December 4: Proclamation Against Babylon
♫ Music:
Day 2 - Monday, December 04
Title: PROCLAMATION AGAINST BABYLON
Scripture #1: Isaiah 13:6–16 (NKJV)
Wail, for the day of the Lord is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will be limp, every man’s heart will melt, and they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; they will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; they will be amazed at one another; their faces will be like flames. Behold, the day of the Lord comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be darkened in its going forth, and the moon will not cause its light to shine. “I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, a man more than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of His fierce anger. It shall be as the hunted gazelle, and as a sheep that no man takes up; every man will turn to his own people, and everyone will flee to his own land. Everyone who is found will be thrust through, and everyone who is captured will fall by the sword. Their children also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished.
Scripture #2: Isaiah 14:1 (NKJV)
For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob.
Poetry and Poet
“Pride of Man”
by Hamilton Camp
Turn around
Go back down
Back the way you came
Can't you see that flash of fire
Ten times brighter than the day
And behold the mighty city
Broken in the dust again
Oh, God the pride of man
Broken in the dust again
Turn around
Go back down
Back the way you came
Babylon is laid to waste
Egypt's buried in her shame
The mighty men are beaten down
Their kings are fallen in the ways
Oh, God the pride of man
Broken in the dust again
Turn around
Go back down
Back the way you came
Terror is on every side
And Lord, our leaders are dismayed
All those who put their faith in fire
In fire their fate shall be repaid
Oh, God the pride of man
Broken in the dust again
Turn around
Go back down
Back the way you came
And shout a warning to the nations
That the sword of God is raised
On Babylon that mighty city
Rich in treasure, wide in fame
It shall cause our tower to fall
And make it be a pyre of flame
Oh, God the pride of man
Broken in the dust again
All thou that dwell on many waters
Rich in treasure, wide in fame
Bow unto a God of gold
Thy pride of might shall be a shame
Oh, God the pride of man
Broken in the dust again
And only God can lead the people
Back unto the Earth again
Thy holy mountain be restored
Have mercy on thy people Lord
CAPTIVITY TO SIN: GOD’S JUDGMENT AGAINST THE WICKED
Judgment is, well, not a comfortable topic. Especially these days. And we certainly don’t associate judgment with Christmas, which is a time for cute creches, not hell-fire and brimstone.
But deep down, we sense that judgment is real. In fact, it’s something we need and at times even long for. Not only that, it’s deeply bound up with the coming of Jesus and his mission to deliver us from our sins.
The first murder recorded in the Bible is only four chapters in, where Cain kills his brother, Abel. The way God confronts Cain is notable: “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.” (Genesis 4:10) Murder is a deep evil, a violation of nature, a rending of God’s good creation. So, the natural order itself cries out for justice—for judgment (the same Hebrew word). Indeed, later in the story of fallen humanity, God describes the shedding of innocent blood and other evil practices as so “polluting” the land (Numbers 35:33) that it “vomits out its inhabitants” (Leviticus 18:25).
No wonder Psalm 96, an exuberant celebration of God’s glory, calls for the natural order to rejoice in God’s judgment:
“Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the LORD.
For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.
He shall judge the world with righteousness,
And the peoples with His truth.” (Psalm 96:11-13)
God’s true and righteous judgment is good news—and the created order celebrates it!
Today’s passage in Isaiah 13 describes God’s judgment on Babylon, a notoriously evil nation that in Scripture often represents human arrogance and cruelty more generally. “I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible [or ruthless].”
The victims of Babylon’s arrogance and ruthlessness long for judgment, to see it burn—as vividly rendered by Grace Carol Bomer. To see its pride, in Hamilton Camp’s words, “broken in the dust again.”
But judgment is not enough. It’s not all we long for or need. Indeed, the reason we’re uncomfortable with the topic is that, deep down, we realize that we’re part of the problem—“the pride of man” describes us as well. We’re citizens of Babylon; we deserve God’s judgment. We need more than judgment; we need mercy.
Are both judgment and mercy possible? Yes! That’s the good news we wait for in Advent, once and for all revealed in the birth of Israel’s Messiah.
God has indeed come to judge the world in righteousness and truth—in the Person of Jesus. Instead of destroying the created order, however, Jesus stood in the gap and atoned for the shedding of innocent blood by the shedding of His own innocent blood. The Light of the World drew down our darkness into Himself. The Righteous One took our unrighteousness upon Himself: the murders, the lies, the arrogance, the lusts, the extortion, the hatred—the pollution of the created order, including yours and mine.
Apart from the judgment of evil, justice would not be served; apart from God’s mercy, we would be condemned. Jesus brought them together. The righteous Judge Himself has taken our judgment, “that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26)
Thanks be to God!
Prayer
O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
–– Book of Common Prayer 2019, Proper 27
Dr. David Horner
Professor of Theology and Philosophy
Division of Biblical and Theological Studies
Talbot School of Theology
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Art #1:
Babylon Burning aka
Fallen, Fallen Is Babylon the Great Harlot
Grace Carol Bomer
Gesso, oil, wax, and charcoal
on Ikea photograph of the Brooklyn Bridge
40 x 55 in.
This manipulated Ikea photograph of New York’s Brooklyn Bridge turned up-side-down with a Tower of Babel painted over the city is a metaphor for Babylon, the Great Prostitute. Also called The Harlot, she is portrayed as a city, the City of Man, which is burning––a reference to her doom and final judgment found in Revelation 17:15-18. This is an apt metaphor for the one who prostitutes her love for the true God as she will be judged because her heart is false. Her end is fire. She is not of the Kingdom of God or the City of God where Christ rules the hearts of mankind. In contrast, after the judgment of Babylon, we see the Bride coming down out of heaven from God––it's description is glorious and redeeming (Rev. 21:1-2). The Bride (Zion), the antithesis of Babylon will be protected by fire. Zechariah 2 describes Jerusalem/Zion (The Bride) as a city bursting at the seams with a wall of fire around her.
About the Artist #1:
Grace Carol Bomer was born in Alberta, Canada, 1948, and pursued a career in teaching (B.A. in English and history secondary education from Dordt University in Iowa) before she became a professional painter. Her art career began after moving to Kansas, where she worked professionally as a painter (1976 to 1981) beginning her study of art, and continuing her art degree pursuit at UNC Asheville in North Carolina (1981). She has also studied in Amsterdam, Italy, and Ukraine, and teaches workshops - including a workshop at Luxan Fine Art Academy in Shenyang, China (2006). With a degree in English of course her work is inspired by words, but most importantly, it is inspired by The Word, which is powerful and eternally relevant. The metaphorical language of Scripture, poetry and the classics, inspire her “metaphorical abstractions.” She attempts to bring together the word/image dichotomy, which was truly brought together by Jesus, the Incarnate Word of God and the image of God. The juxtaposition of image and text creates connections and metaphors that may not be predictable or seen immediately. And her use of the aesthetic language of parable, storytelling, and analogy stirs the imagination to consider the eternal drama of God’s grace and love for a broken and fallen world. She paints to make the visible, the invisible true story. She views her work as “a form of play rejoicing before the face of God” (Rookmaaker). This is reflected in the name of her studio, Soli Deo Gloria Studio, in Asheville’s popular River Arts District / Warehouse Studios #6. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions and solo and juried exhibitions, nationally and internationally—most recently, SESSION 05, an Invitational Exhibit at Galerie AZUR BERLIN, (July-Aug. 2023) and Global City Babel, a solo show at the Connie A. Eastburn Gallery, Cairn University, Langhorne, PA. (Sept-Dec 2021). Her work is included in many public, private, and corporate collections including Mission Hospital; Wachovia Bank; Westinghouse; Center Art Gallery; Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI; Concordia University, Irvine, CA; Forest Hill Church, Charlotte, NC; Historic Trinity Church, Detroit, MI; and many more.
www.gracecarolbomer
About the Art #2:
From Poussin: The Destruction and the Sack of the Temple of Jerusalem
Leon Kossoff
1999
Etching and aquatint
53 × 61.5 cm.
About the Artist #2:
Leon Kossoff (1926–2019) was a British figurative painter primarily known for portraits, life drawings, and cityscapes of London, England. Kossoff was born in London and spent most of his early life living there with his Russian Jewish parents. In 1939, he was evacuated with the school to King's Lynn, Norfolk, where he lived with Mr. and Mrs. R. C. Bishop, who encouraged his interest in art. During this time, Kossoff made his first paintings. When he returned to London in 1943, Kossoff went to Saint Martin's School of Art, and studied commercial art. After his military service, he returned to the Saint Martin's School of Art in 1949, and also studied at Borough Polytechnic. He was also influenced by another one of his teacher's students, Frank Auerbach. Both young artists dealt with similar emotions and subject matter in their work, and employed heavy impasto in their paintings. Kossoff chose his subject matter mostly from the area of London where he was born.
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/leon-kossoff-1436
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Kossoff
About the Music:
“By the Waters of Babylon (Psalm 137)” from the album Fire and Light
Lyrics:
Captivity to Sin: God’s Judgment Against the Wicked
By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down,
We sat down and wept.
When we remembered Zion.
Alleluia.
On the willows there,
On the willows there,
We hung up our harps,
We hung up our harps.
Alleluia.
How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?
Alleluia.
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem,
Let my right hand wither,
Let my right hand wither.
Alleluia.
O daughter of Babylon,
You destructive one,
Blessed is he who requites you with what
You have done to us,
Alleluia.
Blessed is he who takes your little ones,
And dashes them against a stone.
Alleluia.
About the Composer:
Traditional Kievan Chant
Kievan chant, or chant in Kyivan style is one of the liturgical chants common to the Russian Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and those churches that have their roots in the Moscow Patriarchate, such as the Orthodox Church in America. Kievan chant melodies tend to be shorter and simpler rhythmically than znamenny melodies; they have more pronounced distinctions between recitative-like and melismatic passages. The melodies of Kievan chant, for the most part, served as the basis for the so-called "common" chant.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kievan_chant
About the Performers:
St. Symeon Orthodox Church Choir
St. Symeon Orthodox Church is a parish of the Orthodox Church in America located in Birmingham, Alabama.
https://www.stsymeon.com/
About the Poetry and Poet:
Hamilton Camp (1934–2005) was a British actor and singer who relocated to the United States with his family when he was a young child. He is known for his work as a folk singer and songwriter during the 1960s, and eventually branched out into acting in films and television.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_Camp
About the Devotion Author:
Dr. David Horner
Professor of Theology and Philosophy
Division of Biblical and Theological Studies
Talbot School of Theology
Dr. David Horner is professor of theology and philosophy at Biola University and President of the Illuminatio Project, an effort to bring a classical biblical vision of goodness, truth, and beauty into the thinking of the church and culture through strategic research and communication. Prior to teaching, Dr. Horner worked as a laborer in an iron foundry, as an underground missionary in communist Eastern Europe, and as a pastor. He is an avid guitarist, hiker, and fly-fisherman. David and his wife, Debbie, live in Fullerton, California, near their two grown daughters and five grandchildren.