6: Reversals and Ruin (2:6-17)

Exploring God’s complete justice over tea and biscuits

Episode Summary
A longer passage this week, and it is jam-packed with precise, deliberate judgement from God that reverses much of the wickedness and iniquity that the Babylonians have enacted on others. We noticed that the verses are marked by ‘woes’, and each woe signals devastating judgment from God on these people who have been acting as if there’s no reference point outside of themselves. They have plundered others, and now they are plundered. They have poured shame on others, and now they’re shamed. There is an awful symmetry to what is going on.

As we watch judgement fall, we speak of being relieved that justice is being dealt but we also talked about how it might strike fear into us. We’re not like the Babylonians but we do deserve judgement. The ‘cup from the Lord’s hand is coming round to you’ says v16 and we thought of other mentions of the cup of God’s wrath in places like Isaiah, and then were reminded of how Jesus takes that ‘cup’ according to Mark’s gospel. Terrible wrath is coming, but Jesus takes it for us. How wonderful to remember 2:4 and the faith we live by as we know we are safe through the judgement because of him.

For the people listening at the time, they were thinking of the immediate justice that needed to be done, but it is a picture of the bigger judgement day that both them and us are waiting for. As we see it in action, we are pointed to that bigger day, and are all the more thankful that as we live by faith in Jesus we are safe.

We speak of how our hearts are relieved to see justice come, but also challenged to long for justice like this because God, through his judgement is dealing with sin in all it’s rottenness. Conversation moved onto how we are, therefore, all the more thankful for Jesus and so can freely cry out for justice to come because we know we’re safe in Christ.


Helpful Resources
- We’ve enjoyed reading Nancy Guthrie’s really helpful Even Better than Eden which fleshes out the big themes of judgement and salvation through the story of the whole Bible
- Go deeper on the theology of ‘the cup of wrath’ here
- Part 4 of this podcast is also particularly helpful on thinking about the cup of wrath


Tea and Biscuit Chat Footnotes
Felicity was delicately sipping pure Earl Grey, and Sarah was on the hot water for this episode. Sarah had reverted to the trusty custard cream after the disappointment of last week’s Jammy Dodger, and Felicity was enjoying a very American chocolate chip cookie.


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• Felicity blogs here: https://boysbooksandthehomeofthebrave.blog/ 
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