Flee From Babylon....

“This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you,  who directs you in the way you should go.

If only you had paid attention to my commands,  your peace would have been like a river,your well-being like the waves of the sea.

Your descendants would have been like the sand,  your children like its numberless grains;their name would never be blotted out  nor destroyed from before me.”

Leave Babylon, flee from the Babylonians! Announce this with shouts of joy and proclaim it.Send it out to the ends of the earth; say, “The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob.”

They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts;  He made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock  and water gushed out.

“There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.” Isaiah 48:17-22, NIV

If you are not reading the Word every day you’re denying yourself food and sustenance and the ability to build spiritual muscle!  I read these words this past week and it gave me such encouragement and hope!  Let me remind you of what God is saying to us, this evening, from the pen of Isaiah:

Jesus once said that we should call no one “rabbi” or reacher, but Isaiah is confirming here: -HE is our teacher—God Almighty! And yes, yes, everyone on the planet is in someway  superior to me in what they know and can teach me.  But there is one teacher that is never incorrect, mistaken, befuddled or confused.  It’s God, of course.  Ask Him to open your eyes, teach you His ways—-which are the eternal ways of the universe and all creation. His teaching is for our good!   He is teaching us what is best for us!!!

It’s amazing to watch the dumb things we all do because we don’t read the operators manuals for the things we buy.  The manual for putting together things we order from Amazon are put together for  a purpose! They’re not intended to make our life miserable, but to help us put the right screws, washers, and nuts in the right place.  I am embarrassed to tell the times I have ignored the manuals and just put things together, only to have to go back and take the whole thing apart and then follow the instructions!

God looks at us and probably shakes His head in disappointment about the things we do, on our own strength and with our own little secret plans, that end up being a mess, when all along He desires to bless us! He has made plans to give us the desires of our hearts, but our obstinate and arrogant choice to “go it alone”, leaves God and His blessing out!

So let me suggest this, this coming week as you prepare for school or work, or whatever you have to do:

First. Invite God in. “ The Lord directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of their lives.” Psalm 37:23 NLT

Then:. Wait on the Lord.  “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:14 (ESV)

Next:Look for God’s Confirmation. ^“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14 ESV

Finally: “ And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 

Mark 9:23-24   ESV

My friends, the older I get, the more I want peace!  And so I am drawn to this assurance: “If only you had paid attention to my commands,  your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.:  Ok, I want it! It’s worth it!  I will pay attention!!!!!   This is where I fight the most with my younger sons. Listen to me! I am not giving you bad advice! I know what I am talking about!   But they look at me like I have two heads on my shoulders when I offer advice about friendships, diet, exercise, being organized, even things as basic as brushing their teeth and making their beds.  There is within our fallen nature a bent towards doing it our own way and teaching ourselves what we want to learn. It’s the same sin as the original sinner Satan—-and he must be dancing while we choose to ignore God’s counsel.

But what got my attention this week was this verse in Isaiah 48: “Leave Babylon, flee from the Babylonians! Announce this with shouts of joy and proclaim it.” Now, as you know,  Babylon was a real city.   When Isaiah wrote this he knew all about Babylon.  It  was a huge city—the capital of an evil  empire. It was located in Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in what is now modern-day Iraq. Babylon's history and its interactions with the Israelites are essential  in understanding the prophetic and historical books of the Old Testament.

This is the city that once boasted a tower of arrogance—-it was called “the towel Babel”.

And from Babylon a very powerful,  king,  Nebuchadnezzar, marched up to Jerusalem, and utterly destroyed it and totally leveled the temple of God.

But more than that, in prophecy, the term “Babylon” is a warning to us!

• It was a symbolize human pride and rebellion against God.

• It represents a city of sin and moral corruption throughout the Bible.

• Babylon is associated with idolatry and false worship

• In Revelation, Babylon signifies the ultimate downfall of evil and worldly powers.

• The term is used metaphorically to describe any society that opposes God's will.

But again,  for you and me, Babylon does not refer to a revived city of Babylon in Iraq,  but rather to any national entity, or a government or association that will persecute and destroy in God’s people “the spirit of the Babylonians.”  “Babylon” will be that entity that persecutes believers who are being faithful, and it is this “Babylon entity”  that will be judged.

I find it interesting that in the ancient  Greek, Babylon means  “confusion.” And the city represents an evil and persecuting system that will be eventually destroyed by God for its wickedness (Revelation 18). It is symbolic of the evil state of affairs just prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ (Revelation 19). The  term Babylon is defined as a sinful state of apostasy, which refers to those turn away from God and rebel against His good will.

So, let me ask you: “Are you living in Babylon?”  Are you living in a community, or a city, or under the control or penetrating influence of Babylon?  What would Isaiah say to you if he saw the people that most influence you, or the things you are watching on your iPhone or computer or TV?  What would be his advice if he saw the insanity of what people are doing in NYC (candidate Mandami!!!), Portland,  Oregon, Dearborn, Michigan (70% Muslim!), or Washington, DC???    FLEE Babylon!  Flee that relationship, that association, that community, that culture,  that chat group or any person,  place or thing  that sows confusion, tries to convince you that right is wrong or wrong is right!  FLEE from anything and anyone that teases you to denounce what is godly or challenges you to partake  with what is clearly idolatrous and morally corrupt.

Flee—-and go where?  Flee to another city?  Flee to other relationships or cultures?  Well, Isaiah,  Jeremiah and Jesus Himself told us where to flee: flee to the mountains. It’s always the same—run away to the mountains.  Mountains always hold a holy, sacred place in scripture. Conversely, it’s from the seas that evil comes—-and it’s the cities were told to flee from.

What does this mean? I am not sure that I can answer that completely and perfectly.  But let me offer you some  observations:

In the mountains:

There’s no Starbucks, McDonalds, Walmarts or instant service from Amazon.

In the mountains:

You often can’t surf the net, talk on your iPhone or connect to the internet.

In the mountains:

You’re surrounded by God’s creation—not man’s devices or edifices.  The mountains are removed what man has created and replaced by what God’s established ions ago.  The mountains are ancient and designed by God, cities and cultures are man’s attempt, at times, to exclude or replace God.

We were created to praise Him, worship Him, and be in fellowship with Him and others that share our passion for Him!   You can find this in Babylon, but it’s hard and it will test you every day.  Sooner or later you will want to “flee to the mountains”, i.e, a refuge away  from what man has instituted and perverted, into a place of peace.  The mountain of the Lord.