Old Testament reading: Jeremiah 51
Jeremiah continues his proclamation against Babylon. As we noted yesterday, it would be the Medes who would exact God’s vengeance against Babylon: “The Lord has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, because it is the vengeance of the Lord” (v 11). Of note also is the suddenness of Babylon’s destruction as foretold in verse 8. This prophecy came to pass in Daniel 5 during the reign of Belshazzar, who was completely oblivious to the destruction to be wrought by the Medes, even up to the very night Babylon was taken. Those who overtook Babylon were described as locusts (v 14), which pictures them as a swarm that consumes every green thing, leaving nothing but barrenness in their path. Jeremiah described Babylon as a “mountain who destroys all the earth” (v 25). Yet, of this mountain there shall not remain so much as a stone for a foundation. It would be nigh unto impossible for those who heard or read this prophecy to imagine such destruction upon the then mightiest nation on earth. The nation that gave us the hanging gardens of Babylon, one of the seven great wonders of the world. Imagine if God were to prophesy of the utter destruction of the United States. Such would be beyond our ability to grasp! But the prophecy against Babylon was even more incredible!
New Testament reading: John 1-3
“For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure” (John 3:34). I have always loved this verse, as it exalts the man Jesus above all other men in His relationship to the Godhead. All other men who were given the Spirit received it “by measure,” that is, not in full measure. Paul described it as being received and manifest “in part” in 1 Corinthians 13:8-10. Not so with our Lord. He was a full participant in the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit. There was no exercise or manifestation of the Spirit withheld from Him. John points to Jesus as the Christ (v 28), the bridegroom (v 29), the one who must increase (v 30), the One who comes from above who is above all because He did come from heaven (v 31), the recipient of all things (v 35) and the source of everlasting life (v 36).
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