We find ourselves guilty at times, of fighting furiously to get out of a place, a place God sent us to. The reasons can be numerous, you are probably there because of disobedience, you are probably there because you asked for it, you are probably there because it's God's perfect design. The term Babylon is archaic, it means "Gate of God", it's a sobering reminder that God is Sovereign and in absolute control. Israel's plight was one forged out of disobedience (among other things) to God in relation to His Sabbaths. The punishment was banishment to Babylon for 70 years, enabling God's land to take it's rest.
I believe Israel's encounter with the natives (the Babylonians) was a grevious one. We see people like Daniel and the notable Hebrew boys excelling amidst persecution. I believe this was the plight of all Hebrews, living in a foreign land, in service to their captors. It must have been hard hearing the mocking and jeering while they moved about Babylon, trying to make the most of it. Jeremiah's portrayal is quite notable, it captured the state of the Hebrew people. The aforementioned Prophet showed us, that alongside Daniel and his friends courageous victories stood a rhema word from The Lord. We are often like this people, battered and bruised by Babylons citizens. People not necessarily looking for a way out, a people that see you as the odd one out. You are viewed as an alien, you are of no family or friend relation, like Daniel and the boys you possess something that Babylon needs, so your their for sustainance of Babylon. To you your value isn't obviously apparent, and Babylons natives make sure of it, but it's time you set your sites higher. God has suffered your sojouning in this place and He unlike your contemporaries has a plan of blessing in store for you.
During one of my last preaching assignments I said to the congregants, "As this church goes (Establishment) so do you." I tried my best to communicate in so many words that as long as you are here, you decide if this place is blessed or not. If we are not careful we can allow people to tinker with our perception, we are all influencable and influential. My point is at any given time we are watching somebody's response to Babylon and others are observing ours, we play a role in Babylons perception. There is a famous scripture I've heard quoted often and I believe its understanding is incomplete without the back story. The scripture that I'm referring to is this one, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate), thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end"-Jeremiah 29:11 NMV. I love this translation, there isn't much deviation from the KJV, my reason for this is the term used to conclude the verse "Expected End". God has expectations for each and everyone of us, and often times those expectations won't be met in comfortable places. God would uproot us out of our comfort zone, into foreign territory to get somethings out of us, and somethings to us.
God had this to say to His people via His mouthpiece when the naysayers started their squawking, "Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD. For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place"-Jeremiah 29:4-10 KJV. I know the read is lengthy but every word is important, remember the back story I promised, well there it is. You may recall I spoke of the vile natives of Babylon earlier, I want to shine the spotlight on some other residents of Babylon, the ones that came with you. You share the same pedigree as these folk, but Babylon has brought out the worst in them. Have you ever seen people, maybe it's at school, on the job or even in your family that seem to just transform before your eyes? Babylon is obviously getting to them, their inhibitions are slowly walking out the door. The saying is mysery loves company and if your not careful enough to tune them out and hear God, you'll loose all that Babylon existed to give you. In our modern day we call some of them false prophets, their agenda is to say and proclaim things God never said, putting you in a vulnerable place outside of God's will. I love God's tactic in dealing with this, He could of used a Prophet presently in Babylon but He chose someone outside of Babylon, namely Jeremiah. Jeremiah means so much to this story, he was the one God originally prophesied the carrying away through. The captivity obviously wasn't for this man of God, he was left in the city but his heart was with God's people. God used Jeremiah one more time to write a letter containing those scriptures I previously shared, a rhema word designed to refocus His people. There were houses to build, gardens to plant and marriages to be formed, this was their present home and they needed to live like it. I don't know where your present Babylon is, but rest assured that God is for you and He's going to bring bountiful blessings by way of this gate. In the days, months and possible years ahead remember that as Babylon goes, so do you.
theartofmadeline
snowghoul
blakekathryn
prguitarman
pixelskylines
vaporwave