This chapter is just haunting. In so many ways.
Babylon was one of the world powers at the time. There were few rivals. They had even sacked Jerusalem and carried the Jewish people back to their land to make them laborers. The LORD says,
“You showed them no mercy; you made your yoke very heavy on the elderly. You said, ‘I will be the mistress forever.’ You did not take these things to heart or think about their outcome” (Is 47:6-7).
Wow. Those works alone.
“You showed them no mercy“
Mercy is something that be shown to humanity. Yes, there are wars and terrible things that happen in the world, but how you do things matters too. Even in war.
“you made your yoke very heavy on the elderly“
He’s not saying that they just singled out the elderly Jewish people when they were in Babylon, but that the forced labor upon the Jewish people was so bad that even the elderly were forced to carry heavy burdens. And as you know, God has a very sensitive spot for the sick, the weak, the elderly, the helpless. Touch them wrongly and you have touched and you have poked God in the eye.
“I will be the mistress forever”
This chapter says several times that Babylon was the mistress of the nations. She was the guilty pleasure of the nations. They would curry her favor to get what they wanted, and Babylon knew that.
“You did not take these things to heart or think about their outcome”
Wow. This is is important. In fact, it speaks directly to our times. There is a generation that wants what it wants, all their friends join in with these wants, but they don’t think implicationally. One must think about their immediate needs being fulfilled to see what the cost of getting those needs fulfilled (and by whom) really entails.
We truly are in a much worse place than people understand.
But God says of this great and powerful nation Babylon that he will bring them down to the dust (Is 47:1). He will remove them from power (Is 47:1). They will no longer be pampered and spoiled but they will not have to work much harder than they realize. Gritty work awaits them.
They had thought for years that they could get away with evil as long as no one saw. But God always sees.
“You were secure in your wickedness; you said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray. You said to yourself, ‘I exist, and there is no one else…Devastation will happen to you suddenly and unexpectedly.” (Is 47:10-11).
Wow. I believe we are in the same boat. In so many ways. Just read this chapter for yourself. And already devastation is happening. We are like a plane with its nose pointed to the ground. We feel things are changing fast. We just haven’t hit yet.
