Jerusalem is captured
39
📚In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 📚And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city wall was breached. 3 📚And all the officials of the king of Babylon, Nergal-Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sharezer, Rabmag, with all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon, came in and sat at the Middle Gate. 4 📚And it came about when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the warriors saw them, that they fled and went out of the city at night, by way of the king’s garden, by the gate between the two walls; and he went out on the road to the Jordan valley. 5 📚But the Chaldeans’ army pursued them, and caught up to Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and when they seized him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment on him. 6 📚Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes. The king of Babylon also killed all the officials of Judah. 7 📚Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him off to Babylon.
8 📚And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 📚Then Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guard, carried away captive into Babylon the rest of the people who remained in the city, and those who had defected, who defected to him, with the rest of the people who remained. 10 📚But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left some of the poor of the people, who had nothing, in the land of Judah, and at the same time gave them vineyards and fields.
39:1-10 2 Kings 25:1-21; 2 Chron 36:15-20. This was the sad penalty for Jerusalem’s disobedience to God’s word. This was also a vindication of Jeremiah as a prophet of God.⚜
11 📚Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave a command concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, saying, 12 📚“Take him and look after him well, and do him no harm, but do for him just as he tells you”. 13 📚So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, and Nebu-Shasban, Rabsaris, and Nergal-Sharezer, Rabmag, and all the officials of the king of Babylon, 14 📚sent and took Jeremiah out of the courtyard of the prison, and entrusted him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, that he should take him home. So he lived among the people.
39:11-14 The cruel conquerors showed far more mercy to Jeremiah than his own people had. How far Israel had fallen from God’s standards of justice, mercy, fair-dealing, compassion, ethics and morality! Their shame and disgrace at the hands of their enemies were all deserved.⚜
15 📚Now the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah when he was shut up in the courtyard of the prison, saying, 16 📚“Go and speak to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: See, I will bring to pass my words on this city for disaster, and not for good; and on that day they will be fulfilled in front of you. 17 📚But I will deliver you in that day, says the LORD, and you will not be given into the hands of the men whom you fear. 18 📚For I will certainly deliver you, and you will not fall by the sword, but your life will be like plunder for you, because you have put your trust in me, says the LORD.’ ”
39:15-18 God was ruling in the affairs of men, controlling the activities of Babylon’s armies, bringing destruction on His own people and city. Yet He did not overlook a single individual who trusted Him, did not forget that one deed of kindness to His prophet. This is a part of the greatness and goodness of God (Heb 6:10; Matt 10:42).⚜