“All God’s revelations are sealed to us until they are opened to us by obedience. You will never get them open by philosophy or thinking. Immediately you obey, a flash of light comes. Let God’s truth work in you by soaking in it, not by worrying into it. Obey God in the thing He is at present showing you, and instantly the next thing is opened up. We read tomes on the work of the Holy Spirit when…five minutes of drastic obedience would make things clear as a sunbeam. We say, I suppose I shall understand these things some day. You can understand them now: it is not study that does it, but obedience. The tiniest fragment of obedience, and heaven opens up and the profoundest truths of God are yours straight away. God will never reveal more truth about Himself till you obey what you know already. Beware of being wise and prudent” (Oswald Chambers).
God encourages you to trust and obey Him by binding yourself to His covenant, rest in Him who defends your cause, trust in His power and wisdom, remember how He defends your cause and beware of consequences in disobeying God.
Bind Yourself to God’s Covenant
Jeremiah said Babylon would be captured, Bel and her images shamed and Marduk and her idols filled with terror. Nations from the north attacked and laid waste her land. Israel and Judah had tears as they sought the Lord, asked the way to Zion and bound themselves in an eternal covenant. Shepherds led God’s people astray, devoured by their enemies and sinned against the Lord. All who passed Babylon were horrified because of her wounds. Israel was a scattered flock devoured by the king of Assyria and Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. God punished Babylon and Assyria because in arrogance they opposed and defied Him (Jer. 50:1-32). Bind yourself to God’s covenant to prevent shame, wounds and defeat.
Rest in God Who Defends Your Cause
The Redeemer and Lord Almighty vigorously defended Israel’s and Judah’s cause. He brought rest to their land and unrest to Babylon. A sword went against her false prophets and they became fools. Warriors became filled with terror while horses, chariots and foreigners became like women. Their treasures became plundered and their idols went mad with terror. No one lived in the land. Anguished gripped the Babylonian king. No one could challenge God and no shepherd could stand against Him (Jer. 50:33-46). Rest in God who defends your cause and defeats spiritual enemies.
Trust in God’s Power and Wisdom
God stirred up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon to give everything over to the Lord. He did not forsake Israel and Judah even though they were full of guilt. Babylon made the whole earth drunk as nations drank her wine and went mad. Babylon could not be healed as her judgment reached to the skies. The Lord stirred up the kings of the Medes because His purpose was to destroy Babylon. God made and founded the earth by His power and wisdom. He stretched out the heavens by His understanding. Every man was senseless, without knowledge and shamed by his idols. His images were worthless. God’s people were His weapon for battle to shatter nations and destroy kingdoms including every inhabitant. God repaid Babylon for all the wrong they did in Zion since His purposes stood. He exhausted the strength of Babylon’s warriors (Jer. 51:1-32). Trust in God’s power and wisdom to destroy Satanic kingdoms.
Remember How God Defends Your Cause
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon threw God’s people into confusion, swallowed them like a serpent and spewed them out. God defended the cause of His people. Babylon became a heap of ruins and an object of horror where no one lived. God’s people were to remember the Lord and think on Jerusalem as they were disgraced, insulted and shamed because foreigners entered the holy places of the Lord’s house. God made Babylon’s officials, wise men, governors, officers and warriors drunk and they all died. The Lord Almighty leveled Babylon’s thick wall and set her high gates on fire. The peoples exhausted themselves for nothing. Their labor was fuel for the flames. Jeremiah told Seraiah to read aloud the disasters predicted for Babylon, tie a stone to the scroll and throw it into the Euphrates. It represented how Babylon would sink and rise no more (Jer. 51:33-64). Remember how God defends your cause so you don’t exhaust your strength.
Beware of Consequences in Disobeying God
Zedekiah’s evil in rebelling against the king of Babylon thrusted him from God’s presence. Babylon kept Jerusalem under siege for two years resulting in famine and the city wall broken. Babylon captured Zedekiah and his army, killed his sons, blinded Zedekiah’s eyes and put him in prison until he died. They burned the temple, royal palace and every house in Jerusalem. Babylon broke down all the walls around Jerusalem and carried most of the people into exile. They took the bronze in the temple along with gold and silver articles used in the temple service. The Babylonian king executed key leaders like Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank, three doorkeepers, officer over the fighting men, seven royal advisors, chief officer and 60 of his men (Jer. 52:1-34). Beware of consequences in disobeying God resulting in spiritual and physical death.
Which of the following items most encourage you to trust and obey God?
1. Bind yourself to God’s covenant to prevent shame, wounds and defeat
2. Rest in God who defends your cause and defeats spiritual enemies
3. Trust in God’s power and wisdom to destroy Satanic kingdoms
4. Remember how God defends your cause so you don’t exhaust your strength
5. Beware of consequences in disobeying God resulting in spiritual and physical death.
