In today’s
reading we discover that Babylon has placed her trust in evil, and in
turn evil will come upon her. (The NIV's “wickedness” at the
start of verse 10, and “disaster” at the start of verse 11 both
translate the same Hebrew word). She has got used to using her wealth to ward off catastrophes
(verse 11) and believes that her skill in foreseeing that future that
will allow her to both predict and prevent them – but in reality
neither money nor religion will be of any ultimate help. Verses 12 and 13 drip with sarcasm as the prophet ridicules Babylon’s
reliance on astrologers. The prophet may appear to be addressing Babylon, but his real
audience is the people of Judah, who must be constantly be reminded
that Babylonian religion is false and cannot help them, despite its
all-pervasive presence and apparent power. Indeed the trustworthiness
of the Lord compared with the futility of idols is one of the
prophet’s recurring themes.
This
passage raises the question of where we put our trust. Few Christians
believe in astrology, and we are unlikely to deliberately trust
wickedness or evil. But, like the exiles in Babylon, we may
unthinkingly adopt the values of the society we live in. Money,
education, hard-work, and family are all highly valued by our
culture, and none are evil in themselves. However, we miss the point
when we place all of our reliance in them and let them become idols,
as many people discover when faced with unexpected unemployment,
sickness or family breakdown.
Like
Babylon, we learn our values from childhood onwards. Where were you
taught to put your trust as a child? What effect does this have on
your life today? If you have children, or are involved in teaching or
youth work, what are you teaching your young people? Is God
challenging you to make any changes?
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