Jeremiah 51:39
While they are flushed with heat, I will serve them a feast, and I will make them drunk so that they may revel; then they will fall asleep forever and never wake up, declares the LORD.
While they are flushed with heat,

Babylon’s leaders and people would be consumed by pride, passion, and confidence in their power. At the height of their security and celebration, they would be least prepared for the judgment approaching them.

Hos 7:5 The princes are inflamed with wine on the day of our king;…
Isa 5:11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning…
Pro 23:29-35 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions?…

I will serve them a feast,

The Lord would turn their own revelry into the setting for their downfall. What appeared to be a banquet of prosperity would become the occasion of divine judgment.

Ezk 39:17 And as for you, son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says:…
Zep 1:7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD.…
Isa 25:6 On this mountain the LORD of Hosts will prepare a banquet…

and I will make them drunk

Their intoxication would leave them unable to recognize danger or respond wisely. Babylon’s false confidence would give way to confusion and helplessness.

Jer 25:15-16 This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me:…
Isa 51:17 Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk…
Lam 4:21 So rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom,…

so that they may revel;

Even as judgment drew near, they would continue in careless celebration, unaware that their kingdom was about to fall.

1Sa 25:36 When Abigail returned to Nabal, there he was…
Est 1:10 On the seventh day, when the king’s heart was merry…
Gen 43:34 When the portions were served to them from Joseph’s table,…

then they will fall asleep forever and never wake up,

Their sleep pictures death under God’s final judgment. Babylon’s rulers and warriors would be destroyed, and their strength would not rise again.

Isa 26:14 The dead will not live; the departed spirits will not rise.…
Job 14:12 so a man lies down and does not rise.…
Psa 13:3 Consider me and respond, O LORD my God……

declares the LORD.

The downfall of Babylon rested on the certain decree of the sovereign God.

Ezk 12:25 I, the LORD, will speak whatever word I speak…
Num 14:28 So tell them: As surely as I live, declares the LORD,…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Babylon
The city and empire that is the subject of God's judgment in Jeremiah 51. Known for its wealth, power, and idolatry, Babylon symbolizes human pride and rebellion against God.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who declares judgment upon Babylon for its sins and oppression of His people.

3. Jeremiah
The prophet who delivers God's message of judgment and hope. He warns of Babylon's impending fall and the restoration of Israel.

4. The Feast
Symbolic of God's judgment, where the Babylonians are made drunk, leading to their downfall. This imagery reflects the reversal of their fortunes.

5. The Drunkenness
Represents the false security and arrogance of Babylon, leading to their ultimate destruction and eternal "sleep."
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty Over Nations
God is in control of all nations and their destinies. No empire, regardless of its power, can withstand His judgment.

The Danger of Pride and Arrogance
Babylon's downfall serves as a warning against pride and self-reliance. We must remain humble and dependent on God.

The Certainty of Divine Justice
God's justice may seem delayed, but it is certain. Believers can trust that God will ultimately right all wrongs.

The Illusion of False Security
Like Babylon, societies and individuals can be lulled into a false sense of security. True security is found only in God.

The Call to Spiritual Vigilance
Believers are called to remain spiritually awake and alert, avoiding the "drunkenness" of worldly distractions.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the imagery of a feast and drunkenness in Jeremiah 51:39 illustrate the fate of Babylon, and what can we learn about the consequences of pride?

2. In what ways does the fall of Babylon in Jeremiah 51 connect with the depiction of Babylon in Revelation 18, and what does this teach us about the nature of worldly systems?

3. How can the account of Belshazzar's feast in Daniel 5 serve as a practical warning for us today regarding the dangers of ignoring God's warnings?

4. What are some modern examples of "false security" that people might rely on, and how can we ensure our security is rooted in God?

5. How can we cultivate spiritual vigilance in our lives to avoid being "drunk" on the distractions and temptations of the world?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 21:9
This verse also speaks of the fall of Babylon, emphasizing the certainty of God's judgment against the city.

Revelation 18
The fall of Babylon is echoed in the New Testament, where Babylon represents the world system opposed to God, destined for destruction.

Daniel 5
The account of Belshazzar's feast, where the Babylonian king is literally made drunk and faces immediate judgment, parallels the imagery in Jeremiah 51:39.
The Duty of Separating from the WorldA.F. Muir Jeremiah 51:6, 50
People
Ashchenaz, Ashkenaz, Babylonians, Jacob, Jeremiah, Maaseiah, Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadrezzar, Neriah, Seraiah, Zedekiah
Places
Ararat, Babylon, Chaldea, Euphrates River, Jerusalem, Leb-kamai, Zion
Topics
Affirmation, Age-during, Awake, Awaking, Banquet, Banquets, Caused, Convulsed, Declares, Drink, Drunk, Drunken, Eternal, Exult, Feast, Feasts, Forever, Heat, Heated, Inflamed, Jubilant, Laughter, Overcome, Perpetual, Poison, Prepare, Rejoice, Says, Serve, Shout, Sleep, Sleeping, Slept, Swoon, Till, Unconscious, Wake, Wine
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 51:39

     4410   banquets
     5535   sleep, and death
     5900   laughter

Jeremiah 51:37-40

     5305   empires

Library
The Power of Assyria at Its Zenith; Esarhaddon and Assur-Bani-Pal
The Medes and Cimmerians: Lydia--The conquest of Egypt, of Arabia, and of Elam. As we have already seen, Sennacherib reigned for eight years after his triumph; eight years of tranquillity at home, and of peace with all his neighbours abroad. If we examine the contemporary monuments or the documents of a later period, and attempt to glean from them some details concerning the close of his career, we find that there is a complete absence of any record of national movement on the part of either Elam,
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8

'As Sodom'
'Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 2. And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 3. For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. 4. And it came to pass, in the ninth year of his reign,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

How those who Fear Scourges and those who Contemn them are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 14.) Differently to be admonished are those who fear scourges, and on that account live innocently, and those who have grown so hard in wickedness as not to be corrected even by scourges. For those who fear scourges are to be told by no means to desire temporal goods as being of great account, seeing that bad men also have them, and by no means to shun present evils as intolerable, seeing they are not ignorant how for the most part good men also are touched by them. They are to be admonished
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Christian Meekness
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth Matthew 5:5 We are now got to the third step leading in the way to blessedness, Christian meekness. Blessed are the meek'. See how the Spirit of God adorns the hidden man of the heart, with multiplicity of graces! The workmanship of the Holy Ghost is not only curious, but various. It makes the heart meek, pure, peaceable etc. The graces therefore are compared to needlework, which is different and various in its flowers and colours (Psalm 45:14).
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Covenanting Adapted to the Moral Constitution of Man.
The law of God originates in his nature, but the attributes of his creatures are due to his sovereignty. The former is, accordingly, to be viewed as necessarily obligatory on the moral subjects of his government, and the latter--which are all consistent with the holiness of the Divine nature, are to be considered as called into exercise according to his appointment. Hence, also, the law of God is independent of his creatures, though made known on their account; but the operation of their attributes
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

A Discourse of the House and Forest of Lebanon
OF THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. That part of Palestine in which the celebrated mountains of Lebanon are situated, is the border country adjoining Syria, having Sidon for its seaport, and Land, nearly adjoining the city of Damascus, on the north. This metropolitan city of Syria, and capital of the kingdom of Damascus, was strongly fortified; and during the border conflicts it served as a cover to the Assyrian army. Bunyan, with great reason, supposes that, to keep
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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