"Sharpen the arrows, take up the shields! The LORD has stirred up the kings of the Medes, because his purpose is to destroy Babylon. The LORD will take vengeance, vengeance for his temple.

Lift up a banner against the walls of Babylon! Reinforce the guard, station the watchmen, prepare an ambush! The LORD will carry out his purpose, his decree against the people of Babylon.

You who live by many waters and are rich in treasures, your end has come, the time for you to be cut off.

The LORD Almighty has sworn by himself: I will surely fill you with men, as with a swarm of locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.

"He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

"Every man is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them.

They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish.

He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including the tribe of his inheritance--the LORD Almighty is his name.

"You are my war club, my weapon for battle--with you I shatter nations, with you I destroy kingdoms,

with you I shatter horse and rider, with you I shatter chariot and driver,

with you I shatter man and woman, with you I shatter old man and youth, with you I shatter young man and maiden,

with you I shatter shepherd and flock, with you I shatter farmer and oxen, with you I shatter governors and officials.

"Before your eyes I will repay Babylon and all who live in Babylonia for all the wrong they have done in Zion," declares the LORD.

Stirring the Pot (51:11-16)
As Babylon rests in her power, the Lord is stirring up history and the next great Empire to take Babylon’s place. Jeremiah prophesies of the great and coming Medo-Persian Empire that will be the tool by which the Lord will punish Babylon. The Lord had decreed long ago that Babylon would not remain a superpower for long and the time had come for the Persian Empire to enter into history. God had used Babylon to exact judgment on His people for being idolatrous, and now they would be punished in turn for their immorality. Nothing that God ordains can be undone or stopped. As Jeremiah proclaims in His prophecy, God is the Almighty who has put everything into motion. We can take comfort in His omnipotence and omniscience. The Lord of History is on our side, and your history is a part of His victory.

The Portion of Jacob (51:17-24)
In this part of his prophecy, Jeremiah mocks the false gods and the idols of the world. None are able to help in times of distress but voices of idol-worshippers still cry out to their dead and useless gods. It seems foolish to us in the modern world that the people could ever believe in such superstition. Yahweh is the only Living God. His decrees stand, He will direct history as He sees fit and even the strongest of world empire cannot stop Him. Those who follow Him will be blessed and those who don’t will suffer the same fate as their false gods. We think we know better but it’s scary how our world today has set up false gods and idols. We will either inherit the Portion of Jacob and Salvation itself or we will inherit the world. Which is it that you desire?

- The tide of history cannot be controlled by human force. We think we can but too many times, history has unfolded in ways we couldn’t predict. Let us trust God to lead in our lives just as in history.

- Our free will is something that God allows us to have. It can either draw us closer to Him or drive us away. What will be your inheritance? Will you choose God? Will you choose this world?