Today’s passage continues the pronouncement of judgment that began yesterday in chapter 50. Babylon is going to be history. After God is finished with using them, they will be utterly destroyed without any remnant. Again, we know from history that this came to be because Babylon is no longer around despite being the most powerful nation on the planet at one time!
In the midst of these pronouncements, we see a wonderful reminder of who God is. Contrasting the idol gods that are made by the blacksmith who will be put to shame (51:17-18) the Lord is the true and living God (51:15, 19).
“It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens”
Jeremiah 51:15, ESV
The amazing truth about God found here is not only His power, but His genius. The beauty and wonder of creation are so vast and incredible, the Apostle Paul concluded that the person who rejects God is without excuse (see Rom. 1:20). The creation so clearly testifies to the Creator, no one can claim God gave them no evidence of His existence, it’s all around! Not only this, but the creation testifies to His power and His intellect. He designed it all. He placed the galaxies and planets and stars in the right places. He put the earth just close enough to the sun that we’re warmed by it but not burnt up. He designed the laws of gravity and mathematics. He designed music and how notes blend together to create chords on an instrument and harmony with human voices. He designed plant life to be self-sustaining and to be able to reproduce by seeds indefinitely. His creativity is beyond compare! Furthermore, not only did He have the ideas, but He had the power to carry out all these amazing ideas. He wasn’t limited. He had ideas, He spoke them into being. He had the power to carry out any intention of His heart, something we can’t say for ourselves. We occasionally have a good idea, but oftentimes we don’t have the capacity to carry these things out!
This is the God who is the portion of Jacob (51:19). This is the God who spoke of Babylon’s coming destruction. This is the God whose word is perfectly reliable because of who He is as God. This is also the God that we know so loved us that He gave His Son for us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8). He is awesome in power, He is awesome in His creative genius, and as if creation wasn’t enough, He has worked in redemption on our behalf. What an awesome God!
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