Reading for September 21st

 Read Jeremiah 50.35-46. A curse-like poem about the sword gloats over the reversal of circumstances about to take place. It is as if chanting words about the sword would activate thrusts into the heart of Babylon. Five times the poem brings the sword against some element of Babylonian society. The last verse shifts to drought. The reason for the attack is Babylon's idolatry. In verses 41-46: The people from the north approach; they are cruel, noisy, and arrayed for battle against daughter Babylon. The agent of destruction is God, coming like a lion, coming with a plan that will make the earth tremble. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 20th

 Read Jeremiah 50.21-34. The battle preparations continue and become more vivid. In verses 23-24: Babylon, the hammer of the whole earth, will be cut down despite its great power, for the enemy of God. In verse 28: Fugitives escape from the city and run to Zion to announce the changed state of affairs. In verses 31-32: God accuses Babylon of exceeding its divine commission to punish Judah: Babylon has gone berserk in it violence. Interpretations of international events has turned upside down in this book. Here Israel and Judah are oppressed people, not guilty people. They have a future, and the enemy will be punished for excess. In verse 34: Their Redeemer will buy back the captives and give rest to the whole earth. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 19th

 Against Babylon 

In Chs. 50-51: These poems form a suitable conclusion to the book. In them the punisher is punished, the destroyer  is destroyed, and the inflictor of pain receives pain. Although earlier parts of the book interpreted Babylon as an agent of God to punish Judah, these poems see Babylon as the aggressor who oppressed Israel. They portray God as a warrior who set right the world's injustices and restores the victim's well-being. The exiles receive a vision of a future in which they will be released from the their captivity, but there is not yet energy for wild hope and dancing (chs. 30-33). 

Read Jeremiah 50.1-20. God's declaration of celebration opens the poem. The phrases express deep feeling in a few words. Babylon is taken and her gods are shamed. The agent of destruction is the mythic foe from the north. In verses 4-10: The fate of Babylon is connected to the fate of Israel, for the coming attack on Babylon will signal the return of Israel and Judah. They will come weeping to seal the covenant with God. In verses 11-16: The plunderers will be destroyed; God commands the army to take position. According to this poetry, the victory is already won, so the celebration may begin. In verses 17-20: God reinterprets Israel's history as a series of attacks upon lost sheep. They are helpless, even if sinners, and they will be pardoned. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 18th

 Read Jeremiah 48.34-39. Elam will be destroyed in a cosmic upheaval, but God will restore their fortune. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 17th

 Read Jeremiah 48.28-33. In verses 28-30: God next addresses the residents of Moab, urging them to flee and accusing them of false pride. In verses 31-33: Surprisingly, God wails for Moab. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 16th

 Read Jeremiah 48.14- 27. In verses 18-20: God warns the capital city, Dibon, addressed as a woman, that she is too is under attack. In verses 21-27: The cities of Moab are about to be destroyed. Comments or Questions..

Reading for September 15th

 Read Jeremiah 48.1-13. In 48.1-47: Against Moab. This long poem concerns a traditional and bitter enemy and neighbor of Israel. In verses 1-2: God announces an invasion of Moab, whereupon a voice cries in alarm. Moab's sin is arrogance arising from its wealth and power. In verse 7; Chemosh was the chief God of Moab. In verses 11-12: Because Moab was known for its production of grapes, the poem describes Moab's complacency in terms of wine about to be poured. Comments or Questions..