Bye, Bye, Babylon
03/07/10
Pastor Marji
Miller
Keep those emails coming! You share some of the greatest stuff. Bonnie had her granddaughter, Megan Rose, in church last week. Bonnie was explaining to her who was who. Megan got it about the pastors, the musicians, but she was interested in Larry. Megan’s take was that Larry is, to quote her, “the guy who makes sure you don’t leave early.” We mustn’t be having that. No leaving early. Larry, you are in charge of that.
Sometimes we can hardly wait to get from one place to another, right? You’ve got so much to do this afternoon, maybe you could be the first one out. Skip communion and the closing video and be on your way. Larry, stop them, OK?
But then there are the times we need to leave someplace and we don’t want to. A great visit with someone we love. A wonderful vacation. There are the I-wish-it-could-last-forever moments. I want to stay right here because it’s so good.
But there are the other times. I want to stay right here because… Well, we’re going to get to that.
Because, today we’re going to talk about something most people dislike. Something that causes pain, fear, nightmares, anxiety. Today we are going to talk about change.
Last week Pastor Greg gave us quite a history lesson. Who likes history? Apologies to the rest of you, but there’s more today because you’ll need some background for this to make sense. Get your timelines. Remember the Kingdom of Judah? Had been part of Israel, before they split. Got it? The Judeans had seen their sisters and brothers in the Kingdom of Israel disobey Yahweh, God, and, as a result, be conquered by Assyria and dispersed. You’d think Judah would have learned from this, but apparently not, and, in spite of the warnings of lots of prophets, the people of Judah were as disobedient as the people of Israel had been.
Let’s fast forward to 612 B.C.. Babylon had defeated Assyria to become the superpower of the near east. Because the people of Judah had refused to be obedient to Yahweh, God, the armies of Babylon came in 586 and conquered Judah, captured Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. Leaders, craftspeople, merchants, the educated, the wealthy were deported. “Deporting” is forcibly taking people from their own countries and resettling them. Lots of change. The people of Judah were resettled in the city of Babylon. Exile!
That woke them up! They started getting serious about being the people of God.
At first, life in Babylon would have been hard, but the exiles refused to abandon their faith and their identity as Yahweh’s chosen people. They grouped together, built synagogues, schools, businesses. There was an active, thriving Jewish community in Babylon a few decades later.
But, according to the book of Isaiah, Yahweh didn’t want Babylon to be the place the promise would unfold. Yahweh hadn’t given up on the people of Judah. And Yahweh hadn’t given up on the people of Judah being in Judah, in Jerusalem. So, things were about to change, again. Look at Isaiah 54 and what Yahweh said to the exiles:
"For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you, says the Lord your Redeemer.” Isa. 54:7-8 TNIV
The king of Babylon was a tyrant and a bully and everyone wanted to see him defeated, including his own nobility. Those nobles surrendered the capital city without a fight in 539, and the outlying cities followed right along. The great Babylon had fallen. But guess who was taking credit? The god of the defeated. The god of the deported. The god who, seemingly, couldn’t even protect his own people from the Babylonians. Now from Isaiah 45:
“This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, [Cyrus was the king of Persia, and led the effort that finally brought Babylon down] whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, [this Israel is Judah] who summons you by name. For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, [Judah, again] I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me. Isaiah 45:1-5 TNIV
That word “anointed” – that’s the word for “Messiah.” A non-Jew, Yahweh’s anointed?! God could use someone not part of the chosen people, but, for the benefit of the chosen people. And Yahweh was claiming that Cyrus hadn’t defeated the mighty Babylon in the power of Marduk or Bel or Nebo, or any of the other gods of the nations. No, Cyrus, the Persian, the non-Jew, was anointed by Yahweh to defeat Babylon! Yahweh was saying to the exiles, “Follow my voice!” And being grateful to Yahweh for the victory, Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem.
Happy day!
But, maybe not so much. Like I mentioned earlier, life had gotten good in Babylon. “I want to stay here. It’s pretty comfortable.” And what was there to go back to in Jerusalem? Rubble, burned down buildings, overgrown gardens, wild animals in the streets of the deserted towns.
Surrounded by enemies. Why leave the comforts of life for that? And, then they had to get there! Long way to go for devastation and danger. The exiles weren’t exactly lining up for spots on the caravan. They didn’t need Larry to keep them from running out early. They wanted to stay.
Yahweh issued a call to the Jews living in Babylon. From the book of Isaiah. Chapter 55:
“Is anyone thirsty?
Come and drink—
even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk—
it’s all free!
Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
You will enjoy the finest food.
“Come to me with your ears wide open.
Listen, and you will find life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.
[David had been the king of united Judah and Israel during the golden years of their existence.]
See how I used him to display my power among the peoples.
I made him a leader among the nations.
You also will command nations you do not know,
and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey,
because I, the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, [Judah] have made you glorious.”
Seek the Lord while you can find him.
Call on him now while he is near.
Let the wicked change their ways
and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
“The rain and snow come down from the heavens
and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry.
It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
You will live in joy and peace.
The mountains and hills will burst into song,
and the trees of the field will clap their hands!
Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow.
Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up.
These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name;
they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”
Isaiah 55:1-13 NLT
I love that. Look at what’s there. Food, wine, life, covenant, love, promise, glory, mercy,
forgiveness, power, joy, peace. Could you go for some of that? But there was risk involved. “Follow my voice. Come out of slavery.” BUT, also, “Follow me out of security and comfort.”
A few things to notice: The food. It’s free! And, the implication is that while Yahweh promised to provide, food, food that satisfied, the food in Babylon wasn’t free and it didn’t satisfy. And, you can’t eat Yahweh’s food and stay in Babylon. That’s important.
Notice the covenant with David With all the covenants the Bible tells us about, what was so special about the covenant with David? It was unconditional. And everlasting. Listen:
But your family and your kingdom will continue always before me. Your throne will last forever. 2 Samuel 7:16 NCV
Yahweh said, I will punish, but I will never stop loving you, never give up on you. This would have been very reassuring to Yahweh’s people living in Babylon. They had certainly messed up, but the covenant Yahweh was calling them to renew included a kingdom that would last forever. Things had changed, but the promise was still good. God’s plan was still on track.
Notice the wicked:
Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
Who were the wicked? Could be “wicked” refers to all unbelievers, but that doesn’t fit the context very well. Rather, the “wicked” seem to be those who refused Yahweh’s offer. The path Yahweh called them to looked different. And uncertain. Probably better to stay where it’s safer and more comfortable. Pay for the food. It’s junk food, but it’s familiar. It doesn’t taste very good, but it’s predictable. And, we don’t need to change anything to have it.
Notice: You will live in joy and peace. In spite of all the turmoil and trouble God’s people had brought upon themselves and in spite of the heartbreak God had endured with these people – God'’s purpose was still for wholeness and restoration. The Hebrew has “go out in joy and be brought in peace,” which matches the song we sang. “Go out” is Exodus talk. Bottom line, Yahweh was offering joy and peace to those who were willing to leave Babylon.
SO WHAT? How do we translate this into 21st century Sacramento-talk?
Change is going to happen. It just is. Things will always change. It might be personal change – Pastor Greg talked last week about aging – job loss, health loss, grief. It might be societal – change in values, change in world-views, technology we’re afraid of. We can’t stop it. We like the security and familiarity of the old ways, but they’re vanishing. So, the question: How are we going to react to this change?
Sometimes we are the victims of change. We lose loved ones, health, financial security, dreams. That’s what had happened to the exiles. Being deported, losing everything, being separated from loved ones and from their country and homes – all that would have been gut wrenching. The temptation would have been to give up and either assimilate or stay bitter. God says, “Follow my voice and come out of hatred of indifference. You don’t have to be a slave.”
Sometimes are the beneficiaries of change. We have it all. Money, success, love. Change had happened to the exiles. The oppressive Babylon was replaced by tolerant Persia, and life looked like it was going to be a lot more pleasant. And, it was God, not an unjust government, not circumstances, not bad health or bad luck, who took away the safety net. God said, “Come out.” God’s call is the same. “Follow my voice. You don’t have to be a slave. The only real freedom is in being willing to let it all go for my purposes and plans.”
Of course, the danger for the exiles was believing they couldn’t survive without the bread provided by their captors. The danger of getting settled in exile and depending on that bread, forgetting their primary loyalty.
But, Yahweh was offering an invitation to leave all that, and return to the promise. An invitation, and a call, to a banquet with free food, food that would satisfy. And the banquet was to renew that covenant Yahweh had made with David. A fantastic feast to remind them who and Whose they were.
Valley Grace, we have the same danger and we are invited to celebrate that same covenant. Jesus isn’t called Son of David for no reason. The son that Yahweh promised David would always rule – that’s Jesus. It’s the same covenant! But it’s changed. It’s fuller. Deeper. Closer to completion. It brings joy and peace to anyone who will leave the junk food and security of Babylon, take us his or her cross and follow the King.
Everyone has a Babylon. A place where we eat the bread that keeps us slaves. It’s safe, it’s familiar in slavery. Let the empire feed us. We don’t have to take responsibility, or risk.
But there’s a risk in staying in the security of Babylon, too. Babylon is predictable, but deadly. If you stay in Babylon you can get fat, and, at the same time, die of malnutrition, because it’s junk food. But the denizens of Babylon will pay any price for the food because they believe there’s nowhere else to eat! They are slaves in Babylon. Everything that makes life exciting and purposeful, everything that brings real joy and real peace is sacrificed for predictability and security.
You may be thinking, “You’re talking about going out, but, years ago God called me to where I am.” Great. God had sent them to Babylon too.
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:4-7 TNIV
But, that was then. The call can change. God doesn’t put you in a situation forever. Maybe where you are was exactly what God wanted you to be doing. Before. Doesn’t necessarily mean it’s still the place to be. Why do we read the Bible? One reason is to be alert to God’s call to shift gears or change direction. And, the call is always towards risk and freedom. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth:
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 TNIV
Freedom from what? We are called from slavery to fear. From the slavery of our need to control, from the slavery of our anger when things don’t go the way we think we deserve. From the slavery of anxiety, insecurity, perfectionism. We are called from the slavery of all our worrying. God calls away from those attempts to make sure we’ve covered every possible contingency in life. We have to be willing to leave Babylon. Come out! We don’t need their bread.
Remember there is no guarantee that bread - as expensive and unsatisfying as it is - will continue to be supplied, even in Babylon. The price of security could be raised. The quality could get even worse. There could be a famine. The economy could crash. Of course, the economy could crash in Jerusalem, too. Aging parents get sick and die in Jerusalem as readily as they do in Babylon. Kids move away, even from Jerusalem. Cancer will come, even to Jerusalem. Jobs will go. Marriages will dissolve. In Jerusalem as well as Babylon. There are no guarantees except the ones God offers.
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 NLT
That’s what we’re called from – worries, cares. Fear. But what are we called to?
Well, to risk – and peace. To a not-always-safe-life – and joy. To new challenges and
freedom. And, the freedom God offers is real. We don’t have to be slaves.
What would you like to be free from? How about this? No worry, no regrets, no fear for the future. No more stuck in your pride. No more resentments. No more running from love and relationships. No more loneliness or meaninglessness. No more selfishness. God offers freedom from all that.
The freedom that comes from letting it go is intoxicating. For the first time, we realize that we don’t have to run the universe. (Not always easy to admit, but very freeing.)
And the whole thing is not in doubt. God’s Word is a gamble, Yahweh’s words:
It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
The Word of God can’t be defeated by the forces of evil. Or our fears and insecurities. God’s Word has irresistible power! What God has promised, God will do. Proven track record. (That’s another reason we read the Bible – so we see the faithfulness and consistency over millennia.) This faithful God is the God who insists, “Behold I make all things new!”
Now What?
What’s your Babylon? What is making you a slave but you but you’re afraid to leave it to follow God across the desert into the promised land? What’s God calling you to “come out” of? God can be calling you to forgive that person you swore you’d never forgive. God can be saying, “It’s time to get out of that relationship.” Or, “You’ve been alone long enough. It’s time for you to put the fear behind you and commit.” Maybe it’s time for a career change. Or, “Time to start working on those stereotypes and prejudices.” How about this one? God may be saying to you, “Get past your fears and tell people about what I’ve done in your life!” God could be saying, “Stop pretending everything is OK when you are dying inside. Drop the mask and be honest for once in your life.”
— “get off the couch”
— “turn off the TV”
— “make some non-Christian friends”
— “join a small group and be honest with them”
God says, “Face your biggest fear.” All require coming out of the deadly trap of Babylon. “God, I’m scared!” Perhaps.
But, it’s really tiring trying to be God. Say it with me, “God is God and I’m not.” I’m not. You’re not. Babylon is not. Money is not. Security is not. That relationship is not. That habit is not. Even bread is not. Only God is God.
If we are lined up with God’s plan, if what we care about is what God cares about, if our purposes are his purposes we can relax about so many things. Because God’s purposes will be accomplished. You don’t have to run the universe any more. You can relax about outcomes and just do what you’ve been called to do.
This is a call to freedom. Come out! Come out of exile. Follow God to where God wants us to be. Say good bye to Babylon!
Keep those emails coming! You share some of the greatest stuff. Bonnie had her granddaughter, Megan Rose, in church last week. Bonnie was explaining to her who was who. Megan got it about the pastors, the musicians, but she was interested in Larry. Megan’s take was that Larry is, to quote her, “the guy who makes sure you don’t leave early.” We mustn’t be having that. No leaving early. Larry, you are in charge of that.
Sometimes we can hardly wait to get from one place to another, right? You’ve got so much to do this afternoon, maybe you could be the first one out. Skip communion and the closing video and be on your way. Larry, stop them, OK?
But then there are the times we need to leave someplace and we don’t want to. A great visit with someone we love. A wonderful vacation. There are the I-wish-it-could-last-forever moments. I want to stay right here because it’s so good.
But there are the other times. I want to stay right here because… Well, we’re going to get to that.
Because, today we’re going to talk about something most people dislike. Something that causes pain, fear, nightmares, anxiety. Today we are going to talk about change.
Last week Pastor Greg gave us quite a history lesson. Who likes history? Apologies to the rest of you, but there’s more today because you’ll need some background for this to make sense. Get your timelines. Remember the Kingdom of Judah? Had been part of Israel, before they split. Got it? The Judeans had seen their sisters and brothers in the Kingdom of Israel disobey Yahweh, God, and, as a result, be conquered by Assyria and dispersed. You’d think Judah would have learned from this, but apparently not, and, in spite of the warnings of lots of prophets, the people of Judah were as disobedient as the people of Israel had been.
Let’s fast forward to 612 B.C.. Babylon had defeated Assyria to become the superpower of the near east. Because the people of Judah had refused to be obedient to Yahweh, God, the armies of Babylon came in 586 and conquered Judah, captured Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. Leaders, craftspeople, merchants, the educated, the wealthy were deported. “Deporting” is forcibly taking people from their own countries and resettling them. Lots of change. The people of Judah were resettled in the city of Babylon. Exile!
That woke them up! They started getting serious about being the people of God.
At first, life in Babylon would have been hard, but the exiles refused to abandon their faith and their identity as Yahweh’s chosen people. They grouped together, built synagogues, schools, businesses. There was an active, thriving Jewish community in Babylon a few decades later.
But, according to the book of Isaiah, Yahweh didn’t want Babylon to be the place the promise would unfold. Yahweh hadn’t given up on the people of Judah. And Yahweh hadn’t given up on the people of Judah being in Judah, in Jerusalem. So, things were about to change, again. Look at Isaiah 54 and what Yahweh said to the exiles:
"For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you, says the Lord your Redeemer.” Isa. 54:7-8 TNIV
The king of Babylon was a tyrant and a bully and everyone wanted to see him defeated, including his own nobility. Those nobles surrendered the capital city without a fight in 539, and the outlying cities followed right along. The great Babylon had fallen. But guess who was taking credit? The god of the defeated. The god of the deported. The god who, seemingly, couldn’t even protect his own people from the Babylonians. Now from Isaiah 45:
“This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, [Cyrus was the king of Persia, and led the effort that finally brought Babylon down] whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, [this Israel is Judah] who summons you by name. For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, [Judah, again] I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me. Isaiah 45:1-5 TNIV
That word “anointed” – that’s the word for “Messiah.” A non-Jew, Yahweh’s anointed?! God could use someone not part of the chosen people, but, for the benefit of the chosen people. And Yahweh was claiming that Cyrus hadn’t defeated the mighty Babylon in the power of Marduk or Bel or Nebo, or any of the other gods of the nations. No, Cyrus, the Persian, the non-Jew, was anointed by Yahweh to defeat Babylon! Yahweh was saying to the exiles, “Follow my voice!” And being grateful to Yahweh for the victory, Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem.
Happy day!
But, maybe not so much. Like I mentioned earlier, life had gotten good in Babylon. “I want to stay here. It’s pretty comfortable.” And what was there to go back to in Jerusalem? Rubble, burned down buildings, overgrown gardens, wild animals in the streets of the deserted towns.
Surrounded by enemies. Why leave the comforts of life for that? And, then they had to get there! Long way to go for devastation and danger. The exiles weren’t exactly lining up for spots on the caravan. They didn’t need Larry to keep them from running out early. They wanted to stay.
Yahweh issued a call to the Jews living in Babylon. From the book of Isaiah. Chapter 55:
“Is anyone thirsty?
Come and drink—
even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk—
it’s all free!
Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
You will enjoy the finest food.
“Come to me with your ears wide open.
Listen, and you will find life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.
[David had been the king of united Judah and Israel during the golden years of their existence.]
See how I used him to display my power among the peoples.
I made him a leader among the nations.
You also will command nations you do not know,
and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey,
because I, the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, [Judah] have made you glorious.”
Seek the Lord while you can find him.
Call on him now while he is near.
Let the wicked change their ways
and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
“The rain and snow come down from the heavens
and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry.
It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
You will live in joy and peace.
The mountains and hills will burst into song,
and the trees of the field will clap their hands!
Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow.
Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up.
These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name;
they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”
Isaiah 55:1-13 NLT
I love that. Look at what’s there. Food, wine, life, covenant, love, promise, glory, mercy,
forgiveness, power, joy, peace. Could you go for some of that? But there was risk involved. “Follow my voice. Come out of slavery.” BUT, also, “Follow me out of security and comfort.”
A few things to notice: The food. It’s free! And, the implication is that while Yahweh promised to provide, food, food that satisfied, the food in Babylon wasn’t free and it didn’t satisfy. And, you can’t eat Yahweh’s food and stay in Babylon. That’s important.
Notice the covenant with David With all the covenants the Bible tells us about, what was so special about the covenant with David? It was unconditional. And everlasting. Listen:
But your family and your kingdom will continue always before me. Your throne will last forever. 2 Samuel 7:16 NCV
Yahweh said, I will punish, but I will never stop loving you, never give up on you. This would have been very reassuring to Yahweh’s people living in Babylon. They had certainly messed up, but the covenant Yahweh was calling them to renew included a kingdom that would last forever. Things had changed, but the promise was still good. God’s plan was still on track.
Notice the wicked:
Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
Who were the wicked? Could be “wicked” refers to all unbelievers, but that doesn’t fit the context very well. Rather, the “wicked” seem to be those who refused Yahweh’s offer. The path Yahweh called them to looked different. And uncertain. Probably better to stay where it’s safer and more comfortable. Pay for the food. It’s junk food, but it’s familiar. It doesn’t taste very good, but it’s predictable. And, we don’t need to change anything to have it.
Notice: You will live in joy and peace. In spite of all the turmoil and trouble God’s people had brought upon themselves and in spite of the heartbreak God had endured with these people – God'’s purpose was still for wholeness and restoration. The Hebrew has “go out in joy and be brought in peace,” which matches the song we sang. “Go out” is Exodus talk. Bottom line, Yahweh was offering joy and peace to those who were willing to leave Babylon.
SO WHAT? How do we translate this into 21st century Sacramento-talk?
Change is going to happen. It just is. Things will always change. It might be personal change – Pastor Greg talked last week about aging – job loss, health loss, grief. It might be societal – change in values, change in world-views, technology we’re afraid of. We can’t stop it. We like the security and familiarity of the old ways, but they’re vanishing. So, the question: How are we going to react to this change?
Sometimes we are the victims of change. We lose loved ones, health, financial security, dreams. That’s what had happened to the exiles. Being deported, losing everything, being separated from loved ones and from their country and homes – all that would have been gut wrenching. The temptation would have been to give up and either assimilate or stay bitter. God says, “Follow my voice and come out of hatred of indifference. You don’t have to be a slave.”
Sometimes are the beneficiaries of change. We have it all. Money, success, love. Change had happened to the exiles. The oppressive Babylon was replaced by tolerant Persia, and life looked like it was going to be a lot more pleasant. And, it was God, not an unjust government, not circumstances, not bad health or bad luck, who took away the safety net. God said, “Come out.” God’s call is the same. “Follow my voice. You don’t have to be a slave. The only real freedom is in being willing to let it all go for my purposes and plans.”
Of course, the danger for the exiles was believing they couldn’t survive without the bread provided by their captors. The danger of getting settled in exile and depending on that bread, forgetting their primary loyalty.
But, Yahweh was offering an invitation to leave all that, and return to the promise. An invitation, and a call, to a banquet with free food, food that would satisfy. And the banquet was to renew that covenant Yahweh had made with David. A fantastic feast to remind them who and Whose they were.
Valley Grace, we have the same danger and we are invited to celebrate that same covenant. Jesus isn’t called Son of David for no reason. The son that Yahweh promised David would always rule – that’s Jesus. It’s the same covenant! But it’s changed. It’s fuller. Deeper. Closer to completion. It brings joy and peace to anyone who will leave the junk food and security of Babylon, take us his or her cross and follow the King.
Everyone has a Babylon. A place where we eat the bread that keeps us slaves. It’s safe, it’s familiar in slavery. Let the empire feed us. We don’t have to take responsibility, or risk.
But there’s a risk in staying in the security of Babylon, too. Babylon is predictable, but deadly. If you stay in Babylon you can get fat, and, at the same time, die of malnutrition, because it’s junk food. But the denizens of Babylon will pay any price for the food because they believe there’s nowhere else to eat! They are slaves in Babylon. Everything that makes life exciting and purposeful, everything that brings real joy and real peace is sacrificed for predictability and security.
You may be thinking, “You’re talking about going out, but, years ago God called me to where I am.” Great. God had sent them to Babylon too.
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:4-7 TNIV
But, that was then. The call can change. God doesn’t put you in a situation forever. Maybe where you are was exactly what God wanted you to be doing. Before. Doesn’t necessarily mean it’s still the place to be. Why do we read the Bible? One reason is to be alert to God’s call to shift gears or change direction. And, the call is always towards risk and freedom. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth:
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 TNIV
Freedom from what? We are called from slavery to fear. From the slavery of our need to control, from the slavery of our anger when things don’t go the way we think we deserve. From the slavery of anxiety, insecurity, perfectionism. We are called from the slavery of all our worrying. God calls away from those attempts to make sure we’ve covered every possible contingency in life. We have to be willing to leave Babylon. Come out! We don’t need their bread.
Remember there is no guarantee that bread - as expensive and unsatisfying as it is - will continue to be supplied, even in Babylon. The price of security could be raised. The quality could get even worse. There could be a famine. The economy could crash. Of course, the economy could crash in Jerusalem, too. Aging parents get sick and die in Jerusalem as readily as they do in Babylon. Kids move away, even from Jerusalem. Cancer will come, even to Jerusalem. Jobs will go. Marriages will dissolve. In Jerusalem as well as Babylon. There are no guarantees except the ones God offers.
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 NLT
That’s what we’re called from – worries, cares. Fear. But what are we called to?
Well, to risk – and peace. To a not-always-safe-life – and joy. To new challenges and
freedom. And, the freedom God offers is real. We don’t have to be slaves.
What would you like to be free from? How about this? No worry, no regrets, no fear for the future. No more stuck in your pride. No more resentments. No more running from love and relationships. No more loneliness or meaninglessness. No more selfishness. God offers freedom from all that.
The freedom that comes from letting it go is intoxicating. For the first time, we realize that we don’t have to run the universe. (Not always easy to admit, but very freeing.)
And the whole thing is not in doubt. God’s Word is a gamble, Yahweh’s words:
It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
The Word of God can’t be defeated by the forces of evil. Or our fears and insecurities. God’s Word has irresistible power! What God has promised, God will do. Proven track record. (That’s another reason we read the Bible – so we see the faithfulness and consistency over millennia.) This faithful God is the God who insists, “Behold I make all things new!”
Now What?
What’s your Babylon? What is making you a slave but you but you’re afraid to leave it to follow God across the desert into the promised land? What’s God calling you to “come out” of? God can be calling you to forgive that person you swore you’d never forgive. God can be saying, “It’s time to get out of that relationship.” Or, “You’ve been alone long enough. It’s time for you to put the fear behind you and commit.” Maybe it’s time for a career change. Or, “Time to start working on those stereotypes and prejudices.” How about this one? God may be saying to you, “Get past your fears and tell people about what I’ve done in your life!” God could be saying, “Stop pretending everything is OK when you are dying inside. Drop the mask and be honest for once in your life.”
— “get off the couch”
— “turn off the TV”
— “make some non-Christian friends”
— “join a small group and be honest with them”
God says, “Face your biggest fear.” All require coming out of the deadly trap of Babylon. “God, I’m scared!” Perhaps.
But, it’s really tiring trying to be God. Say it with me, “God is God and I’m not.” I’m not. You’re not. Babylon is not. Money is not. Security is not. That relationship is not. That habit is not. Even bread is not. Only God is God.
If we are lined up with God’s plan, if what we care about is what God cares about, if our purposes are his purposes we can relax about so many things. Because God’s purposes will be accomplished. You don’t have to run the universe any more. You can relax about outcomes and just do what you’ve been called to do.
This is a call to freedom. Come out! Come out of exile. Follow God to where God wants us to be. Say good bye to Babylon!