JEREMIAH CHAPTER 51 - Part 1

BABYLON: An Example of God's Judgment Policy

-Luke 12:47, Rev. 20:12-
Does God just send people to Hell ?
Or, are there various degrees of suffering in judgment ?
1. Some judgment is complete and final. (Most)
     A. Babylon. (Jer. 51:10-11, 51:29)
     B. The devil. (Rev. 20:10)
     C. Sodom and Gomorrah. Gen. 19:24-25
     D. The flood. Gen. 6:6-7, 6:13
     E. Old Tyre. Isaiah 23:1, Ezekiel 26:14
          - New Tyre to be different. Isaiah 23:15-18

2. Some judgment is of a lesser type. (A few.)
     A. Miriam, Moses' sister. Moses interceded for her. Num. 12:13-15
          Do you intercede for your children, etc. ? Note Job's efforts.
     B. Elisha's servant, Gehazi. 2 Kings 5:27

3. Some judgment can be avoided.
     **(By not doing the sin to begin with !)
     A. Nineveh and Jonah. Jonah 3:5-10
     B. If Israel repented:
          - Saves from natural results of sin. Ezek. 18:30
          - Saves from direct judgment from God. Rev. 2:20
     C. The church in the latter days. Rev. 3:19
     D. Individual believers.
          - The desire to repent comes from God. Rom. 2:4
          - The demand to repent does, too. Rev. 2:5


JEREMIAH CHAPTER 51 - Part 2

GOD HAS A WAY OF DEFLATING EGOS !

When humiliating sinners doesn't work, God then uses more serious methods to make His point.

1. Challenge to compare man's power with God's.
     A. A challenge to power. Exodus 8:10
          - (Jer. 51:14) Numerous as caterpillars.
          - (Jer. 51:27-29) Numbers from all kingdoms.
     B. A challenge to wisdom. (Jer. 10:7) James 1:5-8
          - (Jer. 51:15) God's wisdom made the earth.
          - (Jer. 51:17-18) Theirs made powerless idols.
     C. Challenge to words. 2 Pet. 3:5, Heb. 4:12
          - (Jer. 51:16) God's Word accomplishes what it says forever.
          - (Jer. 51:55) Babylon's will cease.

2. The fruitlessness of vanity. ("Emptiness, hollow, shallow, worthless")
     A. The work of man's hands. (Jer. 51:17)
     B. The work of man's mind. Eph. 4:17
     C. Vain words appeal to the flesh. *(Therefore, those who are influenced
          by vain words are fleshly, not spiritual people.) 2 Pet. 2:18

3. God's care even over His sinful people.
     A. Considers them His flesh. (Jer. 51:35)
     B. Identified with their tragedy. (Jer. 51:34) Ps. 56:8, Is. 63:9
     C. Will defend them once they have suffered. (Jer. 51:36)
          - Offers them the ultimate sacrifice. Is. 53:7