Days 202&203: Jeremiah 49-51, Psalm 137

Jeremiah closes his book of prophecy with a long rant against Babylon. Yes, God is using Babylon for His own purposes to punish Israel for her idolatry and rebellion but Israel is still God's people. Babylon will be destroyed by the Persians and the Israelites will be allowed to return to their homeland. This was foretold here by Jeremiah and it actually happened about 70 years later.

Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says:
   “I will punish the king of Babylon and his land
   as I punished the king of Assyria.
But I will bring Israel back to their own pasture,
   and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan;
their appetite will be satisfied
   on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.
In those days, at that time,”
   declares the LORD,
“search will be made for Israel’s guilt,
   but there will be none,
and for the sins of Judah,
   but none will be found,
   for I will forgive the remnant I spare. (Jeremiah 50:18-20)

On another subject: I have mixed feelings when I'm listening to a concert or TV music special of some sort when one or two of the scheduled "acts" consist of "gospel" music of one form or another. It happened not too long ago as I was watching something like a Kennedy Center Honors show or something like that. I really don;t remember the details now but I remember hearing a fantastic gospel choir performing a rousing number that had the whole audience on their feet. It was one of the most energetic performances of the evening. The problem I had was that I couldn't help but wonder how many people in the audience really had a relationship with the God they were celebrating in the music. The choir was part of a program celebrating the "gospel music art form" rather than celebrating the actual gospel.

The reason I bring this up is that whenever this type of thing happens - and it happens often - Psalm 137 comes to my mind. I think of the Jews in captivity being begged to sing one "their songs". I suppose the Babylonians wanted to enjoy the cultural experience of hearing this "musical genre" even though they had no relationship with the God that was being sung about. I don't know if it;s an entirely accurate parallel...but it comes to my mind every time...

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
   when we remembered Zion.
There on the poplars
   we hung our harps,
for there our captors asked us for songs,
   our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
   they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
How can we sing the songs of the LORD
   while in a foreign land? (Psalm 137:1-4)