“The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.”
~ 2 Chronicles 36:21
Hi James and Ellen,
Would you prefer to have a happy or a sad ending to a story. Your grandpaa thinks that it is much harder to spin a happy ending of a story into a sad ending than it is to spend a sad ending of a story into a happy ending. The guy who edited the Chronicles Books – in 2 Chronicles 36, took a sad ending of the story of some of God’s specially chosen guys and gals being taken away from the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem, as exiles by Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army to Babylonia and made it a happy ending by recounting that the land that God gave to His specially chosen guys and gals to always to have to live in as their very own land if . . . would end up with a seventy year sabbath rest from being farmed. Verse 21 says, “The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.”
From 609 B.C. to 586 B.C. – or from 2614 to 2591 years ago (or from 2631 to 2608 years ago as of the editing of this ‘devotional’), God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem, went through horrifying and appalling experiences. The Chronicler begins what became the Chronicles Books final chapter with a twenty-three year old guy – whose name was Jehoahaz, being positioned by Pharaoh Neco as king over God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem. Jehoahaz was one of Josiah’s kids. Before Pharaoh Neco killed Josiah, Josiah for twenty years had been an effective, independent king as he ruled over God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem. After he had Josiah killed, Pharah Neco positioned Jehoahaz as king over God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem. Jehoahaz ruled as king over God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem, for three months before Pharaoh Neco arbitrarily opted to swap him as king over God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem, with Eliakim. Eliakim was Jehoahaz’s twenty-five year old older bro. Pharaoh Neco changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. Pharaoh Neco wanted to show God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem, that he was in charge. Jehoiakim was the king over God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem, for eleven years. Jehoiakim was an evil king. When the Babylonian empire emerged as a super mega force – with Nebuchadnezzar as the driver in pursuit of achieving world supremacy, Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army captured the remnant of God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem. After Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army finally overran the city of Jerusalem, he had Jehoiakim manacled with bronze shackles to take Jehoiakim to Babylonia with him as one of his captive trophies. Nebuchadnezzar positioned an eighteen year old kid – whose name was Jehoiachin, as king over God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were still living in the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem. Jehoiachin was one of Jehoiakim’s kid. After Jehoiachin played king for 100 days, Nebuchadnezzar ordered Jehoiachin be taken to Babylonia. Nebuchadnezzar chose another one of Josiah’s kids – whose name was Mattaniah, to be king over God’s specially chosen guys and who were living in the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah. Nebuchadnezzar wanted to show God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem, that he was in charge. Mattaniah was twenty years old. Zedekiah spent eleven years as king over God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem. Zedekiah was another evil king. When Zedekiah ran to Egypt to enlist the help of Egypt’s army to fight against the Babylonian army, Zedekiah pushed Nebuchadnezzar too far and . . . in 586 B.C. – after sieging the city of Jerusalem for two years, Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army took out their built up ire and frustration on the walls that surrounded the city of Jerusalem, on the temple of God that was located in the city of Jerusalem and on God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the city of Jerusalem.
God over and over – through one prophet spokesman after another, sent clear, strong, stern warnings to His specially chosen guys and gals who were living the land that He gave to them to always to have to live in as their very own land if . . . in the end, it was when God’s specially chosen guys and gals began mocking God’s prophet spokesmen, refusing to listen to the words that God was sending to them through His prophet spokesmen, and scoffing at God’s prophet spokesmen that God’s dander was so provoked that there was no way left for God’s specially chosen guys and gals to be saved from their arrogance of trying to live their lives without God’s help. The Chronicler may have spent the seventy years or more to debrief what took place during the twenty-three years before God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem, were taken away as exiles by the Babylonian army and then to retrospectively spin what took place into a positive.
2 Chronicles 36 (619)