An entire chapter of Isaiah is dedicated to the demise of Babylon. This is a refreshing break from the previous theme of God verses the idols, but that one full chapter would be dedicated to this theme seems significant.
It’s what Babylon represents and what it has represented. Babylon thought it could avoid the tragic ends of widowhood and childlessness.
It’s this image, so common, that Babylon represented: that a of a naive and beautiful young woman, who vainly hoped to avoid the hardships of mortality.
In verse 6, the Lord acknowledges his wrath upon the house of Israel, and that he allowed the House of Israel to be delivered into the hands of Babylon, but that this in no means was yet a justification for Babylon’s wickedness or cruelty towards the Lord’s people.
Because of Babylon’s sorceries and enchantments (superstitions), they are left without children or spouse.
Q: Why does a belief in the truth preserve family life?
Truth is law and law is the reality of things as they really are. These are the principles of life that define our reality. Family life only exists in obedience to the laws of life. Where we choose not to abide by laws, there family life ceases to exist.
A Definition of Babylon
How shall we define Babylon?
For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.
Verse 10
What is wickedness? Why would one trust in it? From the above verse, we see that the fruits of wickedness includes a false self-confidence, an assurance that “none seeth” the bad things that we do. Wickedness takes abuse of wisdom and knowledge, and uses it for personal gain, instead of recognizing it as a sacred stewardship. The biggest issue with wickedness is the false reality that there is none else; this idea that we exist alone.
If there is any one reality that the stars bear witness to, it is that we are not alone in the universe.
One more day on this particular chapter, Babylon, because she trusted in her wickedness, she will not, she cannot be kept from evil:
- Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth
- mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off
- desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know
(Verse 11)
Babylon has six sources of its wickedness:
- Enchantments
- Sorceries
- Astrologers
- Star Gazers
- Monthly Prognosticators
- Merchants
In the absence of truth, in the absence of priesthood and its power, superstitions take its place. (The ground will be covered, but with what?) Babylon is accused of being in association with all these since her youth. And none of these have the power to save them from the destruction that follows falsehoods and lies.
The truly interesting thing about all these is that they yet exist in our time. Though Babylon is no more, just a distant memory, her vices exist still among all societies that refuse to follow the truth.