In Jeremiah 51 God’s message of Babylon’s destruction continues. Like in the previous one, this chapter is also interspersed with short messages to assure the people of God from Israel and Judah of His care.
In verses 1-5, God speaks of the doom of Babylon and the inhabitants of Leb-Kamai. In other words, He was going to deal with the Babylonians. In verse 2, God said He would use their enemies to “winnow” them. Winnowing is a farming term. After harvesting, a farmer would thresh the harvest. Then he would toss the threshed harvest into the air to allow the wind to separate the chaff from the grain before gathering the grains together. The process of this “divine” winnowing on Babylon was to separate His people from the Babylonians. God was going to blow the Babylonians away to preserve the people of Israel and Judah for Himself.
Verses 3-5 describe the devastation of Babylon. God called upon
their enemies not to relent in their attacks. They must go about their deadly destruction
of Babylon. What would be left of the attack would be the corpses of Babylonians
lying all over. God reveals two reasons for the destruction of Babylon in verse
5. Firstly, it was to prove that He had never forsaken Israel or Judah. Secondly,
it was to reveal that Babylon was guilty before the Holy One of Israel.
God puts a protective hedge over His people. He has acquired us
for Himself and He promises to take care of us. Generally, God’s favor is upon
all mankind. Matthew 5:45 says that God “…causes His sun to rise on the
evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” However,
for us who have a relationship with Him through Christ, we are imputed with Christ’s
righteousness. We find His unique favor as we become partakers of divine nature.
Psalm 147:11 tells us that “The Lord favors those who fear Him, those who
wait for His lovingkindness.”
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