Jeremiah 51:59-64 – God has His people’s welfare at heart

Mattaniah was the uncle of King Jehoiachin. When Nebuchadnezzar deported the latter to Babylon, he placed the former on the throne in place of his nephew.  He also changed his name to Zedekiah, and he was on the throne for eleven years as his vassal king. Jeremiah 51:59 says that in the 4^th year of his reign, he went to Babylon. It was likely a trip to pay tribute to the king. On that occasion, he took Seraiah his quartermaster along with him. As a quartermaster, he was the one who took charge of Zedekiah’s gift to the king of Babylon. 

Jeremiah had the message of Babylon’s judgment, all the calamities that were detailed in chapters 50-51, transferred to a single scroll. Seraiah was to bring it along with him to Babylon and to read the message written aloud there. Though we are not told who he was to read the message to, we can safely conclude that it was read to selected witnesses in exile.  The aim was probably to encourage them and let them know that their oppressors would be judged and be eradicated.  How do we know? After making known the message, verse 62 says that Seraiah was also instructed to say, “You, O Lord, have promised concerning this place to cut it off so that there will be nothing dwelling in it, whether man or beast, but it will be a perpetual desolation.’ 

Following the reading of the message, Seriah was to do a symbolic act. He was to tie a stone to the scroll that he had read and cast it into the middle of the Euphrates. It was to convey the message of the demise of Babylon. God was about to annihilate her. And He wanted it to be known that He was wiping Babylon off history.  She would be sunk and never to rise again.  

The declaration of Babylon’s judgment described in Jeremiah 50-51 was given before her destruction took place. God made it known to His people long before what He was going to do took place. This tells us that at the heart of everything that will take place in the life of God’s people is His welfare for them. Events that happen are orchestrated to prepare us for what’s to come. We need to be discerning and seek to know His purpose through them. Stay confident in God. He is faithful, and He has a plan for us, for welfare and purpose. He works all things together for our good and for His glory!