7 14 03

10a

Jeremiah 51

Wow. I guess Babylon was not a good place to be.

This chapter is all about the destruction of Babylon. Sixty-four verses of God�s anger.

Verse 56b says �For the Lord is a God of retribution; He will repay in full.�

Because Babylon beset His people, Jerusalem; because Babylon was so wicked against God�s children, He said He would utterly destroy them. Two things come to my mind as I read through this: first, that it�s really pretty scary to be on the receiving end of that anger; second, that it�s really good to be on God�s side. Verse 36 says �Therefore, this is what the Lord says: �See, I will defend your cause and avenge you���

I get nervous when I read things like this, because I don�t want anyone to be in pain. I don�t like hearing about anyone having to be beaten up. I just want everyone to play nice and not fight. However, sometimes fighting is necessary.

*shakes her head*

I also get a feeling of awe when I read this� I think of satan and how he has made it his goal in life to screw over God�s children. I believe that what God has said in this chapter can be applied to satan. Because the evil one has spent so long battling against the children of the Lord God, when it is time, God may very well annihilate the evil one in entirety.

I, myself, am not willing to actually say that satan will be destroyed absolutely. I don�t know the future. I also know that there have been many instances where God has decreed destruction and the place to be destroyed repented and were shown mercy. Nineveh comes to mind there. So, until the future becomes the past, I don�t want to speak in absolutes.

The words of destruction; the promises of retribution are very clear and exacting here. But I don�t want to say that they�re absolute. I know that my God is a God of mercy and love. And though it is awing to know that He would defend me � ME!!! � from the evil one by completely and utterly destroying him� I would rather � well, to use a phrase I�ve used in many discussions with Charles; �You fight, I�ll make cookies.�

I don�t want pain. I don�t want anyone else to feel pain either. So, I�ll just keep my head down, get out of the way when the galloping horses come through, and hope I don�t have to draw a sword.

I suppose I�m a girl after all� I don�t want to be a part of the fighting. I would rather everything were nice and pleasant and no one would get hurt.

I just want everyone to be nice.

But, if it is necessary for someone to be destroyed�I just don�t want it to be me.