[We apologize for the occasional noise in this recording. A transcript is available.]
The events of 2 Chronicles 36:1-21 take 23 years – from the death of Josiah in 609 to the destruction of the temple in 586.
Josiah was only 39 years old when he died – cut down in the prime of his manhood. No doubt the people of Judah had hoped that he would reign for decades more – but in the span of 23 years, Jerusalem went from the pinnacle of hope to utter obliteration.
And as the Babylonians continued to push back the Assyrians, many in Jerusalem hoped that Judah, as a loyal ally of Babylon, would be rewarded. But others feared Babylon's increasing power, and they looked southward to Egypt as their deliverer.
And so for twenty years the pro-Egypt and the pro-Babylon parties vied for control. In retrospect, we cluck our tongues and wag our heads: didn't they know better? They should have trusted the LORD – not the nations around them!
But how do we do at trusting the LORD? We have the same tendency to put our hope and trust in the nations.
Where do we find our confidence and our hope? When you face uncertainty and confusion, where do you turn? Music, sports, medication, politics? Do you make the LORD your trust?
We have the same tendencies as our fathers – and we need to repent and believe the good news that Jesus is King!
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