Jeremiah Chapter 51 verses 19 - 23

"The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the Lord of Hosts is his name". What a fantastic way to describe the Lord - "the former of all things". Next time you are in fellowship declare "I worship the former of all things". Hallelujah that the Lord is our portion and we are his inheritance forever! He has redeemed us and we belong to him, along with natural Israel, even as he belongs to us. I think we get the better deal because we get him! And burn this into your brain - HE IS NOT LIKE THEM! He is not vain or brutish or a liar. He will not be confounded and he will not perish. Neither shall anyone found in him. No one is like him, apart from him. Apart from him, we can do nothing. Apart from him, we are nothing. Apart from him we are "without form and void" (Gen:1:2). These words in Genesis in the Hebrew are "Tohoo" and "Bohoo" and they mean "Desert, a worthless thing, in vain, confusion, wilderness, a desolation, to be empty, an undistinguishable ruin". This is a perfect description of the human soul apart from Christ but come to think of it, they also perfectly describe Babylon, Satan's kingdom on earth. So Genesis one could also be a depiction of the building up of the New Jerusalem, and the new heavens and the new earth found in Revelation 21.
"Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee I will destroy kingdoms: and with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider; with thee also will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and his maid, I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock, and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandmen and his yoke of oxen, and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers". Pride hardens us, hardens our hearts. When the Lord confronts a heart like this, whether it is in a man or a woman, in the young or the old, in a shepherd or his flock - it will be shattered and broken in pieces. To borrow a phrase from an old Jerry Lee Lewis song, with a slight twist - "there's a whole lot of breakin' goin' on"! All who exalt themselves in pride will be completely broken. Put another way, all who choose to live in Babylon, the kingdom of pride, will be "utterly destroyed". The one referred to here as his battle axe and his weapons of war I believe is Jesus - "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" but it could also refer to Israel - the rod of his inheritance, and all who are grafted into Israel, every saint from among the gentile nations. As his covenant people, Jew or gentile, we are extensions of him in the earth. Remember, we are being formed into his HIS IMAGE and likeness and he is a lion as well as a lamb. Depending on who we're facing, we are also either a lion or a lamb. Our calling is to utterly destroy Babylon by becoming free ourselves and freeing as many as we can from her wickedness.
God includes the shepherd and his flock here. I believe judgment begins in the house of the Lord and unfortunately, many, many churches are led by pastors who are not after God's heart, who have led their churches into bondage. Many of these are sincere and well meaning yet are still in bondage and wicked before God. If these leaders of God's people will not repent and turn from their wicked ways, they too will be broken along with the rest of Babylon. Fall on the stone (Jesus) and be broken or it will fall on you and grind you to powder (break you in pieces) Mt:21:44. If God would take the kingdom from Israel, or better put, take them out of the land he promised them forever, if he would give it to a nation that will bear him fruit (Mt:21:43), will he spare you, oh christian if you doing the same thing Israel did, refusing to become so intimate with him that you bear him fruit? Are you not fit then for nothing but to be pruned and cast into the fire? We must abide in him and the seduction of our souls is to get us to leave him for another lover, another spirit, an Absalom spirit that woos us away from him. Absalom was very handsome and looked (outwardly) better than David - younger, stronger (but not wiser). Religion is also more appealing outwardly, to those who have no eyes to see or ears to hear what the Spirit is saying and doing.
Absalom appealed to their pride and flesh, just like Satan did to Eve, the old "you deserve better" line, etc. This Absalom spirit tells those in the churches the same - "you're better off with me, I sympathize with you, God doesn't recognize your unique gifts, talents and abilities. I'll make a place for you in my church". This other voice wooing God's people today is the religious spirit, whom, when unmasked, is Babylon on earth. It's voice will always speak a lie for God does recognize our gifts and callings - he gave them to us! He does want us to fully mature, to be able to walk in the same power and anointing Jesus walks in - it's Satan's false kingdom that wants us to remain mere caricatures of who God's birthed us to be. Satan wants us all to sell our royal birthrights for a bowl of beans. When he offers us the choice of taking pleasure now in exchange for paradise later, when he offers us his mark in order to buy and sell so we may eat, this is the same thing Esau did when he gave up his inheritance for earthly gain, for something to eat. The same temptation will face us all. As did Esau, so will all who take the mark, they'll trade their heavenly inheritance and calling for an earthly one, in essence trading spirit for flesh, supernatural for natural, life for death, godliness for gain. What profit is there for a man to gain the whole world, to gain worldly wealth or wisdom, if it costs him his soul? O let us all overcome the temptation to trade our Heavenly calling and inheritance for an earthly one. Let us suppress our "earthly appetites" while growing in our hunger and desire for more of him, for more of our royal heavenly calling. Let us not become spiritual Esau's, giving up eternal pleasure for the momentary, fleeting pleasure the sin of living in Babylon provides.