The Lord’s Chosen Hammer

20          “You are my hammer and weapon of war:
                        with you I break nations in pieces;
with you I destroy kingdoms;
            21          with you I break in pieces the horse and his rider;
with you I break in pieces the chariot and the charioteer;
            22          with you I break in pieces man and woman;
with you I break in pieces the old man and the youth;
                        with you I break in pieces the young man and the young woman;
            23          with you I break in pieces the shepherd and his flock;
                        with you I break in pieces the farmer and his team;
with you I break in pieces governors and commanders.
24 “I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea before your very eyes for all the evil that they have done in Zion, declares the Lord.
            25          “Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain,
declares the Lord,
which destroys the whole earth;
                        I will stretch out my hand against you,
and roll you down from the crags,
and make you a burnt mountain.
            26          No stone shall be taken from you for a corner
and no stone for a foundation,
                        but you shall be a perpetual waste,
declares the Lord.
            27          “Set up a standard on the earth;
blow the trumpet among the nations;
                        prepare the nations for war against her;
summon against her the kingdoms,
Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz;
                        appoint a marshal against her;
bring up horses like bristling locusts.
            28          Prepare the nations for war against her,
the kings of the Medes, with their governors and deputies,
and every land under their dominion.
            29          The land trembles and writhes in pain,
for the Lord’s purposes against Babylon stand,
                        to make the land of Babylon a desolation,
without inhabitant.
            30          The warriors of Babylon have ceased fighting;
they remain in their strongholds;
                        their strength has failed;
they have become women;
                        her dwellings are on fire;
her bars are broken.
            31          One runner runs to meet another,
and one messenger to meet another,
                        to tell the king of Babylon
that his city is taken on every side;
            32          the fords have been seized,
the marshes are burned with fire,
and the soldiers are in panic.
            33          For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:
                        The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor
at the time when it is trodden;
                        yet a little while
and the time of her harvest will come.”
Jeremiah 51:20-33
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The Lord’s Chosen Hammer
Babylon is portrayed as an instrument in the Lord’s hand. God used this mighty empire as His hammer to execute judgment, yet Babylon itself would not escape judgment. The same God who raises up kingdoms also brings them down. Human power, however impressive, is never ultimate. Nations boast, armies conquer, and rulers make plans, but the Lord remains King. This is a sobering word for sinners who trust in earthly strength. It is also a comforting word for Christians. Our confidence does not rest upon the stability of governments, institutions, or our own abilities. The Lord governs all things according to His wisdom. At the cross, this truth shines most clearly. Wicked men acted against Jesus, yet God used their evil actions according to His gracious purpose. There, the apparent triumph of worldly power became the victory of Christ over sin, death, and the devil. Therefore, do not fear the shaking kingdoms of this world. Cling to Christ, whose kingdom cannot be shaken.