October 12, 2020: Day 51 – Jeremiah 51

Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.  Chapter 51 contains many, many words.  Thy are all directed, once again, to the destruction of Babylon and the reconciliation between God and the people of Israel as a result of that destruction.  A portion of this chapter that really struck me, simply because maybe I have never read it before, is starting at vs.20 where we find the description of God being defined as a “club” that smashes all that which was an enemy to Israel, including horse and its rider, old man and boy, young man and the girl, shepherds and their flocks, farmers and their teams.  Basically, no one in Babylon is innocent and is caught up in the destruction against them simply because they were opposed to Israel.  God as a club has been my favorite metaphor for God…never.

The dénouement finds itself starting in vs.59 where we find the author, Jeremiah, once again with a very tangible metaphor of a scroll which is to be rolled up and thrown into the Euphrates.  The scroll contained the oracle of the destruction of Babylon, and then the prophet is commanded to throw it into the Euphrates with a rock tied to it so that it would sink to the bottom like Babylon was about to sink to the bottom as well.  These were the words of Jeremiah.

Now Jeremiah is seen historically as speaking prophecies both against Israel and Babylon.  Without a doubt he is not seen as an ally of anyone except God.  That is the way it should be.