Pam Padgett ... teacher
Kings who did evil in the sight of God ... Jehoikim, Jehoiachin,
Zedekiah ... reigned over Judah, and Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came
up against them.
Even when God sent His prophet Jeremiah to turn Zedekiah, he hardened
his heart and would not turn to God ....
2 Chronicles 36:5 Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he
began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did
that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. 6 Against him came
up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry
him to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the
house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. 8
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he
did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the
book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in
his stead. 9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and
he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that
which was evil in the sight of the LORD. 10 And when the year was
expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the
goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother
king over Judah and Jerusalem. 11 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old
when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 And he
did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled
not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the
LORD. 13 And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made
him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from
turning unto the LORD God of Israel.
The chief priests and people also did abominations. When God had
compassion on His people and sent messengers to turn them back to God, they were mocked, despised and misused ...
2 Chronicles 36:14 Moreover all the chief of the
priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the
abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he
had hallowed in Jerusalem. 15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to
them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had
compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: 16 But they mocked
the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets,
until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no
remedy.
As a result, they were given into the hand of the king of the Chaldees. Much destruction was
done in Jerusalem, even burning the house of the Lord. Those who were
not killed were taken as servants to Babylon for 70 years ...
2 Chronicles 36:17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of the
Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their
sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or
him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand. 18 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 And they burnt the house of God, and
brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof
with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. 20 And them
that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they
were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of
Persia: 21 To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah,
until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate
she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.
This was according to the word of the
Lord delivered by Jeremiah ...
Jeremiah 25:8 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, 9 Behold, 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. 10 Moreover 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. 11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
When Cyrus king of Persia reigned over Babylon, God charged Cyrus to build a house for the Lord in Jerusalem, and
Cyrus gave orders for
the people of God to do this. Those God raised in their spirit went to build the house of the Lord, and the rest willingly provided what was needed ...
Ezra 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia,
that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled,
the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a
proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing,
saying, 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath
given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build
him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Who is there among you
of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem,
which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is
the God,) which is in Jerusalem. 4 And whosoever remaineth in any place
where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and
with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill
offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem. 5 Then rose up the
chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the
Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build
the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. 6 And all they that were
about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold,
with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that
was willingly offered.
Cyrus also returned the vessels of the house of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar had taken ...
Ezra 1:7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of
the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and
had put them in the house of his gods; 8 Even those did Cyrus king of
Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered
them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
This also fulfilled the word of the Lord delivered by Jeremiah ... Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem; They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place. (Jeremiah 27:21-22)
It caused me to marvel in God that He stirred up Cyrus king of Persia ... who ruled over the
children of Israel held as servants in Babylon ... to direct the children of Israel to build the
house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and also to return the vessels that belong in
the house of God, according to the word He had spoken through Jeremiah. And the children of Israel, who had before turned from God and been removed from Jerusalem, were turned to serve God and allowed to return to Jerusalem.
Psalm
135:5 For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. 6
Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas,
and all deep places.
Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.