Jeremiah had prophesied the sending into exile of the southern kingdom, Judah. This is especially highlighted in the failure by the people of Jerusalem to uphold God’s laws and maintain the pure worship of God. This brought about, after many warnings, the judgment that was visited upon them, resulting in their removal to Babylon following the conquest of Jerusalem by the invading armies of Nebuchadnezzar.
Separated from the religious life and comforts of Jerusalem, from its heritage, from the Temple, from all that they knew and loved, those captive exiles in Babylon had been removed to a place, in some respects of great beauty and opulence. It had fine buildings, the much admired ‘hanging gardens’, it had docks and over twenty temples dedicated to the worship of their own gods. All this made Babylon a centre of wealth and power.
It was however a city that was to the exiles a token of God’s displeasure. For them it was a place of punishment, a place for correction, where a wayward people would learn to be obedient and trust the Lord.
Many of the exiles longed for Zion, for in Psalm 137:1-3 we read “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.â€
For us today, in exile in this world, experiencing the heaviness and despair brought on by sin, do we long for that peace and joy we have not yet found? Dear friend return to the God of our salvation, leave the City of Babylon and receive the blessing of God in your life. |
Older
Top
