20150308 Sunday, March 8 2015
Psalm 106: How Did Eden Become Babylon?

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"They despised the pleasant land, they believed not His Word"

The English-language rendering of "Eden" is from the Hebrew word, pronounced ay-den, that meant pleasing, or delightful. It was first used to describe the area of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in which the Garden in Eden (see The Garden In Eden) was planted by the LORD (see The Identity Of The LORD God).

"2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground [see Dust In The Wind], and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul [see Leaving The Soul Behind].

2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed." (Genesis 2:7-8 KJV)

The first humans chose to live a life of confusion for themselves when they ignored the Truth that the LORD gave to them in favor of their own ideas. Instead of living in the real world, they made a self-worshiping fantasy world for themselves. When they became their own morality (the origin of the present-day "it's not wrong if we do it"), humanity began a rapid descent into chaos that ended with the Flood (see Why Did The Flood Happen?).

"6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:5 KJV)

"6:12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 6:13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth." (Genesis 6:12-13 KJV)

Humanity began again after the Flood from the righteous family of Noah, but soon the spirit of rebellion again turned Eden into a place of defiant sinners. The region then became known as "Babylon," which means confusion. It wasn't merely a matter of the many languages - it was the mixed-up attitude that they made of themselves long before then.

"11:3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 11:4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

11:5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 11:7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

11:8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth."

Abraham was a native of Babylon (see A Biography Of Abraham: The Genealogy Of Abram). The LORD called him to come out of "confusion" (i.e. by then, Abraham could have come from anywhere that humans existed) and settle in a place that represented a world in which "Babylon" will no longer exist. It was the same promise and calling that was made to Noah (see The LORD's Seed Covenants With The Two Men Of Iraq).

"11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:7-10 KJV)

Centuries later, when the Israelites, by then divided into two independent kingdoms of "Israel" and "Judah" (see Israel In History and Prophecy: Israel and Judah) because of their idolatry (see The History Of Idolatry), further made themselves literally into states of confusion rather than the Eden that the LORD provided for them. The LORD then had them taken back to the place that was fitting for their confusion - Babylon. They had made themselves no different than the fools who brought the Flood upon themselves.

"17:14 Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God. 17:15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them. 17:16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. 17:17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

17:18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

17:19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. 17:20 And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight." (2 Kings 17:14-20 KJV)

Israel's history knew many self-inflicted hardships because they turned away from the LORD to "Babylon." They "despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word." Israel's history lessons were often intended as warnings to not yet-again repeat their journey back to "Babylon."

"106:1 Praise ye the LORD.

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 106:2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise? 106:3 Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times. 106:4 Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation; 106:5 That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.

106:6 We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. 106:7 Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea. 106:8 Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. 106:9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness. 106:10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. 106:11 And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left. 106:12 Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.

106:13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: 106:14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. 106:15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

106:16 They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD. 106:17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. 106:18 And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked. 106:19 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. 106:20 Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass. 106:21 They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt; 106:22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea. 106:23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

106:24 Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: 106:25 But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD. 106:26 Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness: 106:27 To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.

106:28 They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead. 106:29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them. 106:30 Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed. 106:31 And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.

106:32 They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: 106:33 Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips. 106:34 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them: 106:35 But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. 106:36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. 106:37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, 106:38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. 106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.

106:40 Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance. 106:41 And he gave them into the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them. 106:42 Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand. 106:43 Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.

106:44 Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry: 106:45 And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies. 106:46 He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.

106:47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise. 106:48 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen.

Praise ye the LORD." (Psalm 106:1-48 KJV)

Fact Finder: Why didn't the nearly all of the adults of the Exodus get to the "Promised Land" - the "Eden" that the LORD created for them?
See Why A Book Of Deuteronomy In The Bible? and The Israelite Wanderland