The word of the Lord is fulfilled, the siege of Jerusalem is over. In Jeremiah 39:2 “the city was taken by assault” and the army of Nebuchadnezzar burns the city, takes the gold, silver and bronze from the temple and break down the walls of the city. Those leaders that had resisted were killed, many others were “deported to Babylon”. And in the midst of all of this, “God had honoured his promise to deliver Jeremiah (cf. 1:8), saving him when others were being destroyed” and the Lord honored his promise to Ebed-melech the Cushite in Jeremiah 39:17 “But I will rescue you on that day … because you have trusted in me”.
Babylon Burned Jerusalem and Tore Down the Walls
Judah Was Removed From its Land
2 Kings 25:13–21
The Chaldeans, the army of Nebuchadnezzar, took from the temple in Jerusalem, in 2 Kings 25:13-21 they “broke into pieces and carried their bronze … whatever was gold … and whatever was silver … there was no weighing to the bronze of all of these vessels”. There was an accounting for the objects of silver and gold, but it seems, too much bronze. It wasn’t only these valuables, in 2 Kings 25:18-19 “the commander of the imperial guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and three of the threshold keepers” and the few officials remaining in the city and “sixty men from the people of the land”. In 2 Kings 25:21 “the king of Babylon struck them down and killed them … thus Judah was removed from its land”.
There were many reasons for this removal from the land, refusal to listen to the Lord through the prophets, wickedness in the land, and all of the reasons clearly spoken by the prophets until this final wave, this third time the Chaldeans had been to Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple and the city walls.
2 Chronicles 36:15-21
We also learn from this parallel passage that from the Lords perspective, Judah was removed also to give the land its Sabbath rest in
2 Chronicles 36:21 “to fulfill the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land has enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days of desolation it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years”.
That Which He Speaks to You, So Do With Him
Jeremiah 39:1–14
Jerusalem had been under siege for more than a year and a half until the day when in Jeremiah 39:2 “the city was taken by assault”. It may have seemed never ending to those in the city, and they resisted to the end so seemed to have hope that Egypt would rescue them, more likely though, at the end, it was just fear that prevented them from releasing the city and themselves into Nebuchadrezzar’s hand as the Lord had told them to do.
Now it was too late, in Jeremiah 39:3 “all the officials of the king of Babylon came and sat in the Middle Gate”. It was a show of strength so all would know the siege over and Babylon had won. And what had been spoken by the prophet came to pass in Jeremiah 39:6-9 “the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah … slaughtered all the nobles of Judah … blinded the eyes of Zedekiah … burned the (city) … broke down the walls … (and) the rest of the people who were left … deported to Babylon”.
But the king spoke specifically about the prophet in Jeremiah 39:12 “And you must not do something bad to him, but only that which he speaks to you, so do”. Nebuchednezzar was more willing to listen to the prophet than his own people had been. Here, “The superstitious Mesopotamians treated Jeremiah, as a man of God, with the same respect and deference as that accorded their own seers in Babylonia, and he was placed in the care of Gedaliah ben Ahikam ben Shaphan (14), later made governor over the remnants of the populace (cf. 40:5) … God had honoured his promise to deliver Jeremiah (cf. 1:8), saving him when others were being destroyed”.1
I Will Rescue You on That Day
Jeremiah 39:15–18
Ebed-melech the Cushite was the one that had rescued the prophet in Jeremiah 38:7-13. And now, just before the end of the siege, the word of the Lord comes in Jeremiah 39:16-18 “I am about to bring my words to pass against this city for evil and not for good. And they will be before you on that day”. This wasn’t news, it is what the Lord had been saying all along, destruction is coming.
Then comes the assurance that is based on the action taken to save the prophet when others were intent on killing him. The Lord promises in Jeremiah 39:17 “But I will rescue you on that day … you will not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are frightened” and in Jeremiah 39:18 “surely I will save you, and you will not fall by the sword … because you have trusted in me”. Trusting in the Lord is not just mentally understanding who he is and it is not just saying you know who he is. Trusting in the Lord is taking action.
All His Army Was Scattered
Jeremiah 52:1–10
It says of Zedekiah, in
Jeremiah 52:2 And he did evil in the eyes of Yahweh like all that Jehoiakim had done.
and in Jeremiah 52:3 it says “this happened in Jerusalem and Judah until his casting them from his presence”. This happened because of the evil, the wickedness of Zedekiah. But Jeremiah 52:3 goes on to say, “And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon”. Zedekiah was unfaithful with God and also with men. So in Jeremiah 52:8 “the Chaldeans pursued … they overtook Zedekiah … and all his army was scattered.
Study Verses
- 2 Kings 25:13–21 Judah Was Removed From its Land
- Jeremiah 39:1–14 That Which He Speaks to You, So Do With Him
- Jeremiah 39:15–18 I Will Rescue You on That Day
Today’s Reading
- 2 Kings 25:8-21
- Jeremiah 39:1-18
- Jeremiah 52:1-10
References
- 1. Harrison, R. K. (1973). Jeremiah and Lamentations: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 21, p. 160). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.