The world spins around you. It does not stop. You are reeling from the loss of balance. You are still trying to find your footing. Everything is going wrong. Everything is collapsing and crumbling at an alarming rate. You are trying very hard to figure out how it got to this point. You are not able to figure it out.
In 2 Kings 25, we read about the complete fall of Jerusalem. It is a culmination of years of rebellion and neglect of God’s commands. Israel is going through the darkest valley. King Nebuchadnezzar if Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem for two years. What follows are famine, destruction of the temple, and finally, the exile of God’s people. The walls are broken down. The king is captured. Jerusalem lies in ruins. This is the consequence of forsaking God.
Verse 21 captures the painful reality of exile. They people lost their land; they are driven from their own land. Not only that, but they also lost their sense of identify and closeness to God. 2 Kings 25 challenges us to carefully consider the results of persistent disobedience and the weight of judgement. Yet, it leaves room for reflection on God’s mercy. We know that even after judgement, God has a plan for redemption.
I invite you to say this prayer.
My Father in heaven, I come before you with hearts of humility. Help me to learn from the lessons of Jerusalem’s fall. Help me to walk faithfully in your ways. When I stray, draw me back to you. Restore what has been broken in my life. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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