2 Kings 25:21 So Judah was taken into exile out of its land.
The Babylonians had destroyed it all. Not only did they burn the Jewish Temple to the ground, but they incinerated every great house in the city and tore down its walls. The 27-foot bronze pillars at the temple were broken into pieces. And all the elements of worship—the pots, shovels, bowls, the gold, the silver—gone. King Jehoiachin, the priests, the officers, the fighting men, the skilled workers and artisans—gone too. Deported to Babylon.
“So Judah was taken into exile out of its land” reads one of the saddest summaries in scripture.
All the dreams of living in the land promised to Abraham and the miraculous exodus from Egypt. The unbelievable victories won against Israel’s enemies, culminating in the world renown splendor of Solomon’s reign. But this all came crashing down.
The physical destruction of the Temple and removal of the people from the land, however, reflected the spiritual reality. The nation had removed themselves from God and now God was removing himself from them. They had consistently rebelled against God, and adopted the religious practices of the surrounding countries. King after king “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” resulting in his judgment against them.
Yet, no matter how far from God we fall, there remains hope.
Chapter 25 of 2 Kings ends on somewhat of a positive note. The king of Babylon eventually released King Jehoiachin from prison and honored him as a guest at his table the rest of his life. And after 70 years in captivity, the Israelites returned to their homeland.
The sad words of Judah’s exile resulted in a new beginning. A joyous new beginning that stands as a beacon of hope for all who find themselves exiled from God’s love. If God could offer a new start to such a rebellious, ungrateful people, surely there’s hope for us!
Or for kids who’ve left the faith searching for meaning in cultural gods. For friends who once shared with us the bread and cup but now seek communion with things leading to death. In my family, three generations of men landed in Babylon for a while, but made it back to the Promised Land, more in love with Jesus than ever before.
So I believe in a God who transforms sad words into glad words. How about you?