Day 236.
“Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain,
declares the Lord,
which destroys the whole earth;
I will stretch out my hand against you,
and roll you down from the crags,
and make you a burnt mountain.
No stone shall be taken from you for a corner
and no stone for a foundation,
but you shall be a perpetual waste,
declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 51:25, 26 ESV)
Jeremiah writes about God’s judgment upon Babylon in colorful language. What is interesting is that Babylon was God’s chosen tool for bringing about his purposes (judgment upon Israel) but that does mean that Babylon is therefore in good graces with the Lord. Habakkuk asked as much. Being God’s instrument is not a measure of God’s salvation. Jesus explains the same thing to those who gathered around him on the day of judgment and say, “did we not do miracles in your name?” and he replies, “depart from me, I never knew you.”
Our hope lies not in the evidence that we were a tool in God’s hand, but in the saving work of Jesus. The former builds up with pride. The latter leaves us humble.
