Jeremiah 51:24-32: a reflection

24“I will give to Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight,” says the LORD. 25“Behold, I am against you, destroying mountain,” says the LORD, “which destroys all the earth. I will stretch out my hand on you, roll you down from the rocks, and will make you a burned mountain. 26They won’t take a cornerstone from you, nor a stone for foundations; but you will be desolate forever,” says the LORD. 27“Set up a standard in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her! Call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz! Appoint a marshal against her! Cause the horses to come up as the swarming locusts! 28Prepare against her the nations, the kings of the Medes, its governors, and all its deputies, and all the land of their dominion! 29The land trembles and is in pain; for the purposes of the LORD against Babylon stand, to make the land of Babylon a desolation, without inhabitant. 30The mighty men of Babylon have stopped fighting, they remain in their strongholds. Their might has failed. They have become as women. Her dwelling places are set on fire. Her bars are broken. 31One runner will run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to show the king of Babylon that his city is taken on every quarter. 32So the passages are seized. They have burned the reeds with fire. The men of war are frightened.”

As God pronounces the fall of Babylon, that great and seemingly unassailable power, he describes how its strength, in which it had trusted, simply fails. The warriors of Babylon have stopped fighting, the prophet says; they remain in their strongholds. Their strength has failed. The city that had seemed invincible, whose strength had crushed the nations, finds that strength failing before God; its defenders lose heart, its defenses are breached, its might comes to nothing. What had seemed unassailable is brought low. This shows that even the greatest human strength fails before God; no might, however great, can finally stand against him. The strength in which Babylon trusted failed when God moved against it; and so does every human strength that sets itself against God. Even the greatest human might fails before God; what seems unassailable is brought low. No human strength can finally stand against God. The strength people trust in fails before him. Human might, however great, comes to nothing before God.

Notice what happens to Babylon's strength: it fails. Babylon had been a great and dominating power, its strength feared, its might crushing the nations; it seemed unassailable. But when God moved against it, its strength simply failed; its defenders stopped fighting and cowered in their strongholds, their might spent. The power that had seemed invincible was brought low. This reveals a truth that runs through Scripture: even the greatest human strength fails before God. No might, no power, however great, can finally stand against him; what seems unassailable to human eyes is nothing before God. The strength in which people and nations trust, when it sets itself against God or is judged by him, fails. This is sobering for any who trust in their own strength, or fear the strength of others as though it were ultimate; and it is a comfort to those oppressed by seemingly unassailable powers, for no such power is ultimate before God. Human might is not the final word; God is greater than the greatest strength. What seems unassailable fails before God. The strength that overawes us is nothing before him.

That is worth taking to heart, for even the greatest human might fails before God, and no strength can finally stand against him. We can trust in our own strength, or be overawed by the strength of others as though it were ultimate; but Babylon's mighty strength, which had seemed unassailable, failed when God moved against it. No human might, however great, is ultimate or can finally stand against God. The strength that overawes us is nothing before him. Do not trust in your own strength as though it could not fail, nor fear the strength of others as ultimate; even the greatest human might fails before God, as Babylon's did. Do not trust in your own strength as though it could not fail, nor be overawed by the strength of others as though it were ultimate, remembering that even the greatest human might fails before God, as Babylon's strength, once feared and seemingly unassailable, failed when God moved against it; for no human power, however great, can finally stand against God, and what seems unassailable to human eyes is nothing before him, so that the strength people trust in, or that overawes us, is not ultimate but fails before God, which humbles our trust in our own strength and comforts us when we are oppressed by powers that seem too great to fall.

Lord, as you pronounce the fall of Babylon, that great and seemingly unassailable power, you describe how its strength, in which it had trusted, simply fails. The warriors of Babylon have stopped fighting, the prophet says; they remain in their strongholds. Their strength has failed. The city that had seemed invincible, whose strength had crushed the nations, finds that strength failing before you; its defenders lose heart, its defenses are breached. What had seemed unassailable is brought low. This shows that even the greatest human strength fails before you; no might, however great, can finally stand against you. Show me what happens to Babylon's strength: it fails. Babylon had been a great and dominating power; it seemed unassailable. But when you moved against it, its strength simply failed; its defenders stopped fighting, their might spent. The power that had seemed invincible was brought low. This reveals a truth that runs through Scripture: even the greatest human strength fails before you. No might, however great, can finally stand against you; what seems unassailable to human eyes is nothing before you. This is sobering for any who trust in their own strength, or fear the strength of others as though it were ultimate; and it is a comfort to those oppressed by seemingly unassailable powers. Take that to my heart, for even the greatest human might fails before you, and no strength can finally stand against you. I can trust in my own strength, or be overawed by the strength of others as though it were ultimate; but Babylon's strength, which had seemed unassailable, failed when you moved against it. Keep me from trusting in my own strength as though it could not fail, and from being overawed by the strength of others as ultimate; help me remember that even the greatest human might fails before you, Lord, as Babylon's did, for no human power is ultimate or can finally stand against you.