About Babylon

Read Jeremiah 5:14-6          
 
Jeremiah 6:1 & 22 “Run for your lives, you people of Benjamin! Get out of Jerusalem! Sound the alarm in Tekoa! Send up a signal at Beth-hakkerem! A powerful army is coming from the north, coming with disaster and destruction. & 22 This is what the LORD says: “Look! A great army coming from the north! A great nation is rising against you from far-off lands.”
 
LET’S consider Babylon. We have read many references to this country in Isaiah. And this ancient powerful nation will be very central to much of the remaining Old Testament scriptures.
   Babylon actually began in Genesis 10 in the list of nations after the Flood. Genesis 10:8 Cush (Ham’s son, Noah’s grandson) was also the ancestor of Nimrod, who was the first heroic warrior on earth…10 He built his kingdom in the land of Babylonia, with the cities of Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh. It’s also essential to remember that Noah had cursed his son Ham. Ham’s descendants would oppose his brother Shem’s descendants (Israel). Genesis 11 then tells us people at Babel – another word for Babylon – developed technology to make bricks and then build towers. As you might recall, they wanted to build a tower to God, and the LORD confused their language to prevent this. That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the LORD confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world. Babylon, then, was rooted in the most ancient civilization in the world. Through the centuries, Babylon became part of the Assyrian empire. But then came leaders, Semiramis and Nebuchadnezzar. They enlarged the city and began to conquer their neighbors. When Nebuchadnezzar won a great battle against Egypt and defeated Assyria, Babylon’s power and authority were absolute. They then became a threat to Judah.
   Babylon was 2700 KM or 1680 miles directly east of Jerusalem. Remember this when the Jews are taken there. They will be very far from home. It is also difficult to imagine the time, effort and expense needed to move massive armies such a distance. But this was very common in ancient empires. As Jeremiah spoke God’s Word to warn of a nation from the north, this is how Babylon attacked Judah. Going directly east would move Babylon through the vast Arabian desert. Going north, then south into Judah would keep the army on good land with water.
   One reason we can believe the Bible is true is to know God’s specific prophecies become specific realities. When Jeremiah twice in chapter 6 said, a great army is coming from the north, he is relaying God’s specific plan of Judah’s conquest. The area of Benjamin is north of Jerusalem. They must flee south and keep going past Jerusalem because it, too, will be destroyed. The towns Tekoa and Beth-hakkerem mentioned here were southwest and southeast of Jerusalem. This is a general warning to all residents to flee.
    Two reasons we need to know this are: 1) God’s Word can be in such forms as metaphor, poetry, prophecy or direct teachings. In each form, God reveals what is true. We must understand what God is saying, so we know what to believe and what to do. Second, this indicates God’s salvation promise in Eden was fulfilled step-by-step throughout history. The people, places and events of the ancient past we have read to this point in Scripture affect us into our eternal future.