City of Babylon,
You are delicate
and untouched,
but that will change.
Surrender your royal power
and sit in the dirt.
Start grinding grain!
Take off your veil.
Strip off your fancy clothes
and wade across rivers.
You will suffer the shame
of going naked,
because I will take revenge,
and no one can escape.
I am the Lord All-Powerful,
the holy God of Israel.
I am their Savior.
Babylon, be silent!
Sit in the dark.
No longer will nations
accept you as their queen.
I was angry with my people.
So I let you take their land
and bring disgrace on them.
You showed them no mercy,
but were especially cruel
to those who were old.
You thought that you
would be queen forever.
You didn’t care what you did;
it never entered your mind
that you might get caught.
You think that you alone
are all-powerful,
that you won’t be a widow
or lose your children.
All you care about is pleasure,
but listen to what I say.
Your magic powers and charms
will suddenly fail,
then you will be a widow
and lose your children. (Contemporary English Version)
The God of the Bible is not merely a local deity that the ancient Hebrews worshiped way back in history. From the biblical standpoint, God is the Lord of the universe, and the Creator of heaven and earth. Therefore, every nation on earth is accountable to the Divine Sovereign of all, the right and just Judge of the world.
Divine judgment extended to ancient Babylon. Just because they may not have worshiped and served the God of the Israelites, doesn’t mean they were off the hook for their violence and injustice.
For every nation and each person on this earth will have to give an account of their life and existence before God.
The prophet Isaiah likened Babylon to a princess who becomes a slave girl. It’s as if God is taunting her, putting her in her place; showing her who is really in charge.
Babylon had trusted in her own cleverly devised ways of manipulating reality to get what she wanted in this world. But she became helpless, stripped of her power and authority by the One who holds ultimate authority; and holds everyone accountable.
The mocking, taunting, and sarcastic nature of the Lord toward Babylon in Isaiah’s prophecy may seem out of sync with how we understand God. Yet, I invite you to remember how some great injustice of the past was done to you, or someone you care about, from someone with power and authority over you.
Allow me the liberty of reframing and retranslating today’s Old Testament lesson from the vantage of one person’s unjust victimization from another’s position of power and authority, with God exacting divine attention to such an injustice:
“Get off your high horse and sit in the dirt,
Miss High and Mighty Babylon.
No more doing whatever the hell you want—No! Sit on the ground,
daughter of Pride and Arrogance.
Nobody will be calling you anymore in order to get things done;
you won’t be batting your big eyelashes and getting your way with me! So, get used to it.
Get a real job, a job where you have to do what you’ve made others do:
Dig ditches, scrub toilets, stand at the factory line for hours on end.
You might as well get rid of your fancy clothes,
and put on some real working gear—because the gig is up, sister.
Your true vulnerability will be on public display,
and you will feel the criticism and manipulation that you did to others.
Now you have to contend with me. I’m intervening. And I’m taking vengeance.
No one gets away with treating people like dirt. And if dirt is what you like, dirt is what I’m going to give you.”
Our Redeemer speaks,
whose name is Yahweh of Armies, The Sacred One:
“Shut up and sit down in the dirt,
Miss High and Mighty.
Because no one is ever again going to call you
‘Boss Lady in charge,’ or ‘Queen of the Empire.’
Believe me, I was angry with my own people,
and was disgusted with my own children.
Which is why I let them be under your authority;
but you didn’t show any compassion to them whatsoever.
You treated long-standing reliable people like cogs in a machine,
and expected them to work at hard labor like they’re young men.
You arrogantly said, ‘I’m Miss High and Mighty!
I’m here forever, and you will always serve me.’
You took no one seriously, took nothing to heart,
never thought a wit about the consequences of your actions.
Well, Miss High and Mighty, you better start thinking!
You’re acting as if you are the center of the universe,
saying to yourself, ‘I’m in charge. There’s nobody but me.
I will always be in charge, I’ll never lose my authority.’
But two things are going to hit you between the eyes,
suddenly, on the same day:
Your high position, and your company suck-ups, will be gone, a total loss,
and your manipulative and gaslighting ways won’t help you, at all.”
Let it be known that the God of Holy Scripture hates injustice, and wants all people everywhere to extend basic human kindness and goodness to one another without prejudice or favoritism.
Individuals and even nations who selfishly grab power and control for themselves, shall have to contend with the ultimate authority in the universe. And that, my friend, is a very good thing for the righteous; and very bad thing for the selfish and arrogant.
Injustice, unfairness, and selfishness will not exist forever. Therefore, it is best for everyone to put their efforts into what lasts, what is permanent and enduring. In the end, peace and righteousness will have an unending rule and reign. Loving relationships will last. God’s justice shall endure.
So, be encouraged, in your own difficult experience and hardship. If you are the victim of another’s positional power used against you, know that the Lord sees, cares, and will do something about it.
Almighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 