Jerusalem falls – Be Still…

Ezekiel 15:1-8 – Wood of the Vine

Read Ezekiel 15:1-8

Normally, when we think about a vine in Biblical terms, we imagine it bearing fruit or talking about Jesus, the “true vine.” Yet Ezekiel’s message is not dealing with fruit at all, In fact, the LORD surprisingly said, “Vines are useless both before and after being put into the fire!”

Other Biblical references speak of the “fruit of the vine” or bearing fruit, but Ezekiel’s vines don’t appear to be fruitful. When compared to a mighty tree of the forest, the wood of a vine would be pretty wimpy or useless for tasks known to be handled well by other wood sources, like trees. Continue reading “Ezekiel 15:1-8 – Wood of the Vine”

2 Chronicles 36:11-23 – Jerusalem Falls and Then…

Read 2 Chronicles 36:11-23

It’s never easy to read the account of Jerusalem falling knowing it could have been prevented. It breaks my heart that the prophets of God were treated like they were. We’re told how the people “scoffed at the prophets until the Lord’s anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done.” God’s patience had come to an end.

Our reading begins with Zedekiah’s evil leadership. The Chronicler tells us, “Zedekiah was a hard and stubborn man, refusing to turn to the LORD, the God of Israel.” Was it his stubbornness that kept him from acknowledging King Nebuchadnezzar, the very one who made him king? Zedekiah’s oath of loyalty meant nothing. Continue reading “2 Chronicles 36:11-23 – Jerusalem Falls and Then…”

Jeremiah 52:1-11 – A New Season

Read Jeremiah 52:1-11

What’s going through my head right now is “déjà vu!” I feel like I have already lived through this text recently. (See Chapter 39 and also 2 Kings 25.) In effect, Chapter 52 serves as a conclusion or historical appendix of all the things God said would happen through Jeremiah. We’ll reflect on the fall of Jerusalem in a couple chunks.

Today we look at what happened to the kingly leadership. From what we read in Scripture, kingship doesn’t necessarily mean devotion to God. While Zedekiah’s future sounds painful, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise if he had been listening to Jeremiah. Zedekiah had plenty of opportunity to re-evaluate his life and turn toward God. It’s hard to imagine enduring such torture when it could have been avoided. This was certainly not a good “season” for Zedekiah.