Isaiah 47 (v8-10)

Isaiah’s prophecies continue in the subject of Israel’s future chastening at the hands of the Babylonians.  God has promised a restoration, and that this will involve His anointed shepherd Cyrus.  God’s people have been warned not to trust in false gods.  Now in this chapter, the Babylonians themselves are told the calamity that will befall them because of their pride and the failure of their “trusts”.  

Babylon was a great nation and empire, as is noted in the title “The Lady of Kingdoms” (v5).  God in His anger toward Israel would use the Babylonians to punish them (v6).  But Babylon would go too far.  Thus, though she thought she was impregnable as a fortress-city, she would fall, as in fact she did.  The arrogance spoken of throughout this chapter would be woefully misplaced.  Note the description of Babylon’s fall.

The reason for Babylon’s downfall was her utter wickedness and corruption.  It expressed itself in the use of advanced technical and scientific knowledge but without any moral considerations.  Their engineering skills, their irrigation systems, their military organization, their enormous temples and palaces, their works of art and their unexcelled legal system were the marvel and envy of the ancient world.  Yet all this knowledge and wisdom, used for selfish purposes to enclave nations, could only lead to final disaster.  Without the knowledge of God their wisdom was actually great folly. … Godless intoxication with their own might and accomplishments, their ruthlessness and wickedness destroyed them. (Buksbazen, p273-274)

This need to be ruthless in dealing with our false trusts comes to mind whenever I think of the Kidron Valley on the east side of the old city of Jerusalem.  This valley was known for several periods in Israel’s history when they sought to remove idolatry from the land.  King Asa (1 Kings 15:13) and King Josiah (2 Kings 23:4,12) both dumped the pulverized and burned remains of idols down the steep sides of the valley.

But it was also the place where significant figures dealt with the issue of personal idolatry.  David, when he fled the city from Absalom (2 Sam. 15:23), realized that God was dealing with his false trust in the sin with Bathsheba that had resulted in all the turmoil of his kingdom.  A millennium later the greater Son of David crossed this valley to the other side where He prayed, “Not My will but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).  He had no idols, no false trusts.  He was prepared for the suffering He endured when He crossed back over to the city.

Let us again consider our lives.  Do we see the arrogance of the Babylonians in our hearts?  That pride would be their downfall.  What is it that prevents us from saying with integrity to God, “Not my will but Yours be done”?