Reuniting With an Old Friend

I picked up my Bible today for the first time in what I am sure is several months (I literally dusted it off). It is unknown to me why I haven't taken the time to read it recently. I'm neither too busy nor am I uninterested -- In fact I find I am more often bored, having too much time on my hands, than not. It's even conveniently placed next to my computer -- a location I frequent often. Within the past year I discovered a passion for reading, mostly works of Science Fiction and Fantasy, so I wonder why it has never occurred to me to read the Bible. It wasn't until the past week or so that I've felt a sort of tugging on my heart every time I've eyed the book and even then it's taken me that weeks time to finally open it. Hopefully this is the start of a daily practice.

There were two passages that really stood out to me. One for it's wisdom and honesty and one for it's bizarreness. The first is as follows:

"I, the Lord will punish the world for its evil
and the wicked for their sin.
I will crush the arrogance of the proud
and humble the pride of the mighty." Isaiah 13:11 NLT

As of right now I am unsure as to how this speaks to me. As I was reading I just felt it was something I needed/wanted to meditate on. It also sounds a little bit "cool" to me. I'm not sure why. The second verse, the one I find a little bizarre is:

"Everyone in Babylon will run about like a hunted gazelle,
like sheep without a shepherd.
They will try to find their own people and flee to their own land.
Anyone who is captured will be cut down-
run through with a sword.
Their children will be dashed to death before their eyes.
Their homes will be sacked, and their wive will be raped." Isaiah 13:14-16 NLT

Earlier in the chapter the speaker was declared as the Lord himself. God was speaking about how angered he was and how His armies of men were going to bring down his righteous anger upon the Babylonians. I thought it was odd that men, in the name of the Lord, would be murdering children and babies without mercy and raping men's wives. A later verse reads as follows:

" The attacking armies will shoot down the young men with arrows.
They will have no mercy on helpless babies
and will show no compassion for children" Isaiah 13:18 NLT

I am in no way an expert in Biblical Studies, in fact I would say I know less than the average man, but these passages seem bizarre to me. Perhaps someone else can help me discern the meaning behind these words.

Well it's late. I'm unsure about this whole blogging experience but so far it has been fun. I still feel like I don't meet the "prerequisites" of blogging as I am neither a deep thinker nor am I "hip" and "cool" (it seems every other blog I look at is either really deep or snazzy looking; sometime both). All I know is this is an excellent way to get these thoughts out of my restless mind. Good night.