The Destruction of Judah

The kingdom of Judah was now under the power of Egypt. Neco placed Jehoiakim (Josiah’s other son and Jehoahaz’s brother) on the throne as his vassal. One night, however, the boiling pot of Babylon showed up in full force. King Nebuchadnezzar raided the city, the people, and the temple, and he took Jehoiakim captive and made his son Jehoiachin in his place. In all of this, Judah did not turn in repentance. And so God sent the Chaldeans to come and burn the city; destroying the temple. Yet even here, God sent a message of hope to His people.

In our last episode, we heard how Jeremiah’s words often fell on deaf ears, and how the priests in Judah were some of his biggest opponents, even trying to put him to death. But Jeremiah was not afraid, and along with his scribe Baruch, Jeremiah recorded God’s warnings on a scroll to speak truth to his generation and others to come. Sparks of revival flickered in the land, but the harshness and hard-hearted nature of King Jehoiakim kept the people from truly turning back to God. Today we’ll hear how the enemy from the north, the great nation of Babylon, finally descends upon Judah to enact God’s judgment on His people. God’s people are led away as slaves, amid the destruction and devastation of their homes. But this is not a story without hope, for we know God is ever faithful.