What happens to nations that despise God?
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| Map showing the Babylonian territory upon Hammurabi's ascension in 1792 BC and upon his death in 1750 BC (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
“I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible”
(Isa 13:11).
The passage before us is filled with descriptions of God’s wrath against a prideful and haughty people. Isaiah calls Babylon the “world” because it seemed to encompass the whole earth in its power and glory. It was a prideful city and refused to honor its Creator, and in due time it would be completely destroyed.
The doctrine we draw from this prophecy is that it is impossible for us to escape punishment from the Lord if we are puffed up with vain confidence and flatter ourselves. Isaiah included every kind of pride in his charge against Babylon, from men thinking they were something they weren’t to admiring their own riches and despising others in comparison to themselves. God can’t endure any arrogance or suffer it to pass unpunished. Though Babylon had committed a variety of other crimes, the greatest and most remarkable was its pride; against this God’s wrath was kindled. Because of their arrogance, the Babylonians would lose everything.
Isaiah said the desolation would be complete, but this was not immediately evident in history. Eyewitnesses of Babylon’s destruction, including Daniel, recorded that the city was only taken by the Persians and Medes, and that the inhabitants were spared; they didn’t become “more rare than fine gold.” How, then, are we to understand this prophecy concerning Babylon? Some apply it allegorically to all the reprobate, but Isaiah was clearly talking about the Chaldeans (the ethnic group in Babylon) and the coming of the Medes and Persians. We can assume, therefore, that Isaiah is talking about more than one calamitous event. After having been subdued by the Persians, Babylon continued to flourish and held the name and rank of a very celebrated city. Even after the death of Alexander the Great, when Seleucia was built nearby, it could not obliterate the name and reputation of the ancient city. Still, these early events were the beginning of a decline that would end in the total destruction of the city. When it finally passed under the dominion of Seleucus, it was degraded to the point of ruin.
Though a nation might seem to prosper for many years, if its people are arrogant and despise the name of the Lord, it will not last. Only the kingdom of Christ will last forever, for pride will be the ruin of all cities that honor men above God.
Repenting of pride must begin with the individual. Though you live in a prideful nation, humility must begin with you. Do you have vain confidence in yourself or in worldly things? Examine yourself for pride and confess it to Him today. Live humbly before your God and you will help others to do the same.
