Thought from today’s Bible reading from Isaiah 13-17.
God was going to use the kingdom of Babylon to punish His people (Isaiah 13:1-16). After this, the Medes would rise up against Babylon and would overthrow it (Isaiah 13:17-22), resulting in God’s people being released from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 14:1-3). The people were then instructed to “take up this taunt against the king of Babylon” (Isaiah 14:4). Part of this taunt was meant to ridicule the arrogance of Babylon.
“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth. You who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit” (Isaiah 14:12-15).
The leaders of Babylon had tried to put themselves in the place of God. They failed, and God overthrew them. However, this attempt was nothing new. Babylon had its beginnings in an attempt to ascend up to heaven and occupy the place of God.
“They said, ‘Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth’” (Genesis 11:4).
“So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city” (Genesis 11:8-9).
God was finally putting an end to the long history of Babel/Babylon acting arrogantly and trying to put themselves in the place of God.
There are two lessons for us here. First, God does not tolerate arrogance. James wrote, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Second, even if it takes a while, judgment will eventually come against those who are wicked. Peter said, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief…” (2 Peter 3:9-10).
Do not be arrogant. Prepare for the Lord’s judgment.
Tomorrow’s reading: Isaiah 18-22
[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]
Daily Notes & Observations contains all 365 articles from this series and is available in paperback from Gospel Armory.
