“It was because of the LORD’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence. Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.“
~ Jeremiah 52:3
Hi James and Ellen,
What are you hoping to be doing when you are twenty-one years old? Are you hoping to be in college? Are you hoping to be working fulltime? Are you hoping to be married? Your grandpaa was twenty-one years old when he married your grandmaa. Your grandmaa was twenty years old when she married your grandpaa. Would you like to be a king or queen when you are twenty-one years old? When in 597 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army took Jehoiakim – who was the king who was ruling over the Israelite people groups guys and gals – who were God’s specially chosen guys and gals, who were living in the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem, to his country – which was Babylonia, as a prisoner, Nebuchadnezzar chose a guy by the name of Zedekiah to replace Jehoiakim as the king over God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were still living in the land of Judah. At the same time that Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiakim to Babylonia, Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army also took to Babylonia 3,023 of God’s specially chosen guys who had been living in the land of Judah. Nine years after Nebuchadnezzar chose Zedekiah to be the acting king over God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the land area of Judah, Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. After the walls that were completely surrounding the city of Jerusalem’s were finally breached by the Babylonian army, Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuzaradan – who was the Babylonian imperial guard commander, entered into the city of Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuzaradan saw to it that the temple of God, the royal palace, every important building and all the houses that were located in the city of Jerusalem were looted and burned. The Babylonian army completely decimated the walls that surrounded the city of Jerusalem. All the bronze, gold and silver articles and utensils that the Babylonian army could find in the temple of God that was in the city of Jerusalem were removed and taken to Babylonia by the Babylonian army. Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army took to Babylonia another 832 of God’s specially chosen guys who had been living in the city of Jerusalem to Babylonia as exiles and then five years later another 745 of God’s specially chosen guys who were living in the city of Jerusalem to Babylonia as exiles – making 4600 guys the total number of guys who Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army took to Babylonia as exiles. This final number does not include gals and kids who had been living in the land of Judah who Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army also took to Babylonia as exiles. How would you like to be exiles in another country when you are twenty-one year old?
Jeremiah 52 is an appendix to the Jeremiah Letter. This last chapter in the missive that Jeremiah scribed may have been appended by Baruch. Baruch was Jeremiah’s secretary. The Kings Book author scribed a similar account of the final days of what life was like at this time in the land of Judah – which included the city of Jerusalem. The guys, gals and kids who were living in the city of Jerusalem between the end of 588 B.C. and when Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army finally were able to break through the walls that surrounded the city of Jerusalem – which was in 586 B.C., to overrun and capture the city of Jerusalem, lived horrendously appalling lives. A devastating famine acerbated the depletion of any food supply that God’s specially chosen guys and gals might have had. The mas among God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in the city of Jerusalem took to eating their own kids to survive. When Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army – with the help of a long, strangling siege, were finally able to break through the walls that completely surrounded the city of Jerusalem, Zedekiah and a remnant of his army were able to escape through a gap in the Babylonian army line and . . . Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army were able to in the plains of Jericho catch up with Zedekiah as he was trying to escape. Zedekiah had to watch as Nebuchadnezzar slaughter his kids – who could not have been very old as Zedekiah was just thirty-two years old, and then he had Nebuchadnezzar put out his eyes. Zedekiah would spend the rest of his life locked up in a Babylonia prison. Jehoiakim – after spending thirty-seven years in a Babylonia prison, was let out of prison to spend the rest of his life hob knocking with Evil-Merodach – who succeeded Nebuchadnezzar as king over Babylonia’s guys and gals
God’s specially chosen guys and gals would have been good guys and gals if they had faithfully lived their lives only worshipping God. God’s specially chosen guys and gals became evil guys and gals when they chose to live their lives to please only themselves. Verse 3 says, “It was because of the LORD’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence. Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.” Before your grandmaa and grandpaa began to attend the Christian & Missionary Alliance Church that is in Aberdeen, South Dakota, your grandmaa and grandpaa knew that is was very important for them to live their lives faithfully for God as a husband and wife and as a ma and dad but . . . your grandmaa and grandpaa had settled into being parttime Christ-followers who thought that going to church on Sunday mornings was just a necessary nuisance to maintain having a good standing with God. Your grandpaa sometimes wonders what life would be like for your grandmaa and grandpaa today if your grandmaa and grandpaa had not obediently obeyed God’s call to completely give up their comfortable lifestyles to serve Him as missionaries. Your grandpaa knows that God is sovereign – in that God knows exactly how each life that He has preprogrammed will unfold on planet Earth but . . . your grandpaa does not want to be a Zedekiah. Your grandpaa is trusting God that God will always give him the faith to obey Him.
Jeremiah 52 (601)