Days 196&197: Jeremiah 33-40, Psalms 74, 79

What a sad period of history! The once glorious nation ruled by the great king David and his son Solomon is being gradually ripped apart and destroyed by a pagan nation. Jeremiah was very clear and specific in his predictions about what was going to occur (and why) and it is playing out exactly as he had said it would.

In the midst of this violent and confusing time God takes a moment to remind them, through His prophet Jeremiah, not only why this was happening but that it wasn't going to be forever. God, even in the midst of executing His judgment, shows His heart of compassion and ultimate triumph.

I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness. Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it. (Jeremiah 33:5-9)

However, the judgment will indeed be carried out because the people simply wouldn't listen...

Therefore this is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they did not listen; I called to them, but they did not answer." (Jeremiah 35:17)

"I called to them, but they did not answer." I find those words extremely sad. My prayer is that I will always recognize God's voice when He calls to me...and that I will answer.

The king of Judah, however, did not listen. God had Jeremiah dictate His message to Jehudi who in turn wrote it out on a scroll. The scroll was taken to the king and read to him. Here's how the king responded:

Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. (Jeremiah 36:23-25)

As I said before, it was a confusing and violent time. I'm not real clear on how long this whole process took but the kingdom of Judah was crumbling. Eventually the king of Babylon made his final move and laid siege to Jerusalem. Even then it took 18 months for Jerusalem to fall to Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah 39 describes how this played out. I find it very sad...

     In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah.
     But the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah. Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.
     The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people. But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields. (Jeremiah 39:1-10)

The psalmist laments...

O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;
   they have defiled your holy temple,
   they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.
They have left the dead bodies of your servants
   as food for the birds of the sky,
   the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.
They have poured out blood like water
   all around Jerusalem,
   and there is no one to bury the dead. (Psalm 79:1-3)