THE FALL OF JERUSALEM

Passage: 2 Chronicles 36:15-23

Key verse: 16

NIV

The Fall of Jerusalem(A)(B)

15 The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers(C) again and again,(D) because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed(E) at his prophets until the wrath(F) of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.(G) 17 He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,[a](H) who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men(I) or young women, the elderly or the infirm.(J) God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.(K) 18 He carried to Babylon all the articles(L) from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 They set fire(M) to God’s temple(N) and broke down the wall(O) of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed(P) everything of value there.(Q)

20 He carried into exile(R) to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants(S) to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 21 The land enjoyed its sabbath rests;(T) all the time of its desolation it rested,(U) until the seventy years(V) were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.

22 In the first year of Cyrus(W) king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

23 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed(X) me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them.’”

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Footnotes
  1. 2 Chronicles 36:17 Or Chaldeans
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ESV

15 The Lord, the God of their fathers, (A)sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 (B)But they kept mocking the messengers of God, (C)despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, (D)until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.

Jerusalem Captured and Burned

17 (E)Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand. 18 (F)And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon. 19 (G)And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels. 20 He (H)took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, (I)and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had (J)enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate (K)it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

The Proclamation of Cyrus

22 (L)Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, (M)that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, (N)the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’”

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. God's judgment on Jerusalem (15-2

)

The Chronicler comments that God mercifully sends his messengers again and again to lead his people back to him. But they humiliate his servants and hate his words, until finally God's judgment is inevitable. God's people have become thoroughly corrupted. So, God allows the Babylonians to wield his judgment. They kill most of them and take the remnant as POWs. The temple is burned and her articles carried off. Jerusalem is completely destroyed.

2. The prophecy of Jeremiah fulfilled (21-23)

The Chronicler depicts the exile as a good thing. The land finally has its sabbath rests for 7

years (21). Also, the prophecy of Jeremiah that the exile would last 7

years is fulfilled. God raises up the Persian King Xerxes who blesses them to return and rebuild the temple (23). God's judgment is his hope to revive his people's spirit.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your discipline which is your hope. Please revive us spiritually.

One Word: God's discipline is his hope to revive us.