The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
2 Kings 24-25, 2 Chronicles 36:1-21, Jeremiah 52
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 8: Exile: God Disciplines His People
Background Information: 2 Kings 24-25, 2 Chronicles 36:1-21, Jeremiah 52
Jeremiah and Second Kings end with the people in exile in Babylon. Jerusalem has been sacked; the temple has been destroyed…so much for the people of promise and their land. The story, it would seem, is over. But embedded in this historical confirmation of the judgment foretold by the prophets is a story that is a seed of the hope they also foretold. Forty years after the exile, the story turns briefly to Jehoiachin, a descendant of David who would have been king of Judah if he were not a prisoner of war in Babylon. He is taken from his prison cell and is suddenly allowed to dine regularly with the king. He lives out his life with a daily allowance and limited freedom. It may not seem like much, but it is significant. God is keeping the seed of David alive. The story is not over at all; in fact, the best is yet to come. Second Chronicles ends decades after Jeremiah has died. It quickly jumps from Babylonian destruction and exile to the King of Persia and the return to Jerusalem and rebuilding of the temple. What happened to Babylon… how did this happen? Who would have seen this coming? Babylon is defeated, judged after being used as God’s tool for his purposes. Persia is ascendent, also being used as God’s tool. All this is just as Jeremiah had predicted.
In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord roused the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and also to put it in writing.
2 Chronicles 36:22
Jeremiah, who was by now in the presence of the Lord, was vindicated. His life had been marked by tears and abuse, and sadness. Did he experience times of joy? Did he ever feel peace? Most likely, but this wasn’t how his life has been made known to us. He is known to us as a man of sorrow, disliked and misunderstood by those he served. He didn’t want to be right; he wanted his people to be right with the Lord. Jeremiah is not the hero of the story; God is. At the same time, his life is worthy of imitation, and it offers us a great challenge. Go back to the first chapter of his book. God spoke to Jeremiah and said that he was chosen and set apart as a prophet before he was born. Jeremiah looked at his own ability and said, “No, not me, I don’t have what it takes.” “No,” God said. “I have chosen you over nations, to uproot and tear down, to destroy and demolish, and to build and to plant.” (Jeremiah 1:4-10). God’s word for the nations came to pass. God’s word for this single man also came to pass. Jeremiah is not unique in this. God is at work in macro ways, overseeing the course of human history. God is at work in micro ways, overseeing the course of your personal history.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for Jason, Lisa, & kids as they fly back to Central Asia later this week. Pray for God to pave the way for them to pick back up with their local relationships.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.