Wednesday Bible Study Fellowship, February 6, 2008
Babylon: Part 1- The Beginning
Jeremiah
Introduction: When we come to the close of the book of Jeremiah we read in 46:1, “This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.” Then starting with Egypt in 46:2 God describes His judgment upon the nations. The last nation to be judged, and by far receiving the most extensive judgment, is Babylon (chapters 50 & 51). Revelation 17 and 18 refer to Babylon as well. With so much tension, turmoil and focus of today’s news in the Middle East, I thought a look at Babylon might be instructive.
I. The Beginning
A. The Bible ascribes the founding of Babylon to Nimrod (Gen.10:10).
B. It was located 40-50 miles south of modern Baghdad and about 300 miles north of the Persian Gulf. It was situated on the Euphrates River.
C. Nimrod is found in the genealogy of Noah:
1. Noah
2. Ham
3. Cush (10:6)
4. Nimrod (10:8)
D. Nimrod’s name means “let us rebel” (Morris, pg.251). Hebrew for rebel is marad
1. He was mighty (8, 9). It is used 3 times.
2. He settled in Shinar (10:9). This becomes Babylonia. Today Shinar is southern Iraq.
3. He builds the tower of Babel (11:1-9). “Babylon was the first center started after the Flood, and it was started by a man whose very name means rebel.” (The Road To Armageddon, pg.109).
4. Why was the Tower of Babel and Babylon built?
a. They wanted salvation on their terms! A tower to reach heaven (11:4)
b. They wanted significance! They wanted to make a name for themselves (11:4).
c. They wanted security! They didn’t want to be scattered (11:4) (Ibid, pg.110-111)
5. Nimrod is the founder of the first world empire. This is the first time “kingdom” is found in the scriptures (10).
6. Nimrod was a mighty hunter. But he was a hunter of men- a warrior.
E. Babylon thus becomes the place that shakes its fist at God and says “Not your way!”
F. In Genesis 14:18 we are introduced to another city: Salem. This is the first mention of Jerusalem. It is ruled by Melchizedek, a priest of God.
G. We now have early in Genesis two opposing cities:
1. Babylon- rebelling against God
2. Jerusalem- serving God
H. The division between Babylon and God can also be seen in the genealogy:
Babylon God
Noah Noah
Ham Shem
Cush Arphaxad
Nimrod Shelah
Eber (10:25)
Joktan Peleg
Reu
Serug
Nahor
Terah
Abram
I. Concerning Joktan’s descendants Boice writes: “Thirteen of these are mentioned, and every one of them appears to have settled in Arabia, particularly in the south.” (Genesis, vol.1, pg.418)
J. It is possible that Cush was not Nimrod’s father! “Although we are not told who Nimrod’s father was, only that he was a descendant of Cush (whose literal sons are mentioned) Nimrod must have been in at least the fifth generation, counting Noah as the first” (Boice, pg.417-418). This would make Nimrod and Eber contemporaries. So when God divides the languages and peoples Eber marks the occasion with his son Peleg (which means divided).
K. In any event after Melchizedek, for almost thirteen hundred years Babylon has stepped off the pages of Bible history (Armageddon, pg.115). But then Babylon is back in the days of King Hezekiah (Is.39:1)
1. Note Isaiah 39:5
2. “One hundred years after Isaiah gave this prophecy, it came true. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon marched his army against Jerusalem three times, and after his attacks, Jerusalem was totally destroyed” (Armageddon, pg.117).
L. In Isaiah’s day Babylon was not a major power. Assyria was the superpower. But notice what Isaiah 13 tells us:
1. This is a judgment against Babylon (1)
2. God gives a time frame- “the Day of the Lord” (6)
3. God says it will be a time of judgment for the world (11)
4. Doesn’t this passage remind you of Rev.6-19?
5. Babylon will be like Sodom and Gomorrah (19). This is the same thing we find in Jeremiah 50:40.
M. Babylon’s destruction will be the time when God restores His people Israel (Is.14:1, 2). Israel’s restoration means “…not just back to the land as a small scattered group, but as a nation that’s ruling over those nations that once held them in captivity” (Armageddon, pg.124).
N. About 100 years after Isaiah, Babylon does become the world super power. Nebuchadnezzar was the king!
1. When Cyrus of the Medo-Persian Empire conquered Babylon he didn’t destroy Babylon- he made it one of his capitals.
2. Alexander the Great died in the city of Babylon. He was rebuilding it to make it one of his capitals.
O. “Babylon declined in importance, but it has never been destroyed the way God said it would be destroyed…” (Armageddon, pg.125)