Follow the Lamb - 21 Day Study on the Book of RevelationSýnishorn

Day 4: Babylon’s Identity

Scripture Reading:

‘Then God spoke these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.’ (NRSV)

- Exodus 20.1-2

The exile in Babylon was deeply imbedded in the Jewish mindset. The Jews willingly left Egypt, but they did not willingly go to Babylon. We’ve seen displacements of people recently, people torn from their own countries due to brutal invasions, currently with Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. It must be terrifying to leave family and friends, to go to a country where you don’t know the language, don’t have a job or a home, where everything is unfamiliar. The situation for the Jews in Babylon was even worse. They weren’t escaping to a safe place; they were taken by their enemies into slavery, treated cruelly, and removed from the land that God had himself led them to. We are the beneficiaries of this exile, for it was in Babylon that much of what we call the Old Testament was written down for the first time, for the people were frightened that the history of their relationship with God would be lost, and not passed down from father to son, mother to daughter, as it had been.

To say a city was like Babylon was the ultimate insult. It is a byword for evil. We might say someone is like Hitler, or that government security is like the KGB, or untrustworthy media is like the Daily Mail; it’s a quick way of suggesting negative connotations. John is certainly comparing the Roman Empire with Babylon, and with good reason. It took over any land it could, it compelled many into slavery, it demanded worship of false gods, and its persecution of Christians was barely begun. But John isn’t just warning his listeners of Rome; his words speak to us today, to be alert to the Babylon-ish elements to our society, and in the world around us. Do we see idolatry? Do we see slavery? Do we see militarism? Do we see cruelty? Then we see Babylon in our midst.

Some things to think about:

1. What are some positive aspects of Australian society that align with God’s values?
2. Do you feel that some values in your community oppose putting God first?
3. What is one evil you discern in your local community, and how can you and your church be part of overcoming it?

Prayer:

Transforming God, thank you that you are all good. Thank you that you are sending your Son to heal the earth and humanity. Help me to be brave and wise in my choices. In Jesus’ name. Amen.