Posted: 5/10/05
LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for May 22
Arrogance can lead nations to disaster
• Jeremiah 50
By Dennis Tucker
Truett Seminary, Waco
The end of the book of Jeremiah returns us to its beginning. In the call narrative found in chapter 1, God announces Jeremiah will be a “prophet to the nations” (1:5). Much of the book is focused on Jeremiah’s word to only one nation—the wayward nation of Judah. In chapters 46-51, however, the scope of the prophetic word widens to include a host of neighboring countries. These texts, typically referred to as Oracles to the Nations, are a consistent feature in prophetic texts (Isaiah 13-23; Ezekiel 24-32; Amos 1-2) and are central to the overall theological message of the book.
The oracles to nations
The significance of the Oracles to the Nations may appear superfluous to the modern reader—and as a result, many students of the Bible simply skip reading them. But to omit these texts is to miss a powerful theological message inherent to the overall intention of the text themselves.
The Oracles to the Nations in Jeremiah, and elsewhere, affirm God’s sovereignty over all the nations. Rather than consigning to God the identity of a “tribal deity” or a “regional god,” these oracles suggest the rule of God is cosmic in scope. The power of Babylon appeared daunting during this period, perhaps leading some to question the power of their own God. The Oracles to the Nations reaffirm that God is not only among the nations; he is the one who rules over the nations.
The second theme often sounded in these oracles is a word of judgment for injustice. Beginning with the Oracles to the Nations in Amos, these texts often reiterated that God keenly is aware of injustice, oppression and arrogance among the nations. And, further, just as God’s people will be punished for such activity, so too will the nations of the world be held accountable.
The future of Babylon
The beginning of the book of Jeremiah is dominated by the impending threat of Babylon as an instrument of God’s judgment. The concluding chapters of the book, however, are dominated with the impending threat to Babylon as a result of God’s judgment on them. The reversal of Babylon’s fate may provoke important interpretive questions: Did God raise up a mighty nation only to destroy them? Is God acting capriciously towards Babylon? Can God be trusted?
According to the divine speeches in chapters 50-51, the key sin of Babylon is arrogance. Babylon is said to rejoice and skip around “like a heifer on the grass” and “neigh like stallions.” But this “joy” is rooted in arrogance. Later in the chapter, God charges that the Babylonians have “defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel” (50:29). The NIV translation fails to capture the force of the verb in verse 29. The verb is zîd, which means considerably more than simply to defy. A better translation would be “to act presumptuously” or “to be arrogant.” The NRSV has tried to capture the meaning with the translation “she has arrogantly defied the Lord.” And the NAS translates the phrase as “she has become arrogant against the Lord.” The intent is to suggest the Babylonians have assumed credit for something that is not theirs, and further, that they have attempted to usurp the authority that belongs only to God—in short, they have behaved arrogantly.
The future of Babylon, however, is not predicated simply on arrogance—it is predicated on the unjust actions of those characterized as “arrogant.” The most telling announcement, perhaps, comes in verses 33-34: “This is what the Almighty says: The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to let them go. Yet their redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon.”
Just as God heard the cries of the oppressed Israelites suffering under the hands of Pharaoh (Exodus 2:23-25), so too God hears the cry of his people under the oppression of the Babylonians.
Who are the arrogant?
We may read these texts in Jeremiah about the arrogant and move quickly to an individualized interpretation—one that questions whether we as individuals are arrogant, and if so, what could become of us. But before we make such a hasty move to an individual interpretation, it is worth noting that the “arrogant one” in this story is the nation of Babylon—the issue concerns an institution. The question then, is actually not about individual arrogance, but about systemic institutional arrogance.
Perhaps before moving to an individualized interpretation, we should consider those institutions and systems in which we participate. Are they arrogant? More critically, do they act in ways that lead to the oppression of others? Does our place of business or job promote arrogance? Does such arrogance lead to oppression? Does our lifestyle promote a sense of arrogance or self-reliance? Does our lifestyle lead to the oppression of others—or more likely, does our lifestyle prevent us from alleviating the oppression that others experience? And perhaps most difficult to answer, does our church or convention promote a sense of arrogance or self-reliance? Are some oppressed because the choices we make?
These are difficult matters to consider. It is easy to speak of the arrogance of Babylon and perhaps it is easy to speak of the arrogance of other people and other nations around the world today. But it is far more difficult to turn the focus onto ourselves, our own land and our own institutions. Even so, this is exactly what Jeremiah did. Jeremiah spent only two chapters condemning the arrogance of the Babylonians, but he spent the remainder of the book addressing the arrogance of his own people—an arrogance that had also led to oppression. We would all do well to consider the model of Jeremiah.
Discussion questions
• Is there any danger of America falling into an arrogant mindset?
• What responsibilities do its citizens have to forestall such an eventuality?
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