March 11
The Fall of Babylon
“For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob…” —Isaiah 14:1
Read Isaiah 14:1-10
Chapter 14 of this prophecy can be seen as a song of derision directed against the king of Babylon. The opening verses are introductory and provide a link to the rest of the chapter. They state two reasons for Babylon’s fall, the first one being her sins. Although this foreign power was used as an instrument in the Lord’s hand to chastise His people, she too would be punished for her sins. The greatest of these was that she tried to destroy the nation of Israel and her religion.
The second reason for Babylon’s fall was God’s love for His people Israel. Verse 1 says, “The Lord…will yet choose Israel.” That Israel was scattered was not meant to destroy her, but instead bring her to repentance. The Lord had joined His name with His people’s that they might be saved, and for this reason, a part of Judah was permitted to return to the land of promise. This whole process took place by the agency of the nations of the earth. To say it even more strongly, the nation that had oppressed Judah would become subject to the Jewish nation (v. 2).
What was God’s plan for Israel?
This devotional was taken from “The Time of Your Life” a daily devotional published by the Youth & Educational Committee of the FRC. To order a printed copy of this book, contact: bookorders@frcna.org.
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