The legacy of the Jewish exile has resonated across the world. The original hearers of Jeremiah's prophecy about Babylon understood that he was speaking of a coming threat of war, destruction, and exile. For the Jewish people Babylon was the embodiment of darkness, pride, and oppression. It continued to symbolize a threat to the nation even in changing historical and geographical contexts. That symbolism continues even into the book of Revelation.
Jeremiah's people struggled in their spiritual life. They knew that they should follow God, but unholy attractions led them astray. God in his mercy used Babylon to ultimately bring his people back to him. God always desires that mankind walk in his ways.
The significance and resonance of the concept of Babylon has not changed, but man has become blinded to the multifaceted character of a Babylon that seeks to deceive, that glitters and yet is not gold, that embodies all that is not of God. It is only in fulfilling God's requirements that we can be free of the dark power of Babylon in our lives.
Jeremiah's prophetic words, which spoke powerfully to God's people at that time, continue to speak to those of us who read them today. It was through his preaching, prophecy, and actions that Jeremiah had an impact on his time and successfully brought people into the light.
While Jeremiah's prophetic words were directed specifically to the Jews and ultimately affected their future, those same words can now, in their wider application, be seen as advice to the whole of mankind: Do not be deceived by Babylon the dark power, but rather follow Jesus the light of the world. Our captivity does not have to last seventy years like it did for the Jewish people. We can be released from Babylon here and now!
- 25 AUGUST -