II Kings 25:1-21, II Chronicles 36:15-21, Jeremiah 38:1-6
“And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.” (II Chronicles 36:15-16)
About half the book of Ezekiel and a third of Jeremiah are devoted to warning Judah of their sin and their impending destruction by Babylon if they would not repent. Their warnings were considered unpatriotic and they were mocked and imprisoned. Ezekiel was warned, “But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them,” in Ezekiel 3:25. He was forced to make his base among some of the captives Nebuchadnezzar had relocated to the Chebar or Khabar river, a tributary of the Euphrates in present day Syria. Jeremiah was stuck in Judah.
“Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live. Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it.
Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you. Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.” (Jeremiah 38:1-6)
Because they considered Jeremiah’s message unpatriotic, the Jewish leaders demanded Jeremiah be executed. Fearing their power, Zedekiah turned him over to them, and Jeremiah was cast into a dungeon or pit that had flooded and the water had soaked in, leaving a deep layer of very soft mud that Jeremiah sank in. Fearing he would drown, he was rescued by an Ethiopian slave.
“And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it: and they built forts against it round about. And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.” (II Kings 25:1-3)
Almost nine years after making Zedekiah king, Nebuchadnezzar was forced to quell another rebellion, besieging the city of Jerusalem for the fourth time. Clearly they were not to be trusted, and he intended to make sure they couldn’t rebel again. No quarter was given.
“Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.” (II Chronicles 36:17)
The seige lasted a year and a half, with the Babylonians blockading all supply sources, and preventing any humanitarian efforts. Everyone suffered, and Ezekiel’s prophecy in Ezekiel 5:12, “A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.”
“And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain.
And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him. So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.” (II Kings 25:4-7)
When the walls were breached, the army fled in various directions. Zedekiah was captured but most of the army escaped with many of them eventually joining the refugees at Telebib on the Chebar and others fleeing to the Ammonites, the Moabites, or other neighboring areas. Zedekiah’s children were killed in front of him and then his eyes put out so he would never forget what his rebellion had caused. Finally he was taken to Babylon as a prisoner.
“And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem: And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.
Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away. But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.” (II Kings 25:8-10)
All the people were taken into captivity except the poorest, who were left behind to care for the farms and orchards for the Babylonians.
“And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.” (II Chronicles 36:20-21)
God had commanded Israel to let the land lie fallow every seventh year. They had not kept that command since the time of the judges. God had overlooked it as long as they kept most of the law, but now they would have to give the land it’s rest for seventy years to make up for all the ones they owed God.
“And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brazen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.
The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight. The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city: And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah: And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.” (II Kings 25:13-21)
In the process of destroying the city, several prominent men were discovered who had refused to surrender and gone into hiding. They were taken to Babylon by the forces responsible for cleaning up after the battle, where they were executed.
“And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.” (II Chronicles 36:15-16)
About half the book of Ezekiel and a third of Jeremiah are devoted to warning Judah of their sin and their impending destruction by Babylon if they would not repent. Their warnings were considered unpatriotic and they were mocked and imprisoned. Ezekiel was warned, “But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them,” in Ezekiel 3:25. He was forced to make his base among some of the captives Nebuchadnezzar had relocated to the Chebar or Khabar river, a tributary of the Euphrates in present day Syria. Jeremiah was stuck in Judah.
“Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live. Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it.
Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you. Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.” (Jeremiah 38:1-6)
Because they considered Jeremiah’s message unpatriotic, the Jewish leaders demanded Jeremiah be executed. Fearing their power, Zedekiah turned him over to them, and Jeremiah was cast into a dungeon or pit that had flooded and the water had soaked in, leaving a deep layer of very soft mud that Jeremiah sank in. Fearing he would drown, he was rescued by an Ethiopian slave.
“And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it: and they built forts against it round about. And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.” (II Kings 25:1-3)
Almost nine years after making Zedekiah king, Nebuchadnezzar was forced to quell another rebellion, besieging the city of Jerusalem for the fourth time. Clearly they were not to be trusted, and he intended to make sure they couldn’t rebel again. No quarter was given.
“Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.” (II Chronicles 36:17)
The seige lasted a year and a half, with the Babylonians blockading all supply sources, and preventing any humanitarian efforts. Everyone suffered, and Ezekiel’s prophecy in Ezekiel 5:12, “A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.”
“And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain.
And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him. So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.” (II Kings 25:4-7)
When the walls were breached, the army fled in various directions. Zedekiah was captured but most of the army escaped with many of them eventually joining the refugees at Telebib on the Chebar and others fleeing to the Ammonites, the Moabites, or other neighboring areas. Zedekiah’s children were killed in front of him and then his eyes put out so he would never forget what his rebellion had caused. Finally he was taken to Babylon as a prisoner.
“And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem: And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.
Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away. But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.” (II Kings 25:8-10)
All the people were taken into captivity except the poorest, who were left behind to care for the farms and orchards for the Babylonians.
“And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.” (II Chronicles 36:20-21)
God had commanded Israel to let the land lie fallow every seventh year. They had not kept that command since the time of the judges. God had overlooked it as long as they kept most of the law, but now they would have to give the land it’s rest for seventy years to make up for all the ones they owed God.
“And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brazen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.
The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight. The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city: And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah: And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.” (II Kings 25:13-21)
In the process of destroying the city, several prominent men were discovered who had refused to surrender and gone into hiding. They were taken to Babylon by the forces responsible for cleaning up after the battle, where they were executed.
Sadly, there are many parallels to the present day, where God's Word is disobeyed and mocked, and those who speak the truth are labeled as intolerant or even persecuted and imprisoned. God has been merciful, but the nations will ultimately reap what they sow, and god will not be mocked. Thanks for the great Bible lesson.
ReplyDeleteGod bless,
Laurie
In our day people so often forget that as Christians, this world is not our home, and patriotism is viewed as part of Christianity..
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