Latest / Marriage Life and More and Bible Study / Isaiah 13:13-22 - Babylon's Real Estate Market Takes a Slight Dip - 344

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Isaiah 13:13-22 - Babylon's Real Estate Market Takes a Slight Dip - 344 · Marriage Life and More and Bible Study

• 0:06
  Daniel Moore: So Israel, when God says he's shaking the heavens and overthrowing empires, is this still one of those times you're thinking, nah, Babylon will be fine?
• 0:15
  Daniel Moore: And if Babylon was the world's superpower, does that mean they forgot to read the fine print that said pride comes before destruction?
• 0:23
  Daniel Moore: Well, this week we're stepping into Isaiah chapter 13, where Isaiah continues this prophecy against Babylon.
• 0:29
  Daniel Moore: And if you're Babylon listening to this message, this is probably the moment when you start wishing you had skipped synagogue that week.
• 0:36
  Daniel Moore: Babylon looked untouchable.
• 0:38
  Daniel Moore: They were the superpower of the ancient world, the empire everyone feared, the nation with wealth, military might, and enough arrogance to make social media influencers look humble.
• 0:48
  Daniel Moore: But Isaiah reminds us of a truth that history repeatedly proves no kingdom, no nation, and no person is too powerful for God to humble.
• 0:57
  Daniel Moore: When God decides it's time to act, even the mightiest empires discover that they are not nearly as permanent as they imagined.
• 1:04
  Daniel Moore: In these verses this week, Isaiah paints an astonishing picture of judgment.
• 1:08
  Daniel Moore: The earth trembles, nations fall, and mighty Babylon, once called the glory of kingdoms, is reduced to a deserted ruin where only wild animals roam.
• 1:17
  Daniel Moore: It's a sobering reminder that human pride builds monuments to itself, that God alone builds that last forever.
• 1:24
  Daniel Moore: So grab your Bible, let's explore what happens when human arrogance collides head on with the sovereignty of Almighty God.
• 1:32
  Daniel Moore: Let's get to it.
• 1:37
  Daniel Moore: Welcome to Connecting the Gap.
• 1:39
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  Daniel Moore: I'm Daniel Moore, your host.
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• 2:09
  Daniel Moore: Well, last week we jumped into chapter 13 in our verse by verse study in Isaiah, and we made it all the way to chapter 13, verse 12.
• 2:18
  Daniel Moore: This week we're going to go ahead and wrap up chapter 13.
• 2:22
  Daniel Moore: So grab your Bibles and let's go ahead and jump into it as we get into Isaiah 13, verses 13 through 22.
• 2:46
  Daniel Moore: So to get started this week, let's go ahead and look in our Bibles and let's read our text that we're going to be covering, and I'm sharing with you from the ESV version of the Bible.
• 3:02
  Daniel Moore: At the wrath of the Lord of hosts, in the day of his fierce anger, and like a hunted gazelle or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land.
• 3:14
  Daniel Moore: Whoever is found will be thrust through, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.
• 3:19
  Daniel Moore: Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes, their houses will be plundered, and their wives ravaged.
• 3:25
  Daniel Moore: Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold.
• 3:32
  Daniel Moore: Their bows will slaughter, the young men, they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb, their eyes will not pity children.
• 3:39
  Daniel Moore: In Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.
• 3:48
  Daniel Moore: It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations.
• 3:51
  Daniel Moore: No Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.
• 3:57
  Daniel Moore: The wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures.
• 4:01
  Daniel Moore: Their ostriches will dwell and their wild goats will dance.
• 4:05
  Daniel Moore: Hyenas will cry in its towers and jackals in the pleasant palaces.
• 4:10
  Daniel Moore: Its time is close at hand, and its days will not be prolonged.
• 4:16
  Daniel Moore: That's Isaiah chapter 13, verses 13 through 22.
• 4:22
  Daniel Moore: So that's going to be an interesting passage of scripture here as we're talking about Babylon.
• 4:26
  Daniel Moore: It's very bleak as we read through those scriptures.
• 4:30
  Daniel Moore: So we're going to go ahead and start tearing into these and let's see exactly what's going on here as we get through this passage for this week.
• 4:37
  Daniel Moore: So we'll go ahead and start here with verse 13 in chapter 13.
• 4:42
  Daniel Moore: It says, Therefore, I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the Lord of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.
• 4:52
  Daniel Moore: So this beginning verse for this week here continues the apocalyptic tone of Isaiah 13, describing cosmic disturbances as a way of expressing the intensity of God's judgment.
• 5:04
  Daniel Moore: In ancient Near Eastern literature and biblical prophecy, cosmic upheavals or shaking of the heavens and earth often symbolize the divine intervention that overturns existing orders.
• 5:16
  Daniel Moore: The phrase the wrath of the Lord of hosts emphasizes the military and divine power of Yahweh acting in judgment.
• 5:24
  Daniel Moore: The day of his fierce anger points to the day of the Lord, a recurring theme in prophetic literature referring to a particular act of judgment, in immediate context, the judgment against Babylon.
• 5:35
  Daniel Moore: According to Alec Mocher in the prophecy of Isaiah, this verse is in the context of the fall of Babylon, foreshadowed as a divine act, though with ultimate fulfillment and eschatological judgment.
• 5:48
  Daniel Moore: Edward J.
• 5:49
  Daniel Moore: Young adds that the language is hyperbolic, but meant to convey a real terror and seriousness of divine justice.
• 5:57
  Daniel Moore: Verse 14 says, and like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to his own land.
• 6:07
  Daniel Moore: This verse depicts the scattering and panic of the Babylonian people when God's judgment arrives.
• 6:13
  Daniel Moore: The simile of a hunted gazelle and shepherdless sheep vividly communicates the chaos, fear, and vulnerability.
• 6:20
  Daniel Moore: The comparison suggests people abandoning their post and responsibilities, fleeing for personal survival.
• 6:28
  Daniel Moore: John Oswald, in Isaiah, the NIV application commentary, sees this as illustrating how the Babylonians, or possibly the mercenaries and foreigners in Babylon's service, would be so terrified that they would abandon the city in an attempt to escape.
• 6:43
  Daniel Moore: The phrase, each will turn to his own people, alludes to the multinational composition of Babylon, which included conquered peoples and exiles.
• 6:53
  Daniel Moore: The idea parallels other prophetic images of divine judgment, causing reversal and societal collapse.
• 7:00
  Daniel Moore: Another example of that in Jeremiah chapter 50, verse 16.
• 7:05
  Daniel Moore: Verse 15 says, Whoever is found will be thrust through, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.
• 7:13
  Daniel Moore: This verse emphasizes the ruthlessness of the coming destruction.
• 7:17
  Daniel Moore: Those who are caught by the invading forces, later identified historically as the Medes, in Isaiah 13, verse 17.
• 7:25
  Daniel Moore: We'll be coming up on that here in just a moment.
• 7:27
  Daniel Moore: And they will be slaughtered.
• 7:29
  Daniel Moore: Thrust through and fall by the sword create a stark imagery of death in combat or in discriminate killing, showing no mercy.
• 7:37
  Daniel Moore: In the historical context of this verse, Babylon was conquered by the Medes and Persians in 539 BC.
• 7:43
  Daniel Moore: Though historical records like the Cyrus Cylinder suggest a somewhat peaceful takeover, Isaiah presents an idealized or prophetic version of the event, dramatizing divine justice against the arrogance of Babylon.
• 7:56
  Daniel Moore: We read about that in verse 11 of this chapter.
• 8:00
  Daniel Moore: This prophetic hyperbole aims to impress the seriousness of divine wrath rather than document precise events.
• 8:08
  Daniel Moore: According to the pulpit commentary, the prophet expresses God's anger against wickedness and anticipates utter devastation, which is often the prophetic way of showing the totality of God's judgment.
• 8:21
  Daniel Moore: Verse 16 their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes, their houses will be plundered, and their wives ravished.
• 8:30
  Daniel Moore: This verse is one of the most harrowing in the Bible and reflects the brutal reality of ancient warfare.
• 8:36
  Daniel Moore: It describes the destruction that awaits Babylon or her inhabitants.
• 8:40
  Daniel Moore: Children slaughtered, women raped, households destroyed, tragic consequences of a nation's pride and rebellion against God.
• 8:48
  Daniel Moore: This description is not a prescriptive endorsement of violence, but a prophetic declaration of what will happen when Babylon faces divine judgment.
• 8:57
  Daniel Moore: The atrocities listed here are tragically common incidents and ancient sieges and warfare that you can read about in Nahum three, verse ten and Hosea thirteen, verse sixteen.
• 9:08
  Daniel Moore: By stating it this way, Isaiah starkly portrays the moral reckoning that Babylon will face.
• 9:15
  Daniel Moore: Commentators like Derek Kidner and the message of Isaiah explain that the bitter scenes reflect the seriousness of divine justice.
• 9:23
  Daniel Moore: What happens when the Lord rises up to judge arrogant empires?
• 9:27
  Daniel Moore: It's a warning for Israel, Judah, and any nation exalting itself against God.
• 9:33
  Daniel Moore: Historical context here also underscores the importance of this passage.
• 9:38
  Daniel Moore: Babylon was leading superpower, enriched and inflated with self-confidence.
• 9:43
  Daniel Moore: Isaiah's prophecy against it would have sounded bold during his time, especially as Assyria was still the dominant power.
• 9:51
  Daniel Moore: By later Jewish exilic and post exilic periods, these verses would confirm God's control over history and ultimate justice.
• 10:01
  Daniel Moore: So summarizing these sets of verses, these set of scriptures is a vivid prophecy of divine judgment against Babylon, using strong imagery to convey the terror and destruction that will come on the day of the Lord.
• 10:13
  Daniel Moore: It describes cosmic disturbances as the heavens and earth tremble under God's wrath, signaling a catastrophic upheaval.
• 10:21
  Daniel Moore: The people terrified and scattered like a hunted gazelle, or sheep without a shepherd, will flee back to their homelands.
• 10:28
  Daniel Moore: Anyone found will be killed without mercy, and the brutality of war is depicted in graphic terms, infanticide, plundering of homes, and violation of women.
• 10:38
  Daniel Moore: These verses reflect the seriousness of God's judgment against proud and rebellious nations and serve as a sobering warning of the consequences of defying divine authority.
• 10:50
  Daniel Moore: Moving on to verse 17, it says, Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold.
• 10:59
  Daniel Moore: This verse marks a historical shift by identifying the Medes as instruments of divine judgment against Babylon.
• 11:06
  Daniel Moore: Isaiah prophesies that the Medes, known for the military strength and alliance with the Persians under Cyrus, will rise against Babylon.
• 11:13
  Daniel Moore: The mention that they have no regard for silver or do not delight in gold underscores their ruthless determination.
• 11:20
  Daniel Moore: They are not really motivated by plunder, they're motivated by destruction.
• 11:25
  Daniel Moore: Historically, the Medes formed an alliance with the Persians, and under Cyrus the Great they conquered Babylon in 539 BC.
• 11:33
  Daniel Moore: Though the historical conquest of Babylon was relatively peaceful, Isaiah presents the conquest in apocalyptic and violent terms to emphasize divine retribution.
• 11:43
  Daniel Moore: According to John Oswalt and his commentary on Isaiah, Isaiah is using the Medes as a historical example of God's justice, but the language also echoes a broader eschatological tone, signifying the eventual fall of all rebellious empires.
• 11:59
  Daniel Moore: Verse 18, their bows will slaughter the young men.
• 12:02
  Daniel Moore: They will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb, their eyes will not pity children.
• 12:08
  Daniel Moore: This verse describes the pitiless warfare of the Medes.
• 12:12
  Daniel Moore: The image of slaughter with bows and lack of mercy on children emphasizes the cruelty and total nature of the judgment.
• 12:19
  Daniel Moore: The fruit of the womb and children signify Babylon's future, suggesting that this destruction reaches even the most vulnerable.
• 12:28
  Daniel Moore: According to Alec Mother, the brutality described is not about condoning violence, but communicating the reality of divine judgment.
• 12:36
  Daniel Moore: In contrast to the glory and pride of Babylon, her downfall would be devastating and without pity.
• 12:42
  Daniel Moore: This portrayal fits within broader prophetic themes where God's judgment comes through foreign nations who act, sometimes unwittingly, as his instruments.
• 12:52
  Daniel Moore: Another example of that is in Habakkuk chapter 1, verses 6 through 11.
• 12:58
  Daniel Moore: Moving on to verse 19 and chapter 13, in Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.
• 13:11
  Daniel Moore: Here in this verse, Isaiah delivers a climactic statement.
• 13:14
  Daniel Moore: Babylon, once the epitome of splendor and power, will face total destruction comparable to Sodom and Gomorrah.
• 13:21
  Daniel Moore: This comparison is particularly damning.
• 13:24
  Daniel Moore: Sodom and Gomorrah became symbolic of complete and irreversible divine judgment in Genesis chapter 19.
• 13:32
  Daniel Moore: Historically, Babylon was indeed a magnificent city.
• 13:36
  Daniel Moore: Its hanging gardens were considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
• 13:40
  Daniel Moore: But Isaiah's prophecy foretells its complete demise, beyond the simple capture under Cyrus.
• 13:47
  Daniel Moore: This may suggest a dual-layered prophecy, a historical reference to the 539 BC conquest and a long-term vision of ruin.
• 13:56
  Daniel Moore: Many scholars, including Gary V.
• 13:58
  Daniel Moore: Smith, suggest this verse looks far beyond the initial conquest to a later desolation that would fit Babylon's eventual decline, especially by the time the Parthians and beyond.
• 14:12
  Daniel Moore: In verse 20, it says it will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations.
• 14:17
  Daniel Moore: No Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.
• 14:22
  Daniel Moore: Isaiah here declares the utter desolation of Babylon.
• 14:26
  Daniel Moore: The repetition of never and for all generations emphasizes the totality and permanence of the judgment.
• 14:34
  Daniel Moore: The fact that even nomads and shepherds will avoid the area implies that Babylon will become completely uninhabitable, emphasizing divine abandonment.
• 14:43
  Daniel Moore: Historically, Babylon declined and was eventually abandoned.
• 14:48
  Daniel Moore: By the time of Roman historian Strabo, which was the first century BC, Babylon was largely in ruins.
• 14:56
  Daniel Moore: Today Babylon remains largely unpopulated, supporting Isaiah's long-term prophecy.
• 15:02
  Daniel Moore: As Charles Ryrie notes, this could reflect a prophetic pattern of near and far fulfillments.
• 15:08
  Daniel Moore: The immediate judgment aligns with Meade's conquest, and the ultimate fulfillment describes the final absolute desolation that took place over many centuries.
• 15:18
  Daniel Moore: This verse also carries symbolic meaning that human pride and grandeur, no matter how powerful as Babylon was, ultimately will face God's judgment.
• 15:28
  Daniel Moore: The absence of Arabs and shepherds may symbolize the complete removal of human comfort and livelihood.
• 15:35
  Daniel Moore: It was believed in the ancient Near East that even nomads could live in nearly any terrain, but not here, signifying total ruin.
• 15:46
  Daniel Moore: So summarizing verses 17 through 20, it foretells the divine judgment upon Babylon through the rise of the Medes, who are stirred by God to execute his anger.
• 15:55
  Daniel Moore: The Medes are described as unyielding warriors, uninterested in wealth and without mercy, bringing slaughter even to the young and innocent.
• 16:03
  Daniel Moore: Babylon, once the pride and splendor of the Chaldean Empire, will be devastated like Sodom and Gomorrah, completely destroyed by divine intervention.
• 16:12
  Daniel Moore: It'll become desolate and uninhabitable for all time, avoided even by nomads and shepherds, symbolizing the full and irreversible nature of God's judgment against a proud and idolatrous empire.
• 16:27
  Daniel Moore: So starting the final two verses here with verse 21 But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures.
• 16:36
  Daniel Moore: There ostriches will dwell, and there wild goats will dance.
• 16:42
  Daniel Moore: This verse falls within the context of Isaiah's oracle against Babylon, a prophetic declaration of the coming judgment by God against the mighty empire.
• 16:51
  Daniel Moore: Isaiah 13 uses vivid poetic language to describe God's wrath upon Babylon and the devastation that would befall it, ultimately rendering the once powerful city desolate and uninhabitable.
• 17:03
  Daniel Moore: The phrase wild animals will lie down there symbolizes how complete the destruction of Babylon would be.
• 17:09
  Daniel Moore: The once bustling city would become a wasteland, suitable only for wild beasts.
• 17:14
  Daniel Moore: Various commentaries interpret this symbolically and literally.
• 17:19
  Daniel Moore: John Calvin emphasizes the desolation being so complete that no human being would live there, only wild creatures.
• 17:27
  Daniel Moore: Matthew Henry suggests that this transformation is God's judgment, showing us that the might of humanity is no match for divine wrath.
• 17:35
  Daniel Moore: The term howling creatures may refer to the desert beast or night animals, such as jackals who howl, reinforcing the desolate nature of the area.
• 17:45
  Daniel Moore: Ostriches will dwell, this may refer to the Arabian ostrich, known for inhabiting desolate places.
• 17:52
  Daniel Moore: The Hebrew word could suggest a bird whose mournful cry aligns with the tone of devastation.
• 17:59
  Daniel Moore: And wild goats will dance.
• 18:01
  Daniel Moore: This likely refers to satires or mythological goat-like creatures, depending on the translation.
• 18:08
  Daniel Moore: In Hebrew, the term used is Arim.
• 18:12
  Daniel Moore: Some scholars, including the Jewish Study Bible, suggest this possibly referred to demons or desert spirits, symbolizing the eerie abandonment of the city.
• 18:22
  Daniel Moore: Others believe it's more literal and refers to wild animals like goats frolicking in the absence of human presence.
• 18:29
  Daniel Moore: The entire verse emphasizes how a city that once symbolized human grandeur would become a ghostly domain for animals and possibly evil spirits.
• 18:40
  Daniel Moore: And the final verse, verse 22.
• 18:48
  Daniel Moore: Its time is close at hand, and its days will not be prolonged.
• 18:52
  Daniel Moore: This verse continues the imagery of desolation.
• 18:56
  Daniel Moore: The use of wild and unclean animals like hyenas and jackals crying from prominent parts of the city, such as the towers and palaces, underlines total abandonment and irrevocable ruin.
• 19:08
  Daniel Moore: Hyenas will cry in its towers.
• 19:10
  Daniel Moore: Hyenas are scavengers associated with decay and ruin.
• 19:14
  Daniel Moore: Their presence in towers, places of strength and watchfulness, signifies that Babylon's highest places are now overrun by creatures of the night and death.
• 19:24
  Daniel Moore: Jackals in the Pleasant Palaces.
• 19:26
  Daniel Moore: Jackals were often found in wastelands and among ruins.
• 19:30
  Daniel Moore: Their presence in once luxurious palaces illustrates the reversal of Babylon's glory.
• 19:36
  Daniel Moore: Where there was once elegance and empire, now only cries of scavengers echo through the ruins.
• 19:42
  Daniel Moore: Albert Barnes and Killin de Leach both interpret this verse as emphasizing the completeness of Babylon's fall.
• 19:49
  Daniel Moore: Even its architectural pride, its palaces and towers, cannot withstand divine judgment.
• 19:55
  Daniel Moore: The pulpit commentary echoes this sentiment and draws attention to the poetic justice and the desolation of imperial luxury.
• 20:03
  Daniel Moore: Its time is close at hand and its days will not be prolonged.
• 20:07
  Daniel Moore: This is a concluding prophetic assurance.
• 20:10
  Daniel Moore: The prophet declares that God's judgment is imminent and irreversible.
• 20:14
  Daniel Moore: Though Babylon at the time may not have seemed close to ruin, Isaiah assures that God's decree will surely come to pass.
• 20:22
  Daniel Moore: And once again, historically, Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians in 539 BC, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy.
• 20:30
  Daniel Moore: Over time the city declined and eventually became deserted.
• 20:34
  Daniel Moore: Ancient travelers like Jerome and later ones like Benjamin of Tedella described the ruins of Babylon as places only occupied by wild animals, literally fulfilling Isaiah's words.
• 20:48
  Daniel Moore: So as we summarize those final two verses, they serve as a poetic and prophetic description of the fall of Babylon, emphasizing divine justice, the complete reversal of fortune, and God's sovereignty over nations.
• 21:01
  Daniel Moore: These verses use natural and even supernatural imagery to underline that no earthly power, no matter how mighty, is immune from the judgment of Almighty God.
• 21:37
  Daniel Moore: We'll get to the wrap-up here and the application for today here in just a moment.
• 21:41
  Daniel Moore: Don't forget to visit our website at connectingtheGap.net to learn everything about our ministry.
• 21:46
  Daniel Moore: Be sure to subscribe to our podcast.
• 21:48
  Daniel Moore: Every Tuesday, we released a study here from the book of Isaiah as we're going through this study right now, verse by verse.
• 21:55
  Daniel Moore: And if you're interested in marriage material, we release an episode on Thursdays.
• 22:00
  Daniel Moore: That my wife jumps on, and that one's called Marriage Life and More.
• 22:04
  Daniel Moore: We're going to a series right now of the first book that we released here from Connecting the Gap Ministries.
• 22:09
  Daniel Moore: And you can pick a copy of that book with the other couple of books we have available on our website as well.
• 22:14
  Daniel Moore: So go check all of that out.
• 22:16
  Daniel Moore: And we'll look forward to spending our time with you every week here as we bring you episodes from Connecting the Gap and Marriage Life and more.
• 22:25
  Daniel Moore: Well, as we go ahead and do our wrap-up for this week, let's take a look at what we went over here in chapter 13.
• 22:32
  Daniel Moore: This chapter is a prophetic message from God delivered through the prophet Isaiah concerning the judgment of Babylon.
• 22:39
  Daniel Moore: This chapter is part of a larger section in Isaiah that contains oracles against various nations.
• 22:45
  Daniel Moore: The chapter begins with an announcement of God mustering an army to bring judgment upon Babylon.
• 22:51
  Daniel Moore: God summons his warriors from distant lands to execute his wrath.
• 22:55
  Daniel Moore: The imagery is vivid and intense, describing the coming destruction as a day of the Lord, a time of divine judgment filled with terror, desolation, and cosmic disturbances.
• 23:08
  Daniel Moore: Babylon, a powerful and arrogant empire, is depicted as a target of God's wrath due to its pride, cruelty, and idolatry.
• 23:16
  Daniel Moore: The prophecy foretells the city's fall at the hands of the Medes, and there's also a description of the land being left desolate and uninhabitable, symbolizing complete and irreversible judgment.
• 23:28
  Daniel Moore: So how can we apply this chapter to our lives today?
• 23:31
  Daniel Moore: Well, first of all, God's sovereignty over nations.
• 23:35
  Daniel Moore: This chapter reminds us that no nation or empire, no matter how powerful, is beyond the reach of God's judgment.
• 23:41
  Daniel Moore: In today's world, it challenges both us as individuals and nations to acknowledge God's authority and live justly.
• 23:49
  Daniel Moore: Secondly, pride leads to downfall.
• 23:52
  Daniel Moore: Babylon's pride and self-sufficiency are core reasons for its downfall.
• 23:57
  Daniel Moore: This serves as a warning against arrogance and reliance on human power instead of humility and dependence on God.
• 24:04
  Daniel Moore: Third, the inevitability of divine justice.
• 24:07
  Daniel Moore: The prophecy assures that injustice and evil will ultimately be addressed by God.
• 24:12
  Daniel Moore: This brings hope to the oppressed and serves as a reminder that God's justice will prevail, even if it seems delayed.
• 24:20
  Daniel Moore: And fourth, the preparation for the day of the Lord.
• 24:24
  Daniel Moore: The chapter speaks of the day of the Lord, a concept echoed in the New Testament to refer to God's final judgment.
• 24:30
  Daniel Moore: It encourages personal reflection and readiness for God's return, urging believers to live in righteousness and vigilance.
• 24:40
  Daniel Moore: The temptation to trust in Babylon still exists today.
• 24:44
  Daniel Moore: We may not live behind Babylon's walls, but we can easily place our confidence in our careers, bank accounts, accomplishments, status, technology, or even our own abilities.
• 24:55
  Daniel Moore: None of those things are wrong in themselves, but they make terrible saviors.
• 25:00
  Daniel Moore: Isaiah chapter 13 challenges us to ask some hard questions.
• 25:05
  Daniel Moore: Where am I placing my ultimate security?
• 25:08
  Daniel Moore: What am I trusting more than God?
• 25:10
  Daniel Moore: Has success caused me to become prideful or self-sufficient?
• 25:15
  Daniel Moore: God opposes pride, but he gives grace to the humble, as it says in James chapter 4, verse 6.
• 25:21
  Daniel Moore: Rather than building our lives on temporary things, we are called to build on the eternal kingdom of Christ, a kingdom that can never be shaken.
• 25:29
  Daniel Moore: We can read about that in Hebrews chapter 12, verse 28.
• 25:33
  Daniel Moore: So the Runs of Babylon they stand as a warning, but they also point us toward hope.
• 25:39
  Daniel Moore: Everything built on human pride will eventually crumble, but everything surrendered to God has eternal significance.
• 25:46
  Daniel Moore: So this week, let's hold loosely to the things of this world, walk humbly before the Lord, and anchor our hearts in the only kingdom that will never fall.
• 25:57
  Daniel Moore: Well, that's gonna do it for this week.
• 26:00
  Daniel Moore: And as we go, we believe that God's word never fails us, God's word has stood the test of time, and through Jesus' death on the cross, he has connected the gap.
• 26:08
  Daniel Moore: This episode is recorded in the upper room at our Connecting the Gap Studios.
• 26:12
  Daniel Moore: This is an extension of Connecting the Gap Ministries, and we pray that you have a blessed week.