“He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword and the become servants to him and his sons until the king of Persia came to power. The land enjoyed its sabbath rests all the time of its desolation it rested until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.” vv.20-21
Read chapter 36
The southern kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem finally go in to captivity, the norther kingdom had been in captivity for a while already. After the death of King Josiah the kings of Judah reign for fleeting moments as the king of Egypt and ultimately king of Babylon take over and destroy Jerusalem. This captivity was bound to happen but because of God’s long-suffering it didn't come for generations as the people would return to the Lord and then to idols over and over again, but now there was no remedy (v.17). Captivity was prophesied to last 70 years and 70 years it did. Most of Judah was killed but a remnant was taken to Babylon as slaves and few of them made it to see the return to Jerusalem as most their children that were born in captivity will be the ones to return. They return to Jerusalem when Persia is in power that overtook Babylon. Jerusalem laid desolate the whole 70 years and it was a time of rest for the land as it hadn't celebrated the year of jubilee (where the land was not to be worked for two years to rest) nor was the 7th year rest being honored. No one else ever came to inhabit the land during that time and was the same place they would return and rebuild and is still the same Jerusalem we have today. How do you understand God’s giving all Israel up to captivity for so long? Have you ever been removed from you home? What was that like or how could you imagine that being like? Did or would make this you mad at God or learn from Him?
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