The Wrath of God As Pictured Against Babylon

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 13:14 It shall be as the hunted gazelle, And as a sheep that no man takes up; Every man will turn to his own people, And everyone will flee to his own land. 15 Everyone who is found will be thrust through, And everyone who is captured will fall by the sword. 16 Their children also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; Their houses will be plundered And their wives ravished. 17 "Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, Who will not regard silver; And as for gold, they will not delight in it. 18 Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; Their eye will not spare children.

 

Sin will have its day. Continued rebellion against God will one day face the consequences of God’s wrath. The “it” in verse 14 here is Babylon and Babylon personifies those who rebel against God. Their day is coming and it won’t be very pretty.

 

The events here in Isaiah are very real and unpleasant to read about., but they really happened! Babylon fell to the Medes under Cyrus in 539 B,C,

 

Note the word pictures used here to describe Babylonians as they face this judgment from God through His instrument named Cyrus.

 

Babylon, like a frightened hunted gazelle, an abandoned sheep. The citizens trying to get out of the country and return to their own land, because anyone left behind is “thrust through.” Even the women and children are ravished and dashed to pieces.

 

The judgement of the Medes cannot be waylaid with gold and silver. The Babylonians won’t be able to buy their way out of this one. And then again we read of the young men being dashed to pieces and the enemy having no regard for the fruit of the womb….human life.

 

These word pictures help us to see the harsh realities of wars on earth, and wars on earth are meant to portray  the eventual and final wrath of God being poured out against the rebels. (Those who have rejected Christ.)

 

Abject fear will grip the rebel on that Day. He will face his judgment as the lone responsible party, like the lonely sheep. He won’t be able to bargain with the Lord on the last Day. There is no escape! Note the repetition of the word “everyone” in verse 15. “Everyone thrust through, everyone falls by the sword.”

 

These word pictures are very graphic and repulsive. How can God allow such things? He allows them so we will perhaps grasp the seriousness of His wrath against sin which is coming. Woe to those who leave this earth without Christ as their Lord and Savior.

 

Silver and gold cannot buy your way out of your sin dilemma, but repentance and belief in the gospel will.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.