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2 Kings Chapter 25 (ESV)
8 In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 And he burned the house of the Lord and the king’s house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. 10 And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 And the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile….
27 And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. 28 And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table, 30 and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived.
REFLECTION:
- In the last chapter of 2 Kings, the Lord severely punished people whom He loved by driving them out of the Promised Land into exile. Throughout our “Listening to God” Bible Reading and Devotion journey since Genesis, we saw God’s patience towards His people and His repeated redemptive acts. However, our Lord is also a righteous God who cannot overlook sin. The sins of the northern and southern were too great that they cannot be forgiven and God called off His salvation plan. Or did He?
- Does 2 Kings end on a note of hope or despair? God’s promise to David appears to end here, with this captive king living out comfortably at the Babylonian court. 2 Kings closes without closure. If we listen closely enough, we may hear the voices of the bereft: “O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture? Remember your congregation” (Ps 74:1-2).
- When we expect the final words being God’s judgment and punishment towards sins, we see God’s unexpected mercy and love. The significance of the last few verses spoke to God’s mercy in the midst of His judgment. They also demonstrated the continuation of David’s line which eventually led to Jesus our ultimate Saviour.
PRAYER:
Reflect on God’s mercy in my life and thank Him for his salvation. This salvation would not be possible without His patience for His people all throughout history (including me)! Praise Him that punishment and judgment are not the final words and evil won’t have the final say. The old Jerusalem was destroyed and the old temple was burnt. However, the new Jerusalem and temple will last forever.
HYMN:
Refiners Fire – youtu.be/SQclw7Ptxwc
