2 King’s chapter 24: 10-14 (NIV)
At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it. Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered to him.In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. As the LORD had declared, Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasures from the temple of the LORD and from the royal palace, and cut up the gold articles that Solomon king of Israel had made for the temple of the LORD. He carried all Jerusalem into exile: all the officers and fighting men, and all the skilled workers and artisans—a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest people of the land were left.
The phrase that caught my attention in these verses was, “as the Lord had declared…” Jeremiah was the one who spoke God’s prophesy regarding the exile to Babylon. Jeremiah’s prophecies spanned several decades leading up to the Babylonian exile, with the key events occurring roughly 25 years apart. Jeremiah began prophesying in the 13th year of King Josiah’s reign (around 627 BC). The Babylonian exile, which included the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, began with the first deportation in 605 BC and culminated in the final destruction in 586 BC. Therefore, there was a period of approximately 20-25 years between the start of Jeremiah’s ministry and the beginning of the exile.
Perhaps the people grew complacent when nothing seemed to be happening, and thus paid less and less attention to the warnings issued through God’s servants. But this is a reminder for us of two things.
1. God always keeps His promises.
2. God’s timing is perfect, and His ways are not our ways.
In this modern age, we are becoming used to instant responses through the range of mediums that we have. Perhaps we too are becoming complacent regarding promises God has made. But this portion of scripture is a warning for us to keep on our toes. It doesn’t matter how long ago we first heard God’s promises to us, and it doesn’t matter if they have not all as yet been fulfilled. Twenty five years, and even longer, is not in fact a long time in God’s timescale. We just need to remember that important phrase, “just as the Lord had declared.”
Dear Lord,
Thank You for reminding me that Your promises can be relied on. May I never become complacent and forget them. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.