Today's Scripture Reading (July 30, 2020): Isaiah 47
Hans Christian Anderson tells the fable about an Emperor who wanted to find a way to discern which of his subjects were worthy of positions in his government, and which of his advisors are incompetent and need to be removed. Two weavers came up with a plan that they argued would fulfill the need of the king. They proposed that they weave a new suit for the Emperor out of a magical cloth that anyone who is unfit or incompetent, or just plain too stupid, could not see. But in reality, the weavers simply make no clothes at all.
On the day of the grand reveal, the weavers enter into the presence of the Emperor to dress him. The Emperor is surprised that he can’t see the suit that has been prepared for him, but he is too afraid to admit it because that would reveal his own incompetence. The weavers assure the king of how magnificent the suit looks and the Emperor prepares to walk outside and tour the people.
And so, the Emperor begins his tour naked. The people are surprised that the Emperor is touring the countryside without any clothes, but they are afraid to say anything because of the incompetence that they think that will reveal in them. As a result of their fear, the people ooh and aah at the Emperor’s new clothes. In the end, the charade falls apart because of the honesty of a young child who declares that the Emperor “isn't wearing anything at all!"
The Neo-Babylonian Empire started under the reign of Nabopolassar just as the Assyrian Empire was folding under the weight of its own civil unrest. Babylon made the most of the absence of Assyria on the World stage, and then benefitted from the impressive reign of Nebuchadnezzar II, the second King to rule over this phase of the Empire, as he ushered in the golden age for the Babylonians.
But the Empire did not last long; less than a century, and it seems that as soon as the Kingdom reached its height, it began a swift decline. For a while, they survived on the memory of what they had been under Nebuchadnezzar, but the truth was that none of the Kings that followed Nebuchadnezzar measured up to either his ability or his drive to make Babylon great. And it quickly became apparent that the Empire had no clothes. All the power they pretended to weild was nothing more than a mirage and a memory of what was.
And soon, the Achaemenid or Old Persian Empire would reveal the nakedness of the Babylonians. The pride of the Empire would turn to shame, and the once mighty Neo-Babylonian Empire would fall without even putting up a fight.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Isaiah 48
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