The End

Read 2 Kings 25:2-4, 22 Jeremiah 39:1-5, 9-18; 52:9-11, 15-19, 24, 27-30; 40:1-6
 
Jeremiah 39:11-14 King Nebuchadnezzar had told Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, to find Jeremiah. 12 “See that he isn’t hurt,” he said. “Look after him well, and give him anything he wants.” 13 So Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard; Nebushazban, a chief officer; Nergal-sharezer, the king’s adviser; and the other officers of Babylon’s king 14 sent messengers to bring Jeremiah out of the prison. They put him under the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, who took him back to his home. So Jeremiah stayed in Judah among his own people.
 
THESE various scripture passages point to the day of the LORD come to Jerusalem and Judah. This is Babylon’s final conquest that destroys the city and Temple. Still even in the end the LORD God revealed the beginning of a new stage in his salvation plan.
   First, Jeremiah, rejected by Judah, is received by Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar, the pagan king, honors the man of God. Perhaps this is a foretaste of how he will treat Daniel and his friends. Some say this may have been the Babylon king’s response to Jeremiah’s letter urging the Jews to build homes and honor the Babylon government. It is good to follow God’s instructions. You will find reward. Babylon’s provisions are at Jeremiah’s disposal.
   But before that happened, we learn Jeremiah was first captured with others and chained to be exiled: Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had released him at Ramah. He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the other captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being sent to exile in Babylon. (40:1b) But then the captain of the guard called for Jeremiah and said, “The LORD your God has brought this disaster on this land, 3 just as he said he would. For these people have sinned against the LORD and disobeyed him. That is why it happened. 4 But I am going to take off your chains and let you go. If you want to come with me to Babylon, you are welcome. I will see that you are well cared for. But if you don’t want to come, you may stay here. The whole land is before you. Go wherever you like.” (Jeremiah 40:2-4)
   Again we learn how God puts his truth on the hearts of unbelieving people. This Babylon official understood why this war and devastation happened to Judah. He doesn’t credit his leader or his country. But he credits God for fulfilling the prophecies against Judah’s sins. Only if Zedekiah and other officials had such an understanding!
   All prophecies, Ezekiel’s grievous illustrations and Jeremiah’s land purchase come together here. God was marching forward to the purpose of his salvation plan for the entire world. He displayed his holy judgment on his idolatrous people. He said, “This is what I will do.” And he did as he said.
   The preaching, the teachings, the studies and the doing of God’s Word continues to point us forward. Seeing what God has done must assure us of what God will do.