Jeremiah 51 – Oracle Against Babylon Again – Jeremiah here repeats that the “moral arc” of God’s dealing with Israel and Babylon will be long, but in the end Babylon whom God used to punish the unfaithfulness of His people, will also be brought low by its “kingdom from the north” [Persia].

“The Lord made the earth by his power; by his wisdom he created the world and stretched out the heavens. At his command the waters above the sky roar; he brings clouds from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning flash in the rain and sends the wind from his storeroom. At the sight of this, people feel stupid and senseless; those who make idols are disillusioned because the gods they make are false and lifeless. . . The God of Jacob is not like them; he is the one who made everything, and he has chosen Israel to be his very own people” (51:15-19). This monotheistic approach to religion, this Creator God held high by the people of Abraham, will – after everything – show that the wonders and miracles of nature are also reflected in the history of humankind.

God is a mace that will be used against Babylon: “I will dry her rivers up, make her springs run dry, and turn Babylon into a heap of stone, a lair for jackals, and thing of horror and of scorn with no one living in it” (51:36). 

Jeremiah sends Seraiah, brother of Baruch, to read every word of the Babylonian oracle to them and then to throw the scroll into the Euphrates saying “so shall Babylon sing, never to rise again. . .”(51:64). “The words of Jeremiah end here” (51:64).

Jeremiah 52 – This chapter seems tagged on to just put the key events of Jerusalem’s fall into a very brief historical context: Zedekiah was 22 when he became king (597 BC), and served 11 years before the end came for Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah (586 BC).  In his ninth year, the siege began.  When he was captured his sons were killed before his eyes and then he was blinded and taken in chains to Babylon. The valuable fixings of the Temple were carried off.  The High Priest, Seraiah, his next-in-line, Zephaniah, and a number of others were killed in Riblah.  A total of 4,600 people were taken into exile.  In Babylon, the king Jehoiachin remained in prison until 561/560 and then he was released and treated honorably at the expense of the government there until his death.

Romans 12 – “Do not conform yourself to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (12:1). As the body has many parts so we, though many, are one body in Christ (12:4-5).  All these words are so precious:

“Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection. . .” (12:9).

“Bless those who persecute [you], bless and do not curse them. . .do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation.  Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all. . .Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ Rather, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.’ Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good” (12:9-21).

These words of Christ are here even before the first gospel was written, one of the relatively few occasions where we hear Paul repeat Jesus’ teaching rather than reflecting on what Jesus did—in his dying and rising again.