Today we read the brutal details of the final destruction of Jerusalem. The Babylonians raze the city, thousands are slain and 4,600 of them are taken as slaves, 800 miles from home. This brings to a close the glorious history of a magnificent nation. It brings sadness to our hearts when we realize that so many people were killed, so many families destroyed, and the people of God are now slaves again.
Why did this happen? Why is God so cruel in allowing this tragedy? The answer is found in
2 Chron. 36:21 The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.
Moses had taught and warned the people that the land was to be given a rest every seven years. That meant the fields were allowed to sit fallow for a whole year. Do you know how much faith and planning must occur to make it a whole year without a garden? This act of obedience was a test to see how much they would trust God.
Leviticus 26:27-45 strikingly predicts the captivity, telling how God’s people would be torn from their land for disobeying him.
The Life Application Bible contains this comment on the text, “The 70-year captivity allowed the land to rest, making up for all the years the Israelites had not observed this law. We know that God keeps all his promises—not only his promises of blessing, but also his promises of judgment.”
Yet a beautiful promise is also found in the ruins. Remember Eded-Melech, the Cushite (Ethiopian) who rescued Jeremiah from the cistern. Had he been afraid Jeremiah surely would have died in that cistern. But despite the obvious risk he dragged old Jeremiah out of the pit. In response to that act of faith God said, Jeremiah 39:18 I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.' "
Here are two promises we can count on:
1. God keeps his word. As the VBS kids are learning this week .... God does what he says he’ll do.
2. God will rescue those who trust in him. Take a chance and trust God today, he won’t let you down.
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