The righteous one takes note of the house of the wicked and brings the wicked to ruin. ~Proverbs 21:12
The wise attack the city of the mighty and pull down the stronghold in which they trust. ~Proverbs 21:22
Then a mighty angel picked up a bolder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence, the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workmen of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth. ~Revelation 18:21-24
“The righteous one takes note of the house of the wicked and brings the wicked to ruin.” Jesus is the righteous one. When He walked this earth the first time, His goal was twofold. His first goal was to set the example, for those of us who would follow, of how to love and live God’s way. He demonstrated how to live out the Old Testament God’s way. His other goal was to redeem us because we are sinners, who need to have our sins paid for by One who can afford to do so. However, when He left, He promised that He would return because He wasn’t done yet in His dealings with man.
When He returns, He will deal with the wicked. As the Righteous One, He is the only one who can. His motives will not be selfish or vengeful, but true justice for all. The house of the wicked will see their downfall, brought about by the Righteous One, Christ Himself!
“The wise attack the city of the mighty and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.” In what do the wicked trust? They trust in their own power. They trust in their ability to lie and deceive. They believe that they can overpower and get their way by their own wills, the angrier better, so they believe. They think that angry power makes them more likely to succeed because they will be a force to be reckoned with that no one can withstand!
But God can. God is their creator. He knows their ways and He knows what their ways deserve. He knows the Law, even from the beginning. He knows how it all works and He understands the consequences of what will happen when the wicked do not act as they should. He also knows that they are without excuse because, as I said at first, one of His goals in coming here was to demonstrate how life should be. He knows that they are standing on false beliefs and hopes that are shifting sand that will slip eventually, sending their house crashing to the ground.
In the book of Revelation, Babylon represents a house of the wicked who believed in themselves. They thought that they were invincible! Everybody loved her. The merchants were rich because of her and her evil ways ruled the day. In the end, however, she is utterly destroyed, with no hope of return, because Christ, the Righteous One, with His angels, has returned, for the grand finale, to put all things right, back as they were intended to be from the beginning. What a glorious day that will be!
Prayer: Lord, the Righteous One. I am very happy that You are qualified and willing to put down evil. Thank You for putting down the evil in me, though at one time I tried to have a fortress of defenses against believing in you. They were vain and weak and useless against You. And I am glad that You broke in with salvation! Because I know I deserved condemnation. Thank You for that grace. Now may I spend my life offering that same amnesty to all who will listen, before You come again, because then it will be too late for the unrepentant. But I am glad that I can look forward to that day with joyful anticipation, to see Shalom at last! In Jesus’ name, amen.
Song: Revelation Song
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