The Price of Cruelty

Jehovah resumes his prophetic denunciation of Babylon:  "Sit down silently and come into the darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for you will not experience again that people call you Mistress of the Kingdoms."  (Isaiah 47:5)  There will be nothing but darkness and gloom for Babylon. No longer will she dominate other kingdoms as a cruel mistress. -Isaiah 14:4.

Why is Babylon allowed to harm God's people in the first place?  Jehovah explains:  "I grew indignant at my people. I profaned my inheritance, and I proceeded to give them into your hand."  (Isaiah 47:6a)  Jehovah has good reason to be indignant at the Jews. Formerly, he warned them that  disobedience to his Law would result in their expulsion from the land.  (Deuteronomy 28:64)  When they fell into idolatry and sexual immorality, Jehovah lovingly sent prophets to help restore them to pure worship.  But "they were continually making jest at the messengers of the true God and despising his words and mocking at his prophets, until the rage of Jehovah came up against his people, until there was no healing."  (2 Chronicles 36:16)  God therefore allows his inheritance, Judah, to be profaned when Babylon invades the land and defiles His holy temple. -Psalm 79:1; Ezekiel 24:21.

In view of that, is not Babylon simply performing God's will when she enslaves the Jews?  No, for God says:  "You showed them no mercies. Upon the old man you make your yoke heavy. And you kept saying: 'To time indefinite I shall prove to be Mistress,  forever.'  You did not take these things into your heart; you did not remember the finale of the matter."  (Isaiah 47:6b, 7)   God has not commanded Bablyon to act with excessive cruelty, showing no favor "even to the old men."  (Lamentations 4:16; 5:12)  Neither has he urged them to take sadistic pleasure in mocking their Jewish captives. -Psalm 137:3.

Babylon fails to grasp that her hold on the Jews is temporary. She has ignored  the warnings of Isaiah that, in time, Jehovah will free his people. She behaves as if she were entitled to have permanent dominion over the Jews and to remain mistress over her vassal nations forever.  She fails to heed the message that there will be a "finale" to her oppressive rule!

Next time: Babylon's Fall Foretold

From the Book Isaiah's Prophecy Light for all Mankind, Volume II, 2001