her,
Which shall make her land desolate,
And no one shall dwell therein.
They shall move, they shall depart,
Both man and beast.'”
Jeremiah 50:1-3
1. “The word that the LORD spoke against Babylon
and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet”
a) This prophetic word came from the LORD.
b) It was directed against Babylon, the capital of the Babylonian empire.
c) Another name for Babylonia was “The land of the Chaldeans”.
d) This prophecy was revealed to Jeremiah.
2. “Declare among the nations, proclaim, and set up a standard;
proclaim—do not conceal it—Say, ‘Babylon is taken, Bel is shamed.
Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are humiliated, her images are broken in pieces.'”
a) The proclamation of the Fall of Babylon was to be made.
b) All who had suffered terribly under the Babylonians
would rejoice at this proclamation.
c) This news would be proclaimed to all the nations of the world.
d) The Babylonians worshipped many idols.
e) Bel was supposed to be the deity to protect Babylon.
He could not save Babylon from destruction.
f) Merodach (sometimes spelled as “Marduk”)
He became the chief deity worshipped.
g) Sometimes, the two names are used together “Bel-Merodach”.
3. “For out of the north a nation comes up against her, which shall make her land desolate,
and no one shall dwell therein. They shall move, they shall depart, both man and beast”
a) The nation that was destined to destroy the Babylonians was Persia.
b) The Medo-Persians toppled the Babylonians.
c) The land of the Chaldeans became desolate.
d) No one wanted to live there after the land was conquered.
e) All would depart from the land of the Chaldeans, both man and beast.