Over in Italy, Prime Minister Bersculoni has narrowly won a "no-confidence" vote by 3 people but all of the major cities are locked in rioting and the police barely can contain the carnage.
Headlines only a few weeks previous were equally depressing:
Visit the British Museum and you will see a series of huge stone walls depicting the battles of Lachish, the victorious Assyrian soldiers and the Jewish prisoners.... but you will not see Jerusalem in flames. The tag below the wall is confused, it tells how Sennacherib had the nation at his knees and could have destroyed it, however:
In 701 BC Sennacherib sacked the city of Lachish in Judah but failed to take the capital Jerusalem. Sennacherib, as the bible and british museum both tell us, went home where he was assassinated. And roughly 65 years later Assyria was now at flight, the armies of two nations having pushed their forces right out of Babylonia and into the city of Haran (South-East Turkey). After two whole years of holding out to the besiegers in the hope of reinforcements from Egypt, the remains of the once-proud Assyrian kingdom was blotted out. The reinforcements arrived too late, having been delayed by King Josiah of Judah who attacked them, resulting in his own death.
The iron might of Assyria was gone, never more to blight the East. But now a new power was emerging.
The city of Babylon, founded as "Babel" by the hunter Nimrod, was a strong and illustrious city throughout ancient history. It had, however, rarely been under its own rule, having been thrown between various kings and nations. Assyria had continually been forcing down rebellion and civil unrest in the city, until finally under the command of Nabopolassar the city was reclaimed, a new dynasty forged, and an empire built.
The Neo-Babylonian Empire went where the Assyrians had not. Nebuchadnezzar, while Crown Prince, humbled Syria and Palestine, bringing Judah under his control. After he became King he went on to destroy and annex Judah, after multiple rebellions. He sacked the Temple and took all of the "vessels" back to Babylon. He took the leaders and brightest of the population and deported them across the Empire. (Daniel being on of these).
Later Kings of Babylon warred against the kingdoms of Elam, Egypt, Lydia and Media.
The Neo-Babylonian Empire lasted under 100 years, but it was a period of brutal and overwhelming leadership. A policy of deportation was undertaken by the Kings, meaning that captured nations where uprooted and scattered throughout the Kingdom. The Jews were in exile, with no home or temple and under occupation by foreign rulers. One Psalm reflects the despair of the exiles:
By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy! Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!” O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!
British banks hit as Irish bail-out falters
Irish Coalition close to collapse
Britain may be forced to bail out rest of Europe Portugal and Spain could be the next victims of euro contagion
Britain may be forced to bail out rest of Europe Portugal and Spain could be the next victims of euro contagion
It seems that whatever the financial crisis has missed civil unrest tackles instead. Suddenly the 'bedrocks' of Europe and America seem to have less firm foundations than we had thought. As our banks collapse and our savings disintegrate we are forced to lose faith in Governments and Federal Reserves.
It is at a time such as now that we must cling on to the promises of our God. The Bible is positively bursting full of such promises. The Everlasting God, the mighty Lord of Lords, the Ancient of Days, is a God whom we can trust over any financial institute or police riot shield.
A short review of the empires of the Old and New Testaments might help us to see that God does not kowtow to the so-called 'iron-fists' of tyrants, 1000-year-empires or even zealous political activists. If you are not historically minded then please do feel free to skip to the end of this blog, however if you are like me and you find biblical history to be fascinating then read on for I am sure that a lesson or two can be learnt....
When looking at the might of the Kings of Ancient times, and reading the Old Testament, it can quickly appear that each one is seemingly so impregnable and stable, rocks on which the waves of the world crash down upon to no avail, however when you take a step back and see their history an entirely different story emerges.
Assyria was a great power. From its capital of Nineveh, its armies went forth- an iron rod which subdued all enemies. It was a major threat to God's people: both Judah and Israel fought against her and were defeated, both served as vassals, and Israel was eventually annexed into its borders. Isaiah records how Sennacherib, King of Assyria, marched his armies into Judah, crushing any resistance and destroying the fortified cities of Lachish and Libnah. He sent the mighty Rabshakeh (Commander) against Jerusalem. The General stands before a cowering nation, outside the gates of a city under seige and bellows at the walls:On what do you rest this trust of yours? Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?
The hosts of the Assyrian Empire had surrounded Jerusalem, they were on the verge of victory, of finally annihilating the pestisome Judah once and for all....Visit the British Museum and you will see a series of huge stone walls depicting the battles of Lachish, the victorious Assyrian soldiers and the Jewish prisoners.... but you will not see Jerusalem in flames. The tag below the wall is confused, it tells how Sennacherib had the nation at his knees and could have destroyed it, however:
In 701 BC Sennacherib sacked the city of Lachish in Judah but failed to take the capital Jerusalem. Sennacherib, as the bible and british museum both tell us, went home where he was assassinated. And roughly 65 years later Assyria was now at flight, the armies of two nations having pushed their forces right out of Babylonia and into the city of Haran (South-East Turkey). After two whole years of holding out to the besiegers in the hope of reinforcements from Egypt, the remains of the once-proud Assyrian kingdom was blotted out. The reinforcements arrived too late, having been delayed by King Josiah of Judah who attacked them, resulting in his own death.
The iron might of Assyria was gone, never more to blight the East. But now a new power was emerging.
The city of Babylon, founded as "Babel" by the hunter Nimrod, was a strong and illustrious city throughout ancient history. It had, however, rarely been under its own rule, having been thrown between various kings and nations. Assyria had continually been forcing down rebellion and civil unrest in the city, until finally under the command of Nabopolassar the city was reclaimed, a new dynasty forged, and an empire built.
The Neo-Babylonian Empire went where the Assyrians had not. Nebuchadnezzar, while Crown Prince, humbled Syria and Palestine, bringing Judah under his control. After he became King he went on to destroy and annex Judah, after multiple rebellions. He sacked the Temple and took all of the "vessels" back to Babylon. He took the leaders and brightest of the population and deported them across the Empire. (Daniel being on of these).
Later Kings of Babylon warred against the kingdoms of Elam, Egypt, Lydia and Media.
The Neo-Babylonian Empire lasted under 100 years, but it was a period of brutal and overwhelming leadership. A policy of deportation was undertaken by the Kings, meaning that captured nations where uprooted and scattered throughout the Kingdom. The Jews were in exile, with no home or temple and under occupation by foreign rulers. One Psalm reflects the despair of the exiles:
By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy! Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!” O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!
But in 539BC, a new King rose up in the East. Cyrus II had been King of the small land of Persia. However 10 years before that point he had rebelled his overlord- the King of Media. (Incidentally he was his own grandfather!) Having annexed the large kingdom of the Medes, he went on to combine Lydia and Elam to forge the new Persian Kingdom.
After his considerable and dramatic rise to power, Cyrus continued by marching straight at Babylon, where he diverted the river and penetrated the city along the riverbed. Babylonia soon crumbled.
Having allowed exiles to return to their own lands and have a certain amount of autonomous governance, the Persian Empire prospered. It spanned from Greece all the way to India. It was the greatest world super-power ever to be seen at that time. Philosophy, culture and art flourished. To the collection of Greek city-states faced by their armies it seemed to unimaginable in its size and power.
However it wasn't so long afterwards that Alexander the Great (in his twenties), having united Greece and Macedonia, had conquered the whole of Persia and more! Alexander was arguably the greatest General the world has ever seen.
He died young. The vast empire split into warring factions, with Judea stuck in the middle of the wars.
In the far West, the Republic of Rome, was beginning to march into the history books with its meticulously organised and trained Legions.
The lands conquered by the Romans, and the infrastructure, communications and culture that followed are the stories of Legends. But Rome was eventually the victim of its own success: massive slave labour exhausted employment and caused the economy to collapse, the huge frontiers were to large to defend and the Armies too costly to maintain. With internal problems blooming, the barbarian peoples invaded the Empire and sacked the Capital: Rome was finished.
Time fails to tell of the Holy Roman Empire, of Spain and King Philip, of Napoleon and his wars, of the British Empire and its Commonwealth. Empires, seemingly undefeatable, rise and fall. Civilizations rise, forcing their culture and ideals upon the world with the might of their right arm. But each one falls, humbled and finished.
If you are a Christian then the Bible is filled with hope and promise for these times. Whatever policy or strategy our politicians are taking, whoever is elected as PM, however many times taxes are raised and spending is cut, God is in control. He is a 'faithful witness', he knows all that is occuring and he shall not forget. Our God is a great God!
After his considerable and dramatic rise to power, Cyrus continued by marching straight at Babylon, where he diverted the river and penetrated the city along the riverbed. Babylonia soon crumbled.
Having allowed exiles to return to their own lands and have a certain amount of autonomous governance, the Persian Empire prospered. It spanned from Greece all the way to India. It was the greatest world super-power ever to be seen at that time. Philosophy, culture and art flourished. To the collection of Greek city-states faced by their armies it seemed to unimaginable in its size and power.
However it wasn't so long afterwards that Alexander the Great (in his twenties), having united Greece and Macedonia, had conquered the whole of Persia and more! Alexander was arguably the greatest General the world has ever seen.
He died young. The vast empire split into warring factions, with Judea stuck in the middle of the wars.
In the far West, the Republic of Rome, was beginning to march into the history books with its meticulously organised and trained Legions.
The lands conquered by the Romans, and the infrastructure, communications and culture that followed are the stories of Legends. But Rome was eventually the victim of its own success: massive slave labour exhausted employment and caused the economy to collapse, the huge frontiers were to large to defend and the Armies too costly to maintain. With internal problems blooming, the barbarian peoples invaded the Empire and sacked the Capital: Rome was finished.
Time fails to tell of the Holy Roman Empire, of Spain and King Philip, of Napoleon and his wars, of the British Empire and its Commonwealth. Empires, seemingly undefeatable, rise and fall. Civilizations rise, forcing their culture and ideals upon the world with the might of their right arm. But each one falls, humbled and finished.
What does God have to say about these dictators and emperors?
Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
Last Sunday we were looking at Revelation 1. Revelation is a book which was written in order to encourage a bedraggled and beaten Christian Church globally; it is equally relevant today when we see the attacks on Christianity by the state and 'science'. The vision reminds us that the Lord Jesus shall return and shall 'wrap up' this world, finally ending all sin and injustice. No one can avoid him, no one can hide- as chapter 6 says:
Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”If you do not know Jesus as your Saviour then this should fill you with fear, for God cannot be deceived. But there is hope! This same book also talks about Jesus as one who has borne our punishment for our wrongdoings. It describes him as a loving God who forgives. Don't take my word for it, read it yourself:
...him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood...What a thought! This same God who shall return and punish all wrong, who laughs at the pretend pomp and power of tyrants, has also shed his very own blood so that we can be reconciled to him.
If you are a Christian then the Bible is filled with hope and promise for these times. Whatever policy or strategy our politicians are taking, whoever is elected as PM, however many times taxes are raised and spending is cut, God is in control. He is a 'faithful witness', he knows all that is occuring and he shall not forget. Our God is a great God!
For who is God, but the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God?—
