Jeremiah 51:37

The Bible says in Jeremiah 51:37-40, “And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.[38] They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lion's whelps.[39] In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD.[40] I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats.” In talking about how greatly Babylon would be judged for its sins and its spiritual failures before God, notice the phrase that is used in verse 40, “I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter.” The very same phrase is used of Jesus when the suffering Messiah is described in Isaiah chapter 53. It says about Jesus in Isaiah 53:3-7, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.[4] Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.[5] But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.[6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.[7] He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” The people of Babylon in the judgment of their sins are described as “lambs to the slaughter.” Why is Christ described in that way? Because Jesus became the lamb of slaughter in our place. He suffered for us, so that we would not have to suffer. He died for us, so that we would not die. Jesus took God’s judgment upon Himself so that we would never suffer God’s judgment. What a wonderful and complete salvation has been given to the believers in Jesus. What a difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Under the law of the Old Testament people suffered their own judgment. Under grace in the New Testament there is no judgment, because Jesus became a “lamb to the slaughter” in our place.

The Bible says in Jeremiah 51:41-50, “How is Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! how is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations![42] The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof.[43] Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth any son of man pass thereby.[44] And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.[45] My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD.[46] And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.[47] Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.[48] Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon: for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the LORD.[49] As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.[50] Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.” After many more verses of describing the destruction that would come upon Babylon, some very good spiritual advice is given to whoever escapes the destruction. It says in verse 50, “Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.” To escape the sword means that you were saved, you were delivered. Not many get saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but if you are one of the fortunate few, then you want to make sure that you take this advice. First is to “remember the LORD.” Always remember what the Lord Jesus did for you. Be thankful for your salvation every day. Notice that Jeremiah 51:50 says, “remember the Lord afar off.” The Israelites were in Babylon, far away from the place of their dreams; and they had been removed from Jerusalem because of their own sins and failures. Even in those circumstances, they could “remember the Lord.” We can do the same thing, and we must do the same thing. No matter what happens to us in this life, we can remember what the Lord Jesus has done for us. One of the goals of your enemy is to cause you to forget. It says in Ecclesiastes 12:1, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.”

The Bible says in Jeremiah 51:51-52, “We are confounded, because we have heard reproach: shame hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the LORD's house.[52] Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will do judgment upon her graven images: and through all her land the wounded shall groan.” These two verses show us the difference between looking at the current circumstances compared to looking at the future reality. Sometimes there is a big difference between the two, especially for believers. We have a wonderful future planned for us because of what Jesus did for us on the cross of Calvary. But in this world we are a small minority and the devil is called the “god of this world.” Christians will suffer persecution of some sort, and the persecutions can become so bad that all that is left is the future. If you keep an eye on the future, you will be able to take whatever persecutions come your way. In the last days the persecutions will be terrible, but they will be short-lived because God is on the throne, and Jesus will take vengeance on those who hate His children.

The Bible says in Jeremiah 51:53-58, “Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD.[54] A sound of a cry cometh from Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans:[55] Because the LORD hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:[56] Because the spoiler is come upon her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, every one of their bows is broken: for the LORD God of recompences shall surely requite.[57] And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.[58] Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.” These verses contrast the nation of Babylon and its leaders to God. The verses also bring attention to the difference between present circumstances and what God actually has planned for the future. Of course, present circumstances are temporary and fleeting. Anyone who has power in this world has it for a short time only, and God will take it away and give it to another when He chooses. That is why God is called “the King” in theses verses: to remind everyone who is really in charge. Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords.

The Bible says in Jeremiah 51:59-64, “The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah into Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. And this Seraiah was a quiet prince.[60] So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon.[61] And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words;[62] Then shalt thou say, O LORD, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever.[63] And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates:[64] And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.” Seraiah is an interesting person, and a very good example for all of us. He is described in verse 59 as “a quiet prince.” The word translated “quiet” is often translated “rest” in the Old Testament, and is translated as “still” in the 23rd Psalm in “He leadeth me beside the still waters.” He leadeth me beside the quiet waters, the waters that are at rest. A person who is “still” and at “rest” will definitely be a quiet person. A quiet person does not speak much. Some of us would be better off if we spoke less. It says to Christians in First Thessalonians 4:11, “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.” There are certain advantages to being quiet. You will offend others much less, and you will commit fewer sins with your tongue. The tongue is a dangerous member. It says in James 2:2-13, “For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;[3] And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:[4] Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?[5] Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?[6] But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?[7] Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?[8] If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:[9] But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.[10] For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.[11] For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.[12] So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.[13] For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”

Another advantage to being a quiet person is that by being quiet, you just might be able to hear the Lord. God says in Psalms 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” It also says in First Kings 19:11-12, “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:[12] And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”

Saraiah was told in verse 61 to “read all these words.” That is good advice to anyone. Jesus said in Luke 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Once a person reads the Word of God, they now have something worthwhile to say. It says in First Peter 4:11, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.” After Seraiah had read the Word of God, he was told to repeat what he had read: “Then shalt thou say, O LORD, thou hast spoken…” One of the purposes of life is to learn the Word of God and then to teach others what you have learned. Of course, you will also be motivated to change your own actions and behavior. The fact that Seraiah was given something to do symbolizes this truth. We should always read the Bible prayerfully asking this question: “O Lord, what do want me to do now that I have read these words.” If the Word of God does not change your behavior, then you are not reading it properly.

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