Day 120

The End Comes

Read: 2 Kings 24-25

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, now crushes Judah. This Scripture says he did it at God’s command because of Manasseh’s sins. It says further that God would not pardon. Why? Because God only pardons those who repent and put their trust in his promises (24:3-4). The leaders and those with technological skills are taken into exile in Babylon. Only the poor who had no means of resistance remain.

Babylon places Zedekiah on the throne of Judah, and when he rebels his sons are killed in front of him and then he is blinded. Enemies burn the temple and break down the walls of Jerusalem. They carry booty including the temple vessels back to Babylon. How tragic the results of continual rebellion against God!

Gedaliah is made governor of Judah, but he is assassinated. The remnant of the people flee to Egypt. The end has come. But this is not the end of the story; there are further chapters. A gracious God will bring a remnant back from Babylon to rebuild the temple. For now, however, the end has come for Judah.

The Bible tells us that someday the whole world will come to an end. In the judgment, God will destroy with fire the present heavens and earth, which we have polluted with our sins and in other ways. But God in his grace, after purging this world through its fiery dissolution from evil, will bring new heavens and a new earth where there will always be righteousness and peace (2 Peter 3).

PRAYER
Father, we praise you for your grace in making all things new out of what has been ruined by sin. In Christ. Amen.