Jeremiah 50 “There Is No Such Thing as Eternal Power”

Jeremiah 50 NIV

Suggested Praise Songs:      

• All Sons & Daughters – Great Are You Lord
• Lion And The Lamb – Leeland | Have It All
• Goodness Of God – Bethel Music

Resources for Family Worship (with Children):

• Jesus Calms the Storm – Lesson for Younger Kids
• SIMPLE SIMON: HOW BIG IS GOD? BIBLE STORY | Kids on the Move – Lesson for Older Kids
• Mighty God – SCC – Song for Kids
• VeggieTales: God is Bigger than the Boogeyman – Song for Kids
• Power Shuffle | True North VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Discussion Questions for Children & Youth are located in the section after Explanation, Meditation, and Prayer (at the end of this email/blog).

Explanation:

Chapters 50 and 51 contain a lengthy prophecy about the destruction of Babylon. According to 51:59, this prophecy was given no later than the fourth year of King Zedekiah (593 B.C.). At that time, Nebuchadnezzar was fiercely expanding his empire. When the Babylonian kingdom appeared as if it would last forever, the Lord spoke about its end (v. 1).

The Lord speaks of Babylon’s future destruction in the perfect tense—as something already accomplished. When the time comes, Babylon will be destroyed by a coalition of northern nations, just like the nations it once destroyed. As a result, the city of Babylon will become ruins and a dwelling place for wild beasts. Seeing this, the world will tremble in fear (vv. 2–3). At that time, the people of Israel and Judah will be freed from exile and return to their homeland (v. 4). Then the Lord will make with them an “everlasting covenant that will never be broken” (v. 5). The Lord declares that Judah’s downfall happened because of the false leadership of its shepherds (vv. 6–7).

When that time comes, the exiles will leave Babylon and return home (v. 8). When the Lord uses “a coalition of mighty nations” (v. 9) to judge them, Babylon will be plundered helplessly (v. 10). Babylon became arrogant, not knowing that it had been used as the Lord’s instrument of judgment (v. 11). Because of this, they will be repaid exactly according to what they have done to other nations (vv. 12–16). At that time, the Lord will forgive the sins of Israel and Judah and restore them (vv. 17–20). In the passage that follows, the Lord repeatedly emphasizes the arrogance of the Babylonians (vv. 21–46).

The Neo-Babylonian Empire, which had reigned as an absolute victor under King Nebuchadnezzar, rapidly weakened after his death. In contrast, the Persian Kingdom—which had once been no match for Babylon—quickly rose as a new superpower under King Cyrus. After conquering the Median Empire and the Kingdom of Lydia, Cyrus marched toward Babylon. In 539 B.C., the fortress city of Babylon, once considered impregnable, fell to Persia. Cyrus expanded the Persian Empire for thirty years, and his son Cambyses II made Persia the most expansive empire in world history.

Meditation:

We think of people like Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Mao Zedong, Kim Il-Sung, Saddam Hussein, and Osama bin Laden—those who lived as if they were absolute beings with unchecked power. They disguised their corrupt greed as patriotism and sacrificed countless people, and once they seized power, they bound an entire nation with invisible chains through politics of terror. When we think of the people who lost their lives and those who lost their loved ones, we tremble at the evil they committed. Compared to the magnitude of their crimes, the judgment of history feels far too light. When we remember examples like these, we cannot help but conclude that God must exist and that a final judgment must exist. The statement “in the end, everyone dies” is not enough to be considered justice.

When Nebuchadnezzar stormed across the world like an almighty ruler, making everyone tremble in fear, the Lord told Jeremiah that Nebuchadnezzar would eventually be judged and that the Babylonian Empire would soon collapse. Since this prophecy was given when Nebuchadnezzar’s power was at its peak, it must have been difficult to believe. This is likely why the prophecy concerning Babylon’s destruction is given so long and repeated many times.

The prophecy of Babylon’s downfall tells us that what happens in this world is not the whole story. It reminds us that there is One who rules over history with an unseen hand and sets things right. If power has been entrusted to us, we must remember who the true owner of that power is. And if we are under authority, we must remember the eternal Authority who has given that authority. The rulers of this world must ultimately stand before the eternal Ruler, and all nations and peoples of this world must stand before the eternal Sovereign. When we remember this, we will not accumulate a measure of sin great enough to call down God’s judgment.

Prayer:

Even now, like cancer cells spreading throughout the world, there are people who dream of corruption and injustice in order to seize absolute power or to make their current power permanent. Lord, may we who believe in and depend on You live in holiness, righteousness, and goodness, so that we may become a wall of immunity that prevents these cancer cells from overwhelming the world. Amen.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: All human power eventually fades, but God’s justice and authority last forever. Even when evil seems strong, God is the One who sees everything, judges rightly, and protects His people. Remembering God’s eternal authority helps us live with humility, goodness, and courage.

• For Preschool-Elementary:
  • Who is the strongest person you know? How is God even stronger?
  • Why do you think God wants us to be kind and not use our power to hurt others?
  • Sometimes the world feels unfair. How does it help to know that God always does what is right?
    
• Youth:
  • The text says human power never lasts forever, but God’s justice does. How might that truth help you process leaders or systems in the world that fail or do wrong?
  • Think about the idea that “what we do with power matters.” Where do you have influence—friend groups, online platforms, younger kids, siblings? How can you use that influence responsibly?
  • The devotional describes God who ultimately sets things right. How does that change the way you respond to injustice, whether at school, in society, or in your own life?