Grace That Leads Me Out of Babylon
Scripture Passage: Jeremiah 51:1-10 (NASB)
1 This is what the Lord says:
“Behold, I am going to stir up
The spirit of a destroyer against Babylon
And against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai.
2 I will send foreigners to Babylon so that they may winnow her
And devastate her land;
For they will be opposed to her on every side
On the day of her disaster.
3 Let not him who bends his bow bend it,
Nor let him rise up in his coat of armor.
Do not spare her young men;
Devote all her army to destruction.
4 They will fall down dead in the land of the Chaldeans,
And pierced through in their streets.”
5 For neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken
By his God, the Lord of armies,
Although their land is full of guilt
Before the Holy One of Israel.
6 Flee from the midst of Babylon,
And each of you save his life!
Do not perish in her punishment,
For this is the Lord’s time of vengeance;
He is going to repay to her what she deserves.
7 Babylon has been a golden cup in the hand of the Lord,
Intoxicating all the earth.
The nations have drunk of her wine;
Therefore the nations are going insane.
8 Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken;
Wail over her!
Bring balm for her pain;
Perhaps she may be healed.
9 We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed;
Abandon her and let’s each go to his own country,
For her judgment has reached to heaven
And it rises to the clouds.
10 The Lord has brought about our vindication;
Come and let’s recount in Zion
The work of the Lord our God!
SUMMARY
The word of the Lord came upon Jeremiah about the judgment of Babylon, due to their sins. Unlike Israel who also sinned against God, they have not been forsaken. God was telling him the complete fall of Babylon as God’s vengeance, bringing about vindication of the people of Israel.
REFLECTION
Babylon, a powerful empire who influenced other countries with military forces, authorities, riches of knowledge, idols, secular cultures and treasures, was at one time used as God’s tool by being a sword for the judgement against Israel and neighboring countries. However, in these passages, God declared punishment, being a sword against the Babylonian since they were arrogant against God. They defied the Holy One of Israel (50:29), by oppressing the Israel with violence and joy (50:11, 51:34-35) and refusing to let the Israel go back to his own country (50;33). God said that He would not forsake them, but bring about Israel’s vindication by repaying to Babylon with what she deserves.
Even though the Israel was full of sins before the exile to Babylon, Israel people would eventually repent of their sins and seek God, joining themselves to the Lord in His covenant (50:5). As it is mentioned in Chapter 50:20, the sin of Israel or Judah will not be found since God forgives the remnant He spared, by His grace and mercy. God will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more (31:34).
APPLICATION
A couple of months ago, I lost my job where I have worked over 10 years. When I received a notice of termination, I immediately knelt my knees to God in fear and trembling of the situation. By His grace and mercy, He shone his Light onto me and revealed my sins that I did not recognize due to blindness and darkness of my heart. I realized how much dishonesty, uncleanness, anger, greed, impatience, unkindness, wrongdoings, and ignorance were in my life while I was working in the company.
Since I experienced the grace of the Cross of Christ Jesus personally onto me 4 years ago, I tried to follow Jesus by denying myself and carrying my own cross in my workplace where God sent me. Wherever I was sent, I felt like that I was in a mission field, the place where no manager wanted to come as well as a very desolate and cold place that are spiritually dark. Even though it was not easy and sometimes very painful, I tried to do my best with caring for them through prayers and dependance of the Holy Spirit. Every workplace where I went became a top performing place in the district. There were no more fights, slanders, gossips, arguments but understating, consideration and caring for each other. The workers began to have a fear of God with a sense of awe because they experienced Gods’ blessing, guidance and protection. Workers in other areas even wanted to come to work at my workplace. I became well known to other workers and received benefits financially much more than I was expected.
However, there were impurities and contamination growing in my life. I was not carefully taking care of my own soul. I was careless, proud, arrogant, and ignorant. Even though I spent 90 percent of my life devoting to God, the devil was destroying me little by little through 10 percent of my own time and energy that I tried to please myself in secular way. When Holy Spirit pointed out to me through my conscious first time, I tried to excuse myself to God because I am in chronic, restless and severe pain. When my pain sometimes flares up, I felt like that my brain would explore and I would die. I needed something to please myself. So, I tried to find a way to satisfy and please me, browsing internet unnecessarily with reading unbeneficial articles and online shopping. I treated financial blessing as my own, instead of having attitude of a keeper for God. I made excuse to myself that the money spent was a little compared to how much I make.
The devil took a chance to creep unto me, destroying me slowly. I was in danger of dishonoring God through my sins even though I started this journey in my workplaces by His Grace, through the power of Holy Spirit.
After I left the company, I spent time of repentance of my wrongdoing and sins for a week by God’s grace. I was able to see all the countless and unholy things in my heart, attitude, and behaviors. When I repented of my sins, God refreshed my heart, cleansing the dark and hardened part of my heart. I gladly offered the money set apart to God by helping people who are in need without hesitancy (every year I used to save money that I received as a bonus for helping others who are in need).
After repentance of my sins, I was encouraged and comforted in several ways. God did not make shameful or ridiculed in front of people. Rather, my previous colleagues still remembered me as a great manager and God’s person with compassion and love. I was strengthened through persistent prayers and God’s words from our brothers and sisters in the church. Some of God’s sincere servants told me in their prayers that there was nothing wrong with this job termination, but God’s work for His own purpose. My other faithful friends genuinely advised me to seek legal helps against the wrongful termination. However, I know that I am not completely innocent in this matter because I committed sins against God who searches heart and attitude. So, I am humble and thankful to God for His grace and consideration. I believe now that there might be God’s another purpose on His work of Grace, besides of turning away from my sins.
Through today’s passage, God reminds me of His grace and mercy that led me into repentance of sins, holiness, and righteousness through Christ, our Lord. It is God’s grace that I still come to our Father with repentance of my sins whenever Holy Spirit makes me realize them to cleanse and purify me. God is not vindicating me because I am innocent of sins or God just ignores the sins intentionally, but my sins were washed through the blood of Jesus Christ. I should not take God’s grace lightly that is in the process of sanctification by the Holy Spirit, leading to eternal life.
PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for taking me out of darkness and bringing into your light through the repentance and the blood of Jesus Christ. Even though it was painful at the time, it was truly worthy of losing my job and walking into your righteousness and salvation rather than walking in darkness that will eventually lead me to death.
However, in the beginning, I couldn’t understand why you took me out of work at this time especially, when I was at the highest level of my career, as a pharmacist, manager, trainer, and preceptor for students in my company. I was also blessed financially much more than most of my colleagues. Through the passage of judgement on Babylon, I now understand that it was your great love and grace to save me out of Babylon. Babylon, the mother of prostitutes and of abomination of the earth as well as a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, could have been settled down in my heart through this worldly blessing. I was in danger of being blind and having a closed and hardened heart completely. By your grace, as you have called your people to come out of Babylon in the book of revelation, you brought me into your light out of darkness.
For the last 4 months, you have been working on me with teaching, rebuking, guiding, and training to live according to the law of the Spirit and Life. I pray for full restoration in me with all the impurities removed in my heart by the power of Holy Spirit as You restored Israel physically and spiritually. I sincerely pray that your grace poured on me does not become in vain, but that I am prepared to live as a follower of Jesus Christ for His glory. I pray that my life is offered to you as a living sacrifice to you as blameless and pleasing to you. Please help me not to put my feet in the same sins by loving the world but lead me into sanctification continuously.
I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
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