Jeremiah 50

As I read this chapter (the first of two that details the end of Babylon), I couldn’t help but ponder the fact that every single “great” kingdom of this earth hasn’t lasted. All the formidable kingdoms or empires that once conquered and ruled most of the world—the Assyrian, the Roman, the Babylonian, the British, the Egyptian, and many others—have either been totally destroyed or divested of their power.

Even in modern days, great economic superpowers have come and gone. Once highly-formidable Communist empires have crumbled. And it doesn’t take a creative imagination to see how America could easily end up on the ash heap of history.

In all this, there seems to be one truth: all earthly kingdoms come and go.

Perhaps that is because every earthly kingdom has been built on the basis of greed, selfishness, and force, and these principles are simply unsustainable. We reap what we sow. What we do to others is done to us. That’s what God said about Babylon: “Summon archers against Babylon, all those who draw the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her for her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.” (vs 29)

This idea of payment, or repayment, made me think of Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Kingdoms that are built on the principles of sin deal in wages, payment, and things deserved. But kingdoms built on the principles of love and self-sacrifice (i.e. God’s Kingdom) deal in gifts, grace, and things undeserved.

So, when we choose to ignore God and build up our kingdoms on sinful principles—as the Babylonians did—there may be absolutely no way to avoid eventual ruin. History would certainly seem to bear that out, wouldn’t it? There has yet to be a great and powerful empire that hasn’t met its demise at the hands of another great and powerful empire, and the very methods of forcible cruelty the first empire used to conquer the world are usually employed by the second in its destruction.

Ironic.

Jesus once told His disciple to “put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” (Matt 26:52) And Paul wrote, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” (Gal 6:7-8)

If we want to live with the blessings of grace, there is only one place to find them—in God! If we reject Him and His way of doing things, we will thrust ourselves (and any kingdoms we try to build) into the sinful payment and repayment cycle, where we will definitely reap exactly what we sow.

Only God extends grace—both to His friends and His enemies. And that’s why His great and powerful Kingdom alone is everlasting. Every other kingdom will crumble; His is forever.