Sun.’s Devo - Babylon Has Fallen!

Read: Zechariah 10:1-11:17; Revelation 18:1-24; Psalm 146; 1-10; Proverbs 30:33 God told the people to ask him for rain in the spring because it was him that sent the rain, not their false gods and false prophets. The people wandered like lost people because they had no shepherd that led them in the way of truth. God was mad at the religious leaders who had led his people astray. He was going to send his army to punish them. He would send his cornerstone, his son through the tribe of Judah to be their Shepherd. God’s army would even take down the enemy’s horsemen which means the spiritual principalities over them. God would restore both Judah and Israel. Then God’s people would become mighty warriors and their hearts happy. Their children would be happy and they would rejoice in the Lord. They would know God’s voice and obey him. They would become exiles for the time being but they would turn back to the Lord in their exile and one day return again to Israel. They would fill Israel but the ones who exiled them would be crushed. God told Zechariah to go and care for the ones who would be killed during this time of restructuring. Some would be sold, traded and abused by their own people. Zechariah went to comfort those who were oppressed. He took two shepherd staffs and named one “Favor” and the other “Union.” He got rid of their three evil shepherds in a month. According to Drusius, the three leaders could be John, Simon, and Eleazar. They were three leaders of factions in the Jewish war. Zechariah became their shepherd but became so impatient with their rebellion and lack of unity that he turned them over to their fate. He took his staff called Favor and cut it in two showing that God had revoked his covenant he had made with the nations. Zechariah then asked them to give him his wages for leading them if they wanted to. They did, and gave him thirty pieces of silver. He threw it to the potter and proclaimed that this was the value they had given the Lord. He told his other staff, Union, and cut it in two showing the bond of unity between Judah and Israel was broken. Then he told Zechariah to go play the part of the worthless shepherd and show them what kind of shepherd they will be given. One who doesn’t care if they are dying, nor look after their young, nor heal the injured nor feed the healthy. Instead he would take the wealth of the wealthy and cripple them. It is easy to see that the thirty pieces of silver was to show how they would sell Jesus for this same amount and because they rejected Jesus, they would be given a system of corrupt priests and leaders. It is also easy to see how America has done the same thing and been given leaders who haven’t cared for us but have used us as their slaves while they got rich. In Revelation, another angel came to pronounce that Babylon had fallen. Babylon was depicted before as the harlot. She had been the home for demons and hideout for every foul demon. All the nations had fallen because of her. Everything that she had imposed on the earth would be doubled back on her: death, mourning and famine, until she was completely destroyed by fire. When the angel announced her demise, the whole earth became bright with the glory of God. The people who participated with the whore will look on her demise with terror and cry out and mourn for her. She had made them wealthy and now their sources were dried up. Notice that it says they made money from human slaves. These are the child traffickers of today that are about to be taken out of the earth. Their whole industry will go down and it will affect so many who benefitted from their incredible sins. God tells us to rejoice because he does this for us. God, you are so good!!! Thank you that when it looks so bad, you have a plan of redemption and salvation. We have no need to fear.