Judah’s Destruction and Captivity

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Judah’s Destruction and Captivity

Date: Sep. 21, 2014

Passage

2 Chronicles 36:15-23 (ESV)

15 The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy.

17 Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand. 18 And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon. 19 And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels. 20 He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the LORD his God be with him. Let him go up.’”

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Daily Bread

Key Verse: 36:15

The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.

First, the result of mocking God’s messengers (15-20). Despite their wickedness, God in his pity sent his word through messengers again and again. But they mocked his messengers and despised his words and scoffed at his prophets. Gods’ wrath was terrible. The Babylonians destroyed the city, butchered the people young and old, and burned everything of value. They set fire to God’s temple, and took the remnant captive to Babylon. God will not be mocked.

Second, God’s promise fulfilled (21-23). God had promised through Jeremiah the prophet that after seventy years of captivity he would rebuild Jerusalem and his temple. In the days of Cyrus king of Persia his word was fulfilled. God is faithful.

Prayer: Father, thank you for your pity and faithfulness. Help me to listen to your word humbly and sincerely.

One Word: God’s word never fails to come true

Countless Saved from God’s Wrath by the Blood of the Lamb

Revelation 7:1-17

Key Verse: 7:9-10

A Great Multitude from Every Nation

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Today's Question

Are all sins equally evil?

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