“Stand fast now in your spells and in your many sorceries…let now the astrologers, those who prophesy by the stars, those who predict by the new moons, stand up and save you from what will come upon you…they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame.” – Isaiah 47:12-14

In the time of Isaiah, the Babylonians felt secure. With their incredible power and strength, it seemed that no nation could threaten them. Their religion also played a key role in giving them confidence. A central feature of their capital was a massive temple dedicated to Marduk, their patron god. In her book about Babylon, scholar Joan Oates observed that the Babylonians believed that “man was created in order to serve the gods.” Their gods “were fashioned in the image of man.” At the same time, “Each Babylonian had his own personal god or goddess.” In an effort to appease their gods, many wore special amulets, and they used divination to communicate with their gods. Prophecy and predicting the future were prominent to their culture. Their experts sought to foretell the future by observing the phases of the moon. They also believed that thunder, rain, hail, and earthquakes provided prophetic insights into coming events. Yet although their religion may have provided comfort and assurance, it also proved to be ineffective and deceptive. They were deceived, because they were trusting in false gods, omens, divinations, and even the weather. They felt that their religion could enable them to predict the future, which added to their false sense of invulnerability. Many people today are like these ancient Babylonians, looking for comfort and direction through false religions, occult practices, and their own personal gods. But, as Isaiah warned the Babylonians, there is only one true God. Brothers & Sisters Today, be sure that you place your hope completely in God rather than in the sages and scholars of this world. Don’t be deceived by false religions. Trust in God, for He alone knows the future.