Oracles Against Nations

NOTE: For this sermon, we are borrowing from the general structure of Jeremiah presented in the “Evangelical Commentary on the Bible”.

Chapters 2-10: Sermons Warning of Disaster - DONE

Chapters 11-20: Stories about Wrestling with People and with God - DONE

Chapters 21-29: Challenging Kings and Prophets - DONE

Chapters 30-33: Book of Comfort - DONE

Chapters 34-39: Case Studies in the Failure of Leadership - DONE

Chapters 40-45: After the Catastrophe - DONE

Chapters 46-51: Oracles about the Nations - TODAY

Chapter 52: Fall of Jerusalem

God is Sovereign

As Christians in the modern, western world, we sometimes look at these events in Jeremiah as if they applied to “those people”.

It can be easy to disconnect ourselves from God’s nature revealed in these pages.

What Chapters 46-51, the “Oracles Against the Nations”, reveals is that God’s sovereignty covers all, both those who are a part of His chosen people and all other nations of the earth.

Jeremiah 46:27–28 CSB

27 But you, my servant Jacob, do not be afraid, and do not be discouraged, Israel, for without fail I will save you from far away, and your descendants from the land of their captivity! Jacob will return and have calm and quiet with no one to frighten him. 28 And you, my servant Jacob, do not be afraid— this is the Lord’s declaration— for I will be with you. I will bring destruction on all the nations where I have banished you, but I will not bring destruction on you. I will discipline you with justice, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.

Reinforced —> This is about discipline, not abandonment.

God desires redemption to Him!

The temporary successes of other nations are permitted… not their overbearing power.

SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL POINT: Destruction of the temple did NOT mean that Judah’s God has been ‘conquered’ as was commonly the belief. God is flipping the narrative on the traditional thinking. Instead of Jerusalem’s downfall being evidence of God’s weakness, it is actually a symbol of God’s power… that He is ordaining that these foreign powers would overcome, not that those foreign powers’ gods are bigger.

Multiple nations implicated...

Egypt...

Jeremiah 46:18–19 CSB

18 As I live— this is the King’s declaration; the Lord of Armies is his name — the king of Babylon will come like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea. 19 Get your bags ready for exile, inhabitant of Daughter Egypt! For Memphis will become a desolation, uninhabited ruins.

Philistines...

Jeremiah 47:2–4 CSB

2 This is what the Lord says: Look, water is rising from the north and becoming an overflowing wadi. It will overflow the land and everything in it, the cities and their inhabitants. The people will cry out, and every inhabitant of the land will wail. 3 At the sound of the stomping hooves of his stallions, the rumbling of his chariots, and the clatter of their wheels, fathers will not turn back for their sons. They will be utterly helpless 4 on account of the day that is coming to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every remaining ally. Indeed, the Lord is about to destroy the Philistines, the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor.

Moab...

Jeremiah 48:18–20 CSB

18 Come down from glory; sit on parched ground, resident of the daughter of Dibon, for the destroyer of Moab has come against you; he has destroyed your fortresses. 19 Stand by the highway and watch, resident of Aroer! Ask him who is fleeing or her who is escaping, “What happened?” 20 Moab is put to shame, indeed dismayed. Wail and cry out! Declare by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.

Ammon...

Jeremiah 49:2 CSB

2 Therefore look, the days are coming — this is the Lord’s declaration— when I will make the shout of battle heard against Rabbah of the Ammonites. It will become a desolate mound, and its surrounding villages will be set on fire. Israel will dispossess their dispossessors, says the Lord.

And also...

Edom

Damascus

Kedar and Hazor

Elam

This can be thought of as a “tying up of loose ends”. Each of these nations were used throughout the period beginning in Genesis and lasting until the downfall of Judah. God permitted them to exist. Why? Because God had a plan for them. God is sovereign, even over those who do not recognize His sovereignty. At this juncture, they no longer served a purpose. Since they did not serve a divine purpose of honoring God and they did not serve a procedural purpose of being a further instrument for God’s works, it was time for their proud institutions to come to an end.

Read Jeremiah 46:18-19, 47:2-4, 48:18-20, and Jeremiah 49:2 and think about the power structure between God and these ‘pagan’ nations. 1) These nations did not “follow God” yet God was still in control over them. Have you seen examples of how groups or individuals have pretended that God didn’t have authority, but yet they were subjected to God’s authority? 2) Many nations felt that if they conquered other civilizations, it implied their god was “greater”. Even though Judah and Israel are destroyed, this boldly states that God is still “in control” even when others see defeat. What examples have you seen of the world “seeing defeat”, but later realizing that God was doing something amazing?

Babylon the Murderer

And what of Babylon? Babylon appears to be rising and “winning” despite the other nations being destroyed!

Babylon is subject to the exact same judgement as everyone else.

BEFORE WE START… let me share with you lyrics from one of my favorite songs that seems to embody God’s ultimate power and judgment (“Babylon the Murderer” by P.O.D.)... “Tell the world Tell the whole world and keep nothing back, And hold nothing back Raise a signal flag, Raise it to tell everyone that Babylon will fall Her images and idols Will be broken and destroyed, Will be broken and destroyed, yeah-ha”

Jeremiah 50:2–5 CSB

2 Announce to the nations; proclaim and raise up a signal flag; proclaim, and hide nothing. Say, “Babylon is captured; Bel is put to shame; Marduk is terrified.” Her idols are put to shame; her false gods, devastated. 3 For a nation from the north will attack her; it will make her land desolate. No one will be living in it— both people and animals will escape. 4 In those days and at that time— this is the Lord’s declaration— the Israelites and Judeans will come together, weeping as they come, and will seek the Lord their God. 5 They will ask about Zion, turning their faces to this road. They will come and join themselves to the Lord in a permanent covenant that will never be forgotten.

Perspective...

God is permitting His people to go into exile; many wonder if God will protect them.

God warns that all people will be subject to God’s will, including those He uses for His discipline over Israel and Judah.

Reinforces the utilitarian nature of His dealings with Babylon… Babylon isn’t powerful because they are “blessed”; they’re powerful because God is going to make them a tool for discipline, then an example of His judgment.

This is terrifying for me as an American. So many like to look at our wealth, safety, and prosperity and consider them evidence of God’s blessing over our nation. My fear is “What if this is about God’s use of us as a tool despite our disobedience? What if WE ARE BABYLON?”

And just like the Egyptians, the Philistines, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and countless others, Babylon shall also fall...

Jeremiah 50:41–43 CSB

41 Look! A people comes from the north. A great nation and many kings will be stirred up from the remote regions of the earth. 42 They grasp bow and javelin. They are cruel and show no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, lined up like men in battle formation against you, Daughter Babylon. 43 The king of Babylon has heard about them; his hands have become weak. Distress has seized him— pain, like a woman in labor.

History

King Nebuchadnezzar —> Part of Neo-Babylonian Empire that defeated the Neo-Assyrians (who destroyed Israel previously)

Known for ruthless conquest practices

Eventually conquered by Cyrus the Great of Persia; Persia dominated until Artaxerxes honored Nehemiah and Ezra returning to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple

There is no doubt that many in Babylon felt they were “too big to fail”… until they weren’t. No matter how grand our nations or glorious our empires, God remains the sovereign over all things.

Looking at these pages through our own eyes, we have to ask ourselves what institutions do we assume are too big to fail? And when institutions get that big, how quick are we to shift our focus from honor God in favor of honoring a man-made institution?

Read Jeremiah 50:2-5, 41-43 and think about the successful Babylonians being told they are going to fall. 1) Babylon certainly felt “too big to fail”. What religious or spiritual institutions today feel “too big to fail”? 2) Eventually, Babylon DID fall to the Persians and never returned as a major power. Imagine that the institutions you rely on for meaning and purpose failed. What would you have left? How would you continue finding purpose? What if the institutions that failed were you churches, Bible studies, and other religious foundations?

God Remains In Control

As we close out the Oracles Against the Nations, we should remember that no matter what we experience, no matter the trial, and no matter what victories our adversaries appear to be experiencing… God has complete and total dominion.

It is understandable that we have questions in our valleys; Job had questions when he lived a life riddled with trials.

But God answered Job that He was in complete control.

God answered Jeremiah’s burdens by reinforcing that He was in complete control.

And God looks at you today in the midst of your trials, assuring you that no matter how dark the night may be or how bleak the outcomes may appear… God is, in fact, in total control.

God is sovereign in the good times and the bad. The question for us to ponder is are we God’s children looking back towards Jerusalem and awaiting the glory God will author in eternity, or are we simply living as Babylons, destined for the same inglorious downfall. Church, let’s be a family that lives as God’s children so that one day we may, too, be able to praise God in the New Jerusalem.