Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: 2 Kings 24-25 and Psalm 141

In the original Hebrew of 2 Kings 25, the first twelve verses of the chapter are one long sentence. Each verse begins with the word, ‘and.’ Each successive moment in the eventual fall of Jerusalem is added to the list by the word “and”, as if each one was a tick of the clock counting down Jerusalem’s final demise. The final three kings of Judah were Jehoaikim, Jehoakin, and Mattaniah, a puppet king appointed by the Babylonians and renamed Zedekiah. They were each humiliated by Nebuchadnezzar, in a series of defeats of increasing measure. Jerusalem was beseiged, then defeated, and ultimately the temple’s riches were carried off, the temple burned to the ground, and the walls of Jerusalem destroyed. Jerusalem, the great City of David lay in ruins, and its leading citizens were taken as prisoners to Babylon. Babylonian history and the historical records of the Bible agree – in 586BC Jerusalem lay in ruins.

For multiple generations, with very few exceptions, Judah’s rulers and people had adopted and practised the cultures and religions of the great Empires of Assyria and Babylon. They had so badly wanted to be like these exotic nations. Now, in a tragic twist of history, they were defeated, carried into exile in Babylon, and assimilated into that pagan society. Only a tiny remnant had remained faithful, both before and after the exile. By God’s unfailing love, this remnant became the seed for the rebirth of Jerusalem seventy years later. We’ll focus on the exile and return in the months to come.

The end of 2 Kings is the sort of moment in history from which we must learn, lest history repeat itself. The blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 28 are not empty promises. What we do matters. Whether we worship the Lord or not matters. Whether we allow ourselves to be swallowed up by the culture of the day and become just like the world around us, following its immorality and idolatry, counts greatly in the eyes of the Lord!

May this tragic ending awaken our hearts to a fresh determination to live as “strangers and aliens” in the world – being in the world but not of the world – a distinct and holy people, called by Jesus and set apart to shine like stars in a corrupt generation (Philippians 2:15)! Let us not be like everyone around us, but let us commit to being like Christ and pleasing to the LORD in every way.

Lord Jesus, make me brave and strengthen me to stand out from the crowd by virtue of my love for You and my commitment to Your ways. Amen.