I don’t know how they did it but they did. In the ancient world they knew a way to make fire so hot it would burn mud, cement-like bricks. And when they destroyed a city, they targeted their fortification walls. These stones were unimaginably huge. The work of destruction was a serious labor.
And that’s what happened when Babylon decided to finally finish Jerusalem off. They moved in and burned the buildings, destroyed the walls so they couldn’t easily rebuild, and carried off the articles of the temple. And these were not small knick knacks but huge bronze pillars, statues, temple articles and more. It was a desecration upon desecration upon desecration.
In the meantime the acting king at the time was Zedekiah whom the Lord found evil. Before him had been Johoichin but he had already been captured and deported to Babylon. The Babylonians actually had 3 major decorations. But this last one was the mac daddy of them all and Zedekiah knew it. He tried to go on the run. Jeremiah had warned him but he didn’t listen.
The Babylonians caught up and as a form of torture, they killed his sons in front of his eyes, then his royal officials who had served at his side. Last they gouged out his eyes but didn’t kill him. The last thing he would remember seeing would be the agony and death of his children and inner circle. He would spend the rest of his days in captivity in Babylon.
For Jehoiachin thought things would change. After 37 years in captivity (after a 3 month reign), a new king would come to power and take him out of prison and set him at his table. He would spend his days dining with the royals of Babylon.
It truly was terrible times. While Babylon was an extraordinary city in every way with its technology, innovation, glorious hanging gardens and luxurious architecture, it was still the city of captivity. It was still where Israel was not free. And most importantly, not home.
Meanwhile their beloved Jerusalem was in ruins. How could they ever return? It was promised. And many knew that promise. But they wouldn’t see it in their lifetimes. Their children hopefully would though.
And in this we see that when God says he will do something, he will do it. He warned them and warned them and warned them and they never believed him. His slowness to act was his patient restraint. But enough was enough.
God’s heart is not judgment but mercy. But he is not a pushover, easy, milquetoast God of love that has no sense of justice. He does act.
