Every Purpose Of The Lord Shall Be Performed
 By Medford Caudill
 Goshen, Indiana
Jeremiah 51:29 “And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the Lord shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant.”
    There is much that we could say from this passage concerning prophecy. Every word of prophecy is sure for every word of prophecy comes from a God who knows the future because He controls the future.
    I believe that, according to the book of Revelation, the physical city of Babylon will one day be rebuilt to be destroyed again. Saddam Hussein, in fact, was attempting to do so when he was overthrown.
    There are two Babylons mentioned in the book of Revelation.  In Revelation 17 you have spiritual Babylon which is represented in our day by the Roman Catholic Church. Understand that Catholicism is not a branch of Christianity but is the spiritual successor to the Babylon Mystery Religion. Then in Revelation 18, you have a description of physical, commercial Babylon. Both of these Babylons are part of this earth and earthly government. They are doomed to fall and great will be the fall of them.
    It may seem at times as if these things go slowly but you can be sure that year by year God’s timetable is being fulfilled. Not just year by year but day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, and even second by second. I am glad that God is the predestinating God of prophecy.
    Then there is much that we could say from this passage concerning justice. Babylon will get what Babylon deserves. The Pulpit Commentary says; “God is against Babylon not merely for the hurt it has inflicted on its own people but because destruction is the very element in which it lives. Wheresoever Babylon came it brought spoliation, enslavement and misery. Justice will be done. The only just course for Babylon will be its fall.”
    However much we could say about prophecy or justice, however, we set aside to note at this time just one phrase from verse 29. The phrase is “every purpose of the Lord shall be performed.”
    The first thing we note is that there is a Lord. The Bible begins with the assumption of His being. “In the beginning God” Many in our day, however, do not assume that there is a God.  They begin their world-view with “if there” instead of “there is”.  One is, of course, an expression of doubt. The other is an expression of faith.
    Many think that if there is a God, He is not in control of things. For all practical purposes they are no different than atheists. They believe that God will not or cannot touch their lives. If he will not, then He is not the loving God of the Bible who cares about His creation so much that a sparrow cannot fall to the ground, much less a human being, without His taking notice of it. If, on the other hand, it not so much that he will not intervene in the lives of his people but rather that He cannot that simply means that He is not sovereign. If He is not sovereign then He is no god at all. To admit that there is a God is one thing but what kind of a God is He? The God of the Bible is an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God. That is a God who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and is everywhere at once.
    Secondly, not only is there a God but this God has a purpose. God is not the author of confusion. His universe runs like clockwork. There are 24 hours in a day. It never varies. There are 52 weeks or 365 days in a year. It never varies. There is seed time and harvest. It never varies. “To every thing here is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
    God has a purpose for nations. He raised up Babylon. It performed its purpose. It was overthrown.
    But what can a nation do except it be done by individuals.  Is Babylon anything without Nebuchadnezzar? Is Nebuchadnezzar anything without Babylon?  When the history of every nation is written its last line will be; “This is what God has done!” When the biography of every individual is finished its last line will be; “This is what God has done.”
    His purpose brings about His glory. “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)
    Thirdly then we note that His purpose will be performed. God can do whatever he wants to do, whenever He wants to do it, in whatever way pleases Him.
    He is not only able to control the nations but all that affects any nation. Does He want Babylon to rise against Israel? He puts it in the heart of her king to do so. Does he want Babylon to fall?  He makes her armies cowards. “The mighty men of Babylon are forlorn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women.” (Jeremiah 51:30)
    We live our lives thinking what if? There are no what ifs, God is in control of all things. Have you thanked God today for His purpose and for the performance of that purpose in your life?  “Every purpose of the Lord shall be performed.”
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