Bible Talks: 2 Chronicles 36:7, 8

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The Lord had been gracious to His people. Since the time their fatrs came forth out of the land of Egypt, He had sent them prophets, “daily rising up early and sending them.” But they did not listen to His voice; instead they hardened their hearts against Him, and in the end they did worse than their fathers (Jer. 7:25, 2625Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: 26Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. (Jeremiah 7:25‑26)). At last there was no remedy. Those bright reformation days of Josiah were His last intervention in mercy to His people; with the death of Josiah His forbearance ceased, and the judgment began to fall.
But we see that the hearts of men are the same today as then. God in grace is still sending out the gospel to a world under judgment, for He is long-suffeng to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:99The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)). But “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Eccl. 8:1111Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. (Ecclesiastes 8:11). Men take advantage of the delay that grace gives in order to sin the more. The sons of the godly Josiah all “did evil in the sight of the Lord” and in their folly they led the kingdom on to its destruction.
It seems that the king of Babylon allowed Jehoiakim to return, for it says he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He was warned many times, but he resented these admonitions and put Urijah the prophet to death (Jer. 26: 20-23). In the fourth year of his reign, after hearing read the book Jeremiah had written, he ordered it to be cut into pieces and burned. He also ordered the arrest of Jeremiah and his friend, Baruch, but the Lord hid them. Jehoiakim’s end is not recorded, but God had declared He would punish him, saying, “He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.”
When Nebuchadnezzar came and carried away Jehoiakim, he also took with him to Babylon many of the vessels from the house of the Lord, and many captives among whom were Daniel and his companions. This was in the year 606 B.C. and is called the first captivity. Jeremiah refers to this date (Jer. 25:9-129Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. 10Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. 11And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. (Jeremiah 25:9‑12)) as we read in verse 21 of our chapter: “until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate, to fulfill threescore and ten years.” Years later Daniel learned from reading this prophecy of Jeremiah that the time of their captivity was almost up. It caused him to set his face unto the Lord God to seek by prayers and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes, that the Lord would let His anger and fury be turned from Jerusalem and cause His face to shine upon His sanctuary. The Lord awered him in a beautiful way not only in the ending of the captivity, but in giving him a revelation of the coming of the Messiah. (Dan. 9.)
The Lord referred to this date, 606 B.C., in Luke 21:2424And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21:24) when He said, “And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” The Jews have not yet been able to get full control of the city. “The times of the Gentiles” began with Nebuchadnezzar to whom it was said: “Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.” Three other empires succeeded that of Babylon, and “the times of the Gentiles” run on until God in His own time shall restore supremacy in the earth to His ancient people, Israel.
ML 02/08/1959