Isa 13:19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.

Isaiah 13 predicts the fall of Babylon. At the time Isaiah wrote this prophecy, Assyria was the superpower. Assyria was God’s instrument to destroy Israel. Then God would let the Chaldeans (Babylonians) conquer the Assyrians. He would also use the Chaldeans to destroy Judah and Jerusalem. In this prophecy, God mentioned He would then let the Medes and Persians destroy the Chaldeans and their beautiful capital Babylon (v.17-22). The result is: “And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them” (v.19). The words mean total destruction. Neither Assyria nor Babylon had much warning of their fate. Kingdoms that arose after each one of them seemed more powerful (obviously you need to be more powerful than the existing superpower to defeat it) but one by one, they were defeated. Each seemed well-nigh at the zenith of its power when the final blow came. What is the lesson for us? Stay humble; nothing in life lasts forever. Some people pride themselves on the specialty of their experiences, some on their physical strength or talents, some on their wealth, and some on their status. But, we see that in every Olympic Games, records are broken and new records are set. Someone that is faster and stronger will come by and sets a new record. Nebuchadnezzar was a great king of Babylon. He had conquered mighty Assyria. Pride got into his head and he said: “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30). Obviously he was giving himself credit for his position, power and authority. That marked the beginning of his fall from power. If you are where you think you should be in life at this moment; stay humble! Nebuchadnezzar’s pride was his downfall. Solomon says: “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). The saying that “pride will come before the fall” is a universal truth understood by everyone. Unfortunately, in  spite of knowing it, many still succumb to its enticing and seductive nature, and many end up losing everything as a result of wallowing in it for too long of a period of time. There are two kinds of pride: a good pride and a bad pride. These are good kind of pride: 1. If your child comes home and tells you that he has received straight A’s on his report card, your natural and instinctive response is to tell him “how proud” you are of him for what he has accomplished. 2. If your husband comes home and tells you he has just received an outstanding award for being the salesman of the year, your first natural response will be to tell him how proud you are of him. There is nothing wrong in having that good kind of pride. Your child and husband will be disappointed and discouraged if you pour cold water on them instead. God wants us to have this good kind of pride because it sends forth the right message to those who deserve it: “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour” (Romans 13:7). We are to honour those who deserve it. That good pride only becomes evil when you start boasting to others about how intelligent your child and how smart your husband is. Hence, stay humble because out there, someone will have his child or husband performing much better than yours.                           If God has blessed you with a wonderful job, intelligent kids, wonderful spouse, and beautiful house, stay humble and give thanks to God (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Like Nebuchadnezzar, everything can be taken away in a moment; hence, stay humble and be thankful.