Who Is "Calling It" Today?

“The sword of destruction will strike the Babylonians,” says the LORD. “It will strike the people of Babylon—her officials and wise men, too. The sword will strike her wise counselors, and they will become fools. The sword will strike her mightiest warriors, and panic will seize them. The sword will strike her horses and chariots and her allies from other lands, and they will all become like women. The sword will strike her treasures, and they all will be plundered. A drought will strike her water supply, causing it to dry up. And why? Because the whole land is filled with idols, and the people are madly in love with them. [Jeremiah 50.35-38] 

God used a highly idolatrous nation to punish His idolatrous people.

As Israel's story foreshadows our story today, we should understand that a little idolatry makes way for much more and much worse idolatry. And, if Babylon's story foreshadows the "hammer" with which God punishes His wayward people today, we should understand that commerce will be that hammer - and that hammer will be destroyed.

Babylon, the mightiest hammer in all the earth, lies broken and shattered. Babylon is desolate among the nations! [Jeremiah 50.23]

You are a city by a great river, a great center of commerce, but your end has come. The thread of your life is cut. [Jeremiah 51.13]

It is not ironic that man's industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology have ascended to positions of unprecedented commerce in our time today. Along with all the self-gratification they provide, they effectively "beat" the recipients of their benefits, their subjects, with the "hammer" of financial burden: interest payments, premiums, prescriptions, and ever-obsolescent gadgetry. This "hammer" forces their subjects into time-devouring labor in order to keep up the appearance of success. With all the self-focused benefits provided by man's idols of finance, insurance, medicine and technology, man is busier today than at any other time in history.

But what happens when the hammer is broken? Everyone subject to the hammer will be destroyed too.

Flee from Babylon! Save yourselves! Don’t get trapped in her punishment! It is the LORD’s time for vengeance; he will repay her in full. [Jeremiah 51.6]

What happens if man's systems of commerce fail? Particularly in the West, man's idol-industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology all depend on the US Dollar. What happens if all confidence in the US Dollar is lost? Catastrophic collapse is the correct answer. What's more, everyone dependent upon (beholding to) these idols man made for himself will naturally suffer the same catastrophic loss.

If what God's people depend on is not God and God ALONE, they are vulnerable to loss and the suffering attached to it. And, that's just the financial aspect of it... What's worse is that no idolater will ever be at home with God in heaven.

What is said here is no more a "scare tactic" than were Jesus' instructions:

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [Matthew 6.33]

And, 

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

Both directives Jesus gave are radical by every worldly standard. Worldly "common sense" tells us we have to "do something" regardless what Jesus said. Man's idol-industries fit the description of man's "doing something." And, to sweeten the bitterness of not quite tasting like what Jesus said, man claims his idol-industries are gifts from God. But one only has to watch or read these idol-industries' advertisements depicting their Babylon-like promotions of debauchery and self-centeredness to know that they have nothing to do with God whatsoever!

Jeremiah "called it" in his day. Babylon and its commerce would take Israel captive as punishment for their idolatry. Then, Babylon and its commerce would be destroyed for its idolatry. God will not tolerate idolatry.

Who is "calling it" today?

Father, may Your people distinguish themselves from the world by turning away from their idols and running to You. What a distinction that would make! May Your people literally give up their own way, take up their cross, and follow Jesus. So be it.