Scripture

For you said to yourself, “I will ascend to heaven, and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.”

Observation

The Lord will bring His people home. He will have mercy on them.

The king of Babylon will be destroyed by the Lord. The spirits in the world of the dead will mock him. For all of his pretensions of greatness, he is as weak as any other dead person.

He said to himself that he would set his throne above God’s stars. He would climb to the highest mountain, the mountain of the gods, and preside over them.

The Lord will make Babylon a desolate place. He will also break as Syria and Philistia

Application

People sometimes attribute parts of this the self-exaltation of lucifer or satan. There is nothing in the text to suggest that it is anything other than a rhetorical attack on Babylon.

We can see, though, how people think, often under the influence of satan. They should be the top dog – the leader of the world, the CEO of the company, or the pastor of the local church. They deserve the place of honour, they think; the right to control other people’s lives.

This is not the way of the Lord. Jesus tells us to put others ahead of ourselves. The way to the top is through an attitude of service – serving others and serving the Lord. This is to be done without any thought of personal reward.

This is a hard lesson for some. We must learn to serve.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to love the place of service. Show me any attitude of pride that stops me from walking in your ways. Amen.