Friday 1 July 2016

#3. A Tale of 3 Cities - BABYLON


BABYLON – one of the oldest cities in the world, surrounded by moats, walls 75ft thick and 300ft high, and brass gates! Impossible to attack?                                          
King Nebuchadnezzar had boasted of his city: “ by the might of my power and for the honour of my majesty…” but God was incensed at their persistent idolatry and cruelty to the Jews.     
After many warnings…
Attack! 538BC
In 538 BC, Media-Persian soldiers diverted the Euphrates River and entered along the river bed under the city walls when the guards were drunk during a festival…exactly as Jewish prophets had warned!  
"Oh pooh to them - what would the Jews know? Another drink please cup-bearer!...in this gold goblet we got from their temple."              
After only 87 years the Babylonian Empire was over!                                               
The final word was: “It shall no more be inhabited forever, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation…”

Brick by brick the city was pulled apart over the years.  Alexander the Great started a rebuilding program only to die there after another drunken orgy, only 32 years old, in 323BC. Not so great!



In our lifetime
Saddam Hussein's deserted effort
Saddam Hussein tried to rebuild… and failed, of course.

It sure looks like God meant what He said!