TUESDAY, AUGUST 16
Isaiah 47:1-15
Psalm 23:1-6

"The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want."

FROM MISTRESS TO SLAVE GIRL

The fall of Babylon is described by the prophet in poetic language. In a song of derision, Babylon was likened to a gentle lady now stripped of her fine clothes and made to sit in the dust. A mistress so high and mighty, she then became a slave girl. Clad only in her underwear with her "shame" (Isa 47:3) exposed, she was made to grind in the mill. This was God’s judgment on her haughtiness and self-deification (Isa 47:8) and upon her cruelty to His chosen people, the Jews. Though God had delivered Judah to Babylon in chastisement, Babylon showed little mercy to her prisoners-of-war as revealed by Isaiah 47:6, "upon the ancient (the old people) hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke."

Babylon is further described as a widow deprived also of her children. Her destruction came in a moment, in one day, when she least expected. This was literally fulfilled on November 3, 538 BC, as attested by the Cylinder of Cyrus which records Cyrus’ conquest of Babylon: "Without battle and without fighting Marduk (the chief god) made him enter in his city Babylon."

Isaiah 47:12 taunts Babylon if all her sorceries and enchantments she had practised from the days of her youth, i.e. since the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9), would save her from the sudden destruction. Babylon, the city of merchants, could not escape being burned.

"Though this chapter focuses on the Babylonian Empire that was crushed by Persia," says Ryrie, "Babylon in the Bible is also a symbol of organised humanity in rebellion against God." Read Revelation 17 and 18 in the light of Isaiah’s prophecy.

THOUGHT: The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines Babylon as "Capital of Chaldean empire; any great empire or vicious city; Rome, the papacy (ref. to Rev. XVII etc.), London, etc."
PRAYER: Lord, men’s kingdoms come and men’s kingdoms go. Only Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom!

Posted in Adult RPG