Flee Idolatry!

Jeremiah 51:1-19

1 Thus says the LORD:
"Behold, I will raise up against Babylon,
Against those who dwell in Leb Kamai,
A destroying wind.
2 And I will send winnowers to Babylon,
Who shall winnow her and empty her land.
For in the day of doom
They shall be against her all around.

3 Against her let the archer bend his bow,
And lift himself up against her in his armor.
Do not spare her young men;
Utterly destroy all her army.
4 Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans,
And those thrust through in her streets.

5 For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah,
By his God, the LORD of hosts,
Though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel."

6 Flee from the midst of Babylon,
And every one save his life!
Do not be cut off in her iniquity,
For this is the time of the LORD's vengeance;
He shall recompense her.

7 Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD's hand,
That made all the earth drunk.
The nations drank her wine;
Therefore the nations are deranged.

8 Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed.
Wail for her!
Take balm for her pain;
Perhaps she may be healed.
9 We would have healed Babylon,
But she is not healed.
Forsake her, and let us go everyone to his own country;
For her judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the skies.

10 The LORD has revealed our righteousness.
Come and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.

11 Make the arrows bright!
Gather the shields!
The LORD has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes.
For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it,
Because it is the vengeance of the LORD,
The vengeance for His temple.

12 Set up the standard on the walls of Babylon;
Make the guard strong,
Set up the watchmen,
Prepare the ambushes.
For the LORD has both devised and done
What He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.

13 O you who dwell by many waters,
Abundant in treasures,
Your end has come,
The measure of your covetousness.

14 The LORD of hosts has sworn by Himself:
"Surely I will fill you with men, as with locusts,
And they shall lift up a shout against you."

15 He has made the earth by His power;
He has established the world by His wisdom,
And stretched out the heaven by His understanding.
16 When He utters His voice—
There is a multitude of waters in the heavens:
"He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
He makes lightnings for the rain;
He brings the wind out of His treasuries."

17 Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge;
Every metalsmith is put to shame by the carved image;
For his molded image is falsehood
And there is no breath in them.
18 They are futile, a work of errors;
In the time of their punishment they shall perish.

19 The Portion of Jacob is not like them,
For He is the Maker of all things;
And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance.
The LORD of hosts is His name.

Flee idolatry!  Like Babylon, we are warned to flee all forms of idolatry and run into worship of the Lord of lords and King of kings instead before judgment falls.  Babylon was destroyed after God winnowed her chaff into His blowing wind of destruction as the parable in Luke 3:17 reminds us.  God’s people of Israel had been sinful, but they were not utterly forsaken as it is written in verse 5 here.  Babylon was not forgiven because she was not of His people.  Sin by itself is not what condemns or the lack of it which saves; it is God’s calling and His choosing which determines our acceptance.  The nations all around Babylon had drunk of her intoxicating wine (Revelation 14:8) of spiritual fornication, of idolatry and rejection of the LORD, and went foolishly mad as a result.  She suddenly fell and was destroyed with no hope of healing because of that rejection of God and all His righteousness as He revealed the righteousness of His people in Himself, just as we now understand more fully that imputation we have in Christ alone.  God’s vengeance for the desecration and destruction of His temple in Jerusalem was bad enough, but consider the end of all who desecrate the temples of us all where He would dwell in if not filled with idols of rejection.  The judgment against Babylon was unstoppable no matter how much military might tried to defend her and her prideful and covetous mindset.  God’s omnipotence in creation is spoken through Jeremiah for all to hear and understanding who He is and that He is able to do exactly as He says in His power, wisdom, and understanding.  There is none like Him, none who compare, certainly not lifeless carved idols representing nonexistent deities.  No, only the LORD of hosts who made all things and who gives life as He wills to these chosen and called out to Himself for an inheritance, only He is to be worshiped.  None other.  Do we then carve out idols to desecrate these temples where He lives (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19-20, 2 Corinthians 6:16), idols of immortality and hate and covetousness?  We have been delivered out of Babylon and so should live in thankful obedience to His will according to his word.