Sunday Morning, July 26, 2020, AM

It's good to have everyone here. Good to have you here if you're visiting with us especially to worship with us here this morning. A few announcements as we get started this morning. Some opportunities this week.

Come back this evening at 530 for our evening service. Josiah DeForest will be sharing with us out of Hebrews tonight so come this evening. Also Wednesday at 630 Bible study and prayer time. No nursery still.

And then looking ahead Sunday evenings again. Michael is continuing a new series looking at the sons of Issachar. He'll be looking specifically at Deuteronomy 16 that that's next Sunday evening. Our fighter verse for this week comes from the psalm.

Psalm 34 verses 12 through 14. What man is there who desires life and loves many days that he may see good. Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good.

Seek peace and pursue it. So meditate on that verse this week. If you're visiting with us we do have an offering plate but that's at the back of the auditorium. So if you have tithes or offerings that you would like to give give those back there on your way out of the service this morning.

Also we do have nursery available. It's through those doors and then back and down the hallway to your left operation Christmas child not too early necessarily to think about that particularly since there are some school supplies sales that are going on right now.

So if you want to give the towards operation Christmas child those are good gifts to think of if you want to see Patty or Barbara if you have questions regarding that they can answer those for you. Any other announcements that I'm missing this morning.

All right. It's good to be together this morning. We're gonna prepare our hearts for worship. And then after Randy will open.

Us at prayer. Father we just want to thank you so much for the opportunity to.

Come and meet and assemble together today. What a privilege it is. I thank you for each one here. Thank you for our brothers and sisters in Christ. And father pray that you would just encourage our hearts today as we meet together prepare our hearts.

Father just to hear from you from your word. Father pray that you just give Michael freedom to share what you put on his heart. And we pray that your Holy Spirit would just speak to us. And I pray that throughout this week father all the things going on and in so many people's lives that we would stand for you that we would be a faithful witness that we'd be a comfort that would also be salt and light.

Father just thank you for Jesus. Thank you so much for our precious Savior that was willing to die in our place. And I pray that you would receive glory and honor from all that we do today. And we ask it.

In Jesus name good morning. Sign aside as we read our call to worship. And if you would stand please I want you to consider the depth and the power and the authority and the eternalness of God's Word.

It is truly a gift that we are able to be here and to read it. So if you would follow along with me as we read my heart overflows with a pleasing theme. I address my verses to the king. My tongue is like the man of many.

You are the most handsome of the sons of men. Grace it poured upon your lips therefore God has blessed you forever. Thank you. We could read scripture all day. I'll be just fine. Our first song is going to be 76 in your your.

Him knows it's gonna be the first the second the.

Third and the fifth verses. Think about his love this is in 102 your hymns.

Modern ancient think about his love. Oh yes we have scripture reading from Ryan so I'm filling in for Jay who's on assignment out of town and I'm rusty so.

You hang with me. We're flexible here right. Our scripture reading this morning is from the book of Deuteronomy chapter 12 giving our attention to verses 19 to the end of the chapter. Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.

When the Lord your God enlarges your border as he has promised you and you say let me eat meat because you long to eat meat. You may eat as much meat as your heart desires. If the place where the Lord your God chooses to put your net his name is too far for you then you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock which the Lord has given you just as I have commanded you.

And you may eat within your gates as much as your heart desires. Just as the gazelle and the deer are eaten so you may eat them. The unclean and the clean alike may eat them. Only be sure that you do not eat the blood for the blood is the life.

You may not eat the life with the meat. You shall not eat it. You shall pour it on the earth like water. You shall not eat it that it may go well with you and your children after you. When you do what is right in the sight of the Lord only the holy things which you have and your vowed offerings you shall take and go to the place which the Lord chooses.

And you shall offer your burnt offerings the meat and the blood on the altar of the Lord your God. And the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God and you shall eat the meat.

Observe and obey all these words which I command you that it may go well with you and your children after you forever when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God. When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess and you displace them and dwell in their land.

Take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them after they are destroyed from before you. And that you do not inquire after their gods saying how did these nations serve their gods I also will do likewise you shall not worship the Lord your God in that way for every abomination to the Lord which he hates they have done to their gods for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

Whatever I command you be careful to observe it. You shall not add to it nor take away from it. Would you pray with me Lord God your commandments are all together holy and just. What a blessing it is that in your majesty and your glory you saw fit to stoop down and to speak to the likes of us sinners and rebels.

Lord you have made us glad in your word as your Holy Spirit reveals to us through it. The one who has done all things well who has kept every righteous requirement of the law. The one in whom is life who has authority to lay down his life and to take it up again.

And the one who says to us come to me. All you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Incline our hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ that we might see him rightly as deserving all honor and glory and praise you may be seated.

These next three songs have to.

Do with his love. We're gonna start in 102 and then in your hymns modern ancient 47 and then amazing grace will be last and the words will be on the screen. And if you choose sing it from the heart. You should sing it from the heart anyways but focus on that this first one is think about his love.

I thank you for gathering us together this day. What a joy it is to gather on.

The first day of the week and celebrate that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and he is alive forevermore. That he has ascended to your right hand where he has been seated as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

And to him we owe all of our praise. I ask today father that you would help us to keep our gaze to keep our minds fixed upon Christ. That we would truly be a people for your praise. That Christ would have our attention.

That Christ would have our affection. Christ would have our allegiance. As we look at your word today. I ask that you would give us a clear view of your son Jesus Christ as we look at him. In this word we will look like him in this world.

This would be to your fame. This would be to your glory. We pray these things for the sake of Jesus Christ the one with whom you are well pleased. Amen. I invite you to open your Bibles and turn with me to chapter 51 of Jeremiah.

We'll be working our way through all of chapter 50 and the first 10 verses of chapter 51 as we are just looking at the first half of the Oracle of Judgment against Babylon here near the very end of Jeremiah.

Over the last four chapters we've been surveying human conflict. Human conflict on a massive scale. But it's not only human conflict it's also cosmic conflict as we see Egypt and Philistia Moab and Ammon Damascus Kadar Hazor Elam.

All of these nations not to mention Judah herself and Jerusalem are systematically conquered by God's instrument of judgment named Babylon. Babylon is the vile swill steaming in the righteous cup of God's wrath and he forces all of these nations to drink it.

Babylon herself however will also come under the wrath of God. You've heard of the handwriting on the wall comes from the book of Daniel. And this is what was written on the wall. Menae Menae Tekel Upharsin.

That's what was written on the wall. And this was the signal that Babylon had come to an end. Babylon was ultimately judged and he God had numbered the kingdom at 70 years. Jeremiah 25 said that the clock was ticking for Babylon and they had 70 years from the moment of Babylon's seminal victory over Assyria at Carchemish wherein they took the scepter of world power from their overlord Assyria.

They did that in 609 BC to the moment that the Medes and the Persians overran the Babylonians in a very embarrassing and anticlimactic route 539 BC. 70 years. What do you know the Word of God. It's true.

God said Babylon you get 70 years and they got 70 years of world dominance. And at the end of it Menae Menae Tekel Upharsin. Babylon was weighed in the balances and was found wanting and God brought it down like a condemned skyscraper.

And when the dust settled what would remain for his people who have been taken captive by the Babylonians who had had their city destroyed by the Babylonians who have been judged by this world empire that God just brought down what would remain for his people.

And that's what our passage explores this morning. So if you will stand with me I'm going to read the last six verses of our passage today. Jeremiah 51 verses 5 through 10. This is the Word of the Lord.

For neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken by his God the Lord of hosts although their land is full of guilt before the Holy One of Israel flee from the midst of Babylon and each of you save his life.

Do not be destroyed in her punishment for this is the Lord's time of vengeance. He is going to render recompense to her. Babylon has been a golden cup in the hand of the Lord intoxicating all the earth.

The nations have drunk of her wine. Therefore the nations are going mad. Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken. Wail over her. Bring balm for her pain. Perhaps she may be healed. We applied healing to Babylon but she was not healed.

Forsake her and let us each go to his own country. For her judgment has reached to heaven and towers up to the very skies the Lord has brought about our vindication. Come and let us recount in Zion the work of the Lord our God.

This is the Word of the Lord. You may be seated. Jeremiah chapters 50 and 51 started off as a single scroll all 110 verses on a scroll. It was written in the fourth year of the last king of Judah Zedekiah just prior to Zedekiah's journey out to Babylon to check in with his overlords.

That was in 593 BC. Now a copy of this scroll was entrusted to Baruch's brother. Baruch is Jeremiah's scribe who's been busily writing everything down. Baruch's brother was part of the royal entourage heading out to Babylon.

So a copy of the scroll was given to him and he was to read it out loud. I probably to the exiles there the Jewish exiles who've been taken there four years earlier to read it aloud declaring the judgment that would come upon Babylon and the hope of the deliverance of God's people.

He was then to take the scroll tie it to a rock and throw it into the Euphrates. If you're interested to why he did that come back next week. What God declared thus in 593 BC comes to pass over 50 years later.

So what is what is written down here in this scroll. And was carried to Babylon and read out loud. It would be over 50 years until it came to pass 50 years. And during those five decades Kings would rise and fall Jerusalem would be destroyed.

The nations we read about in chapters 46 to 49 all of them would be destroyed. Daniel Shadrach Meshach and Abednego they would face lions. They would walk through fire. And they would live through tumultuous political transitions until finally Babylon would fall from the Medes and the Persians and God's Word would be proven true.

All his promises would have come to pass and his people were full of praise. Now in chapters 50 and 51 the redemption of God's people is interwoven with the destruction the judgment that came upon Babylon.

And this pattern of salvation through judgment is a theme as deep as the Exodus the flood and even the garden. The scene set before us here at the end of Jeremiah are already prophesied in Isaiah 13 and 14 and we find them all again in the book of Revelation.

The point is this when Babylon falls it is to the deliverance and the praise of God's people is good news. When Babylon goes down it is good news. When the dust of Babylon's demise settles hope remains for God's people.

When the dust settles the promise of the new covenant forgiveness of sins the justice of God and the city of Zion are all still standing. And why is that when the dust of conflict settles. When the dust of human conflict settles.

When the dust of cosmic conflict settles Christ remains standing. So we're taught here in Jeremiah 50 and 51. Let's begin with the first five verses of chapter 50 where we see the new covenant remains standing.

It's important to recognize the significance of the fall of Babylon the dominating political reality. For seven decades Babylon will fall in a cloud of dust. The world Empire who had organized everybody into a series of of political covenants suzerain treaties wherein Babylon says we're top dog you're not.

Here's what you owe us. And here's how you're going to get along with your neighbors because if you don't we'll come kill you. That whole network of political agreements disappeared like a spiderweb under a falling branch.

When Babylon went down all of these Babylonian vassals all of a sudden just spun free from their orbits. They careened into new chaotic courses. And when the dust settled when Babylon lay shattered guess what agreement guess what promise didn't go down with it.

God's promise of the new covenant remained standing. We see that in verses 1 through 5 Babylon scattered in shame. But Israel began will be gathered in hope. The first three verses we see Babylon scattered in shame.

The word which the Lord spoke concerning Babylon the land of the Chaldeans through Jeremiah. The prophet declare and proclaim among the nations. Proclaim it and lift up a standard. Do not conceal but say Babylon has been captured.

Bell has been put to shame. Marduk has been shattered. Her images have been put to shame. Her idols have been shattered. For a nation has come up come up against her out of the north. And it will make her land an object of horror.

And there will be no inhabitant in it. Both man and beast have wandered off they have gone away. Interesting to remember the nations the families of the earth the nations from Babel once scattered now here that Babylon has been shattered.

Tell all the nations. Babylon just went down but the flag of her shame fly high planted in the heaps of her broken idols. The Medes and the Persians have descended upon her from the north and have scattered from that great city both man and beast.

It is laid waste. In contrast we have Israel gathered in hope in verses 4 through 5 in those days and at that time declares the Lord the sons of Israel will come both they and the sons of Judah as well.

And they will go along weeping as they go. And it will be that the Lord their God they will seek. They will ask for the way to Zion turning their faces in its direction. They will come that they may join themselves to the Lord in everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.

So what's. What's the pattern. It's very interesting. The nations from Babel once scattered in Genesis 11. The nations from Babel once scattered now here that Babylon is shattered. And remember that when the families from Babel were dispersed who also left Cal D now cursed Abram.

Remember just after we read about the nations the families of the earth scattered from Babel. What was one of those families that that were scattered from the land of Ur from the land of the Chaldeans.

Who who left as part of that dispersion. Who was it. It was. It was Abram. And where did he go. He headed back to the he headed to the promised land for the very first time. Babel gets judged. Abram goes to the promised land.

Babylon gets judged. Abraham's descendants go to the promised land. They go back home take the very same route that their ancestor did. Very interesting. God promises the shattering of Babylon will precipitate the gathering of Israel.

They will gather together there in Judah even there in Jerusalem. For what. For the establishment of a new covenant. Not like the old Jeremiah 31 and 32 say God is gathering the remnants of his old covenant people.

And there will be a spirit of godly sorrow among them. There will be a spirit of repentance among them. They are going to return to God by way of Zion. They're going to be gathered there in the ruins of Jerusalem.

We read about this in Ezra and Nehemiah. There they purge the idols from their homes. They rebuild the temple and the walls. There they tend the vineyard and wait for the vine dresser to come and to make all things new.

An everlasting covenant which will never be forgotten. Other empires would rise and fall. Many battles would be fought in and around Jerusalem. But when the dust settled Christ was born of Mary in David's hometown.

He was raised in Nazareth. He ministered in Galilee. He died in Jerusalem. And he was raised to rule the whole earth. The new covenant the everlasting unbreakable covenant was purchased by Christ's blood.

It was cut in his broken flesh and it was inaugurated by his resurrection and sealed by his Holy Spirit. Babylon lay shattered. But when the dust settled the promise of the new covenant remained standing.

And God's people would be gathered back to be ready for that moment. When the dust of national conflict settles the new covenant in Christ remains standing. I think that's something we need to hear in the current tension.

Whether it's revolutionaries waging an insurgency domestic or Chinese Communist Party ramping up a cold war international. I think it would do well for us to remember that Rome fell but the new covenant in Christ remained standing.

That European states rose and warred and fell but the new covenant in Christ remained standing. The Third Reich rose and fell the Soviet bloc formed and dissipated. But the new covenant in Christ remained standing.

And should our domestic insurgents in the international communists proved to be the hammer and tongs of God's judgment upon us. And should they achieve their most desired goals in the smashing of Western society and the destruction of European culture and the genocide of liberty.

The new covenant in Christ will remain standing. And he will plant his feet upon the ashes of all who refuse to do him homage. No 250-year empires rise and fall ever the slightest tremble in the pillars of Christ's kingdom.

When the dust settles the new covenant in Christ remains standing. And that is no cause to passive inaction. Well I guess it'll be all right. I'll fold my hands and rest. No what do the Exiles do. And godly sorrow and in repentance the return to Zion.

Because they pin their hopes on this everlasting covenant. So let us in godly sorrow fear God confess his judgments upon our land. Return to a wholehearted following of our King Jesus who has made the everlasting covenant.

Have we forgotten which way it is to Zion. Jesus Christ has not forgotten. He is not forgotten his shed blood and his broken body. He has not forgotten the cost that he bore for the forgiveness of our sins upon the cross.

And that of course to remains when the dust settles the forgiveness of sins remains standing even after accusatory conflict is resolved. This is in verses 6 through 20 of chapter 50. And I think there's a sense in which some in Babylon might be surprised to discover that she will be judged.

That Babylon will be judged for her assault on Judah. I mean if they're going to be listening to the prophets if they're going to listen to Daniel and Ezekiel. And if they're going to hear the readings of Isaiah and the readings of Jeremiah.

How Babylonians might be kind of interested to learn. Oh we were prophesied to do. They're saying that the God of the Jews he was the one who gave us the power to defeat the Jews and defeat all these nations.

Oh that's a very interesting thing. Oh this was prophesied many years before. And now the scroll arrives and Baruch's brothers reading it he's saying Babylon you're going down. Hey we're not the ones targeted here.

We're the ones doing the work of judging other nations. We can hear this going on in verses 6 and 7. But then we also hear that there's judgment coming for Babylon. Verse 6. My people have become lost sheep.

Their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside on the mountains. They have gone along from mountain to hill and have forgotten their resting place. All who came upon them have devoured them.

And their adversaries have said we are not guilty inasmuch they have. They have sinned against the Lord who is the habitation of righteousness. Even the Lord the hope of their fathers. So we so we hear them saying well look you know it wasn't it wasn't us.

It was it was somebody else. It's not our fault. Well these adversaries Babylon is wrong about their justification of arrogant cruelty towards those who came under God's judgment. And this is the indictment that God brings.

In verses 8 through 16 he indicts them for their arrogant cruelty against the nations whom God judged through their military might not us. But the fact of the matter is that God can plow righteous furrows with a wicked bull.

So Jeremiah calls for the evacuation of the city of Babylon. He calls for the evacuation of the land of Chaldea. After detailing Babylon's judgment he explains why God has sentenced her in this way. Verses 8 to 16.

Wander away from the midst of Babylon and go forth from the land of the Chaldeans. Be also like male goats at the head of the flock. For behold I am going to arouse and bring up against Babylon a horde of great nations from the land of the north.

And they will drop their battle lines against her. From there she will be taken captive. Their arrows will be like an expert warrior who does not her will have enough declares the Lord. Because you are glad.

Because you are jubilant. Oh you who pillage my heritage. Because you skip about like the threshing heifer and nay like stallions. Your mother will be greatly ashamed. She who gave you birth will be humiliated.

Behold she will be least of the nation's a wilderness a parched land and a desert. Because of the indignation of the Lord she will not be inhabited but she will be completely desolate. Everyone who passes by Babylon will be horrified and will hiss because of all her wounds.

Draw up your battle lines against Babylon on I and I every side. All you who been the bow shoot at her. Do not be sparing with your arrows for she has sinned against the Lord. Raise your battle cry against fallen.

Her walls have been torn down for this is the vengeance of the Lord. Others so due to her cut off the sower from Babylon. And the one who wields the sickle at the time of harvest from before the sword of the oppressor.

They will each turn back to his own people and they will each flee to his own land. Babylon might protest. I was just giving them what they deserved. I was under the power and the authority of of God himself.

I'm not the one under judgment here but God affirms his indignation on Babylon. He promises his vengeance upon that city and that nation he isolates brings his wrath. Now notice that Babylon is pointing at they deserved it.

We're innocent. But God is pointing at Babylon saying guilty. You also have sinned. I will take notice verses 17 through 20 where the forgiveness of God's people is verified. It is in and willingly. So by their evil shepherds wicked unfaithful lying shepherds.

They were led astray but they wanted it that way. We've heard that already in Jeremiah several times. The northern kingdom Israel was the first to fall by the violence of Assyria. The southern kingdom was then laid waste by Babylon.

And Jeremiah envisions the Old Covenant people of God scattered like a shepherd this flock they are chased and slaughtered by two lions. The first devoured the flesh the second gnawed on the bones. But all is not lost.

For God would pardon and God would forgive. Verse 17 through 20. Israel. Israel is a scattered flock. The lions have driven them away. The first one who devoured him was the king of Assyria. And this last one who was broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

Therefore that says the Lord of hosts the God of Israel. Behold I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land just as I punished the king of Assyria. And I will bring back. I will bring Israel back to his pasture and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan and his desire will be satisfied in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead in those days.

And at that time declares the Lord search will be made for the iniquity of Israel but there will be none. And for the sins of Judah. But they will not be found. For I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.

So God would not only bring his people back to their land but he would establish them in a way that they would be satisfied in him and satisfied in his provision. The wicked shepherds led them astray and abandoned them.

God is the Good Shepherd who leads his flock back to lush pasture. The Babylonians would be scattered but Judah would be gathered. The Babylonians would be condemned but Judah. But God's people would be forgiven forgiven.

A search would be made for their iniquities. An examination would be performed for their transgressions and for their sin. But nothing would be left on the record. Even though many would even claim their guilt from only 55 years ago still clung to them like the stench of a sewer.

God sought differently. You see when God forgives sin. When God forgives sin that forgiveness remains no matter the dust cloud blown up in protest. So if you have a batter and a manager from one team and a catcher and a pitcher from the other team and they're all yelling and fussing and complaining and pointing the finger they can kick dust all over the place and pointing out how everyone else is guilty of breaking all the rules.

But when the dust settles the umpire is still standing and the fit-throwing dust-kicking bearded babies are all ejected. When the judge of the universe points at a group of people and says not guilty pardoned forgiven.

It does not matter how the crowd howls and protest or how many times the accusing critics cycle the slow-motion replay of their egregious sins. Here's the good news. The blessed hope of the new covenant.

When God points at his remnant in Christ and he says pardoned not guilty. They're pardoned. They're not guilty but justified. They're forgiven. Amen. When the dust of accusatory conflict settles the forgiveness of sins in Christ remains standing.

We live in a day in an age where everybody is pointing the finger at everybody else. What a great day to believe the gospel and to proclaim it. Forgiveness of sins. Pardon righteousness. The forgiveness of our sins is entirely based on the relationship of God the Father and God the Son in redemption applied to us by God the Spirit in our new birth and regeneration.

Romans 8 33 through 34 needs some serious consideration. Who will bring a charge against God's elect. God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns Christ. Jesus is he who died. Yes rather who was raised.

Who is at the right hand of God who also intercedes for us. It is popular today. It is popular today to point at the bride of Jesus Christ and call her all sorts of awful names. I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't do that.

Jesus knows better than anybody that his bride is neat is in need of washing with the water of the word. He knows it better than anybody else does. But I wouldn't want to be the one pointing at the bride of Jesus at the remnant of God and casting condemnation.

We believe the good news of Jesus Christ. We are forgiven. We are justified. We are uncondemned. Do you believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus died upon the cross. He has been raised and he reigns at God's right hand.

If you have Christ as your Savior you have him as your sovereign. You have him as your personal advocate at the right hand of God. And you can rest in him. And you can follow him. And you should trust in him as one uncondemned.

I emphasize this because without this anchor. Without this anchor you will flail. And every whirling dust storm of doctrine that gets stirred up today's and tomorrow's. Thirdly the justice of God remains standing when it comes to judicial conflict.

When accusations seem to be unsatisfied and it seems that justice is lacking in the conflict rages. When the dust settles from that the justice of God remains standing. The question is asked in the Word of God.

Will not the judge of all the earth deal justly. Will not the judge of all the earth deal justly. Yes. Yes. Indeed he will. He uses one nation to bring down another one arrogance to despoil another one sinner to punish another.

But justice is not found in the means. Justice is not found in the creature. But justice is found in God. Justice is found in the Creator. Consider how God dealt with Babylon. He brought down the hammer.

Verses 21 through 27. Against the land of Marat Marath I am go up against it. And against the inhabitants of Picard. Marathon means land of bitterness. Picard means those who have been visited slay and utterly destroy them declares the Lord.

And do not and do according to all that I have commanded you. The noise of battle is in the land and great destruction. How the hammer of the whole earth has been cut off and broken. How Babylon has become an object of horror among the nations.

I set a snare for you and you also were caught. Oh Babylon. While you yourself were not aware you have been found and also seized because you have engaged in conflict with the Lord. The Lord has opened his armory and has brought forth the weapons of his indignation.

For it is a work of the Lord God of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans come to her from the farthest border. Open up her barns pile her up like heaps and utterly destroy her. Let nothing be left to her but all her young bulls to the sword.

Let them go down to the slaughter woe be upon them. For their day has come the time of their punishment. Jeremiah calls forth the Medes and the Persians. He calls them to a land of bitterness. And against those whom God is visiting.

God had forged Babylon into a fine hammer and he had used that hammer for 70 years. And now he brings down the hammer on his hammer. He snaps his hammer with the force of the Medes and the Persians. That doesn't seem right.

God can't do that. Can he does not. The Potter have a right over the clay. Will the thing molded say to the molder why have you made me like this. Who is like God. And who will summon him into court. God brought down the hammer on his hammer.

Why. Because Babylon contended with God and so God brought forth his weapons of indignation. The Lord of hosts commands the marauding Medes and the prevailing Persians. And what he does with them against Babylon he describes as punishment.

It was punishment he apportioned to the Babylonians what was their do and that's called justice. He gave the Babylonians what they deserved what was their do and that's called justice. God's basis for justice is his own character.

His impartiality as creator is expressed in his justice. And we know that justice system in the Old Testament as I for an eye and tooth for a tooth. That's what happens here. When we read the verses 28 through 34 it'll be interesting to note how the things that Babylon did is done exactly back to her.

The things that were said about the other nations whom Babylon conquered are now exactly being said about Babylon. So we'll see how God's justice remains standing. Versus 28 through 34. There is a sound of fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon to declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God vengeance for his temple.

Summon many against Babylon. All those who bend the bow and camp against her on every side that there be no escape or pay her according to her work according to all that she has done so due to her. For she has become arrogant against the Lord against the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore her young men will fall in her streets and all her men of war will be silenced. In that day declares the Lord behold I am against you. Oh arrogant one declares the Lord God of hosts for your day has come the time when I will punish you.

The arrogant one will stumble and fall with no one to raise him up. I will set fire to his cities and it will devour all his environs. That says the Lord of hosts. The sons of Israel are oppressed and the sons of Judah as well.

And all who took them captive have held them fast. They have refused to let them go. Their Redeemer is strong. The Lord of hosts is his name. He will vigorously plead their case so that he may bring rest to the earth but turmoil to the inhabitants of Babylon.