HIDDEN HUMANS
Opening Prayer
God of Great Surprises, you know my needs and meet them in amazing ways. Thank you for letting me know you love me.
Read REVELATION 18:11-24
11 “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.
14 “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’
“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
where all who had ships on the sea
became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’
20 “Rejoice over her, you heavens!
Rejoice, you people of God!
Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
with the judgment she imposed on you.”
The Finality of Babylon’s Doom
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder 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.
22 The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
will never be heard in you again.
No worker of any trade
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
will never be heard in you again.
23 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 important people.
By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,
of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
When you look at the injustice in the world, how do you pray about it? Do your prayers match what God intends to do?What do great cities have? Iconic buildings that celebrate commerce, culture or religion? Or perhaps efficient transport and communication networks, the systems of trade and commerce? Ancient Rome had them all! Rome’s glory was built on the resources drawn from its empire. The cargo list (vs 11–13) is a Roman trade map: wood and wheat from Africa, spices, silks and precious stones from Asia, incense from Arabia, oil and precious metals from Europe. What do you make of the last item of cargo (v 13)?
The Roman historian Tacitus wrote, ‘we have slaves drawn from every corner of the world in our households … and it is only by means of terror that we can hope to coerce such scum.’* When the building of ‘great’ empires comes at the cost of ruined human lives, then surely we are right to rejoice when God acts swiftly and decisively (‘in one hour’, vs 10,17,19) on behalf of the exploited and oppressed (vs 20,24).
Our attitude to God’s judgment reveals what we truly care about. The merchants’ fear and distress (vs 15,19) showed they cared more about accumulation of wealth and reputation (vs 11,23) than the well-being of people. When God’s priorities become our priorities, we rejoice when he sets things straight.
Apply
Are there any areas where your desire for gain or glory are more important than God’s priorities for all people?
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, you are the giver of great joy. You have brought joy and exhilaration to me. The joy you give improves with age and exceeds anything the world offers.
*Tacitus, Annals, 14:44
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