July 10, Psalms 120, Psalms 119 continued, Revelation 18
July 20, 2020
Psalms 120
A song of ascents
I call on the Lord in my distress,
and he answers me.
Save me, Lord
from lying lips
and deceitful tongues.
What will he do to you,
and what more besides,
you deceitful tongue?
He will punish you with a warrior's
sharp arrows,
with burning coals of the broom brush.
Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek,
that I live among the tents of Kedar!
To long have I lived
among those who hate peace.
I am peace;
but when I speak, they are for war.
Lament Over Fallen Babylon
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. With a mighty voice he shouted:
Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The Kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.
She has merchants & excessive Luxuries
Babylon seems to be more concern with nice things instead of moral character.
After it is ruin it becomes a place for demons.
Warning to Escape Babylon's Judgement
Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
Come out of her, my people;
so that you will not share in her sins.
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.
Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back double for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
Give her as much torment and grief as
the glory and luxury she gave herself.
- This place has glory
- This place has luxuries.
- The city is filled with crimes
- It has plagues
- Her crimes and sins have piled up to heaven.
- She has not experienced famine
- She has not experienced mourning
In her she boasts,
I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;
I will never mourn.
Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her.
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
Threefold Woe Over Babylon's Fall
When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her shared her luxury, see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified a her torment, the will stand far off and cry:
Woe! Woe to you, great city,
you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour your doom has come!
The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore--cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.
* It is not surprising that she is described as a place that has had human beings sold as slaves.
* the Babylonians; they believed in social order. God does support or agree with any type of racism or mistreatment of people.
* Her crimes went unpunished but at this point the table is turning.
They will say, "the fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered. The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn and cry out:
Woe! Woe to you, great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold, precious stones
and pearls!
In one hour such great wealth had been brought
In one hour such great wealth had been brought
to ruin!
Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off, When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city! They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out:
Woe! Woe to you, great city,
where all who had ships on the sea
became the rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!
Rejoice over her, you heavens!
Rejoice, you people of God!
Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
with the judgment she imposed on you.
- She judged prophets
- she judged apostles
- The writers call for the heavens to rejoice at her fall
The Finality of Babylon's Doom
Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said;
with such violence
the great city of Babylon will be
thrown done,
never to be found again,
the music of harpists and musicians,
pipers and trumpeters,
will never be heard in you again.
No worker of any trade
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
will never be heard in you again.
The light of a lam
will never shine in you again.
The voice of the bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world's
important people.
By your magic spell all the nations
were led astray.
In her was found the blood of prophets
In her was found the blood of prophets
and of God's holy people,
of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.
Have a blessed day!
Comments
Post a Comment