0746. During the Captivity

During the Captivity

"Is it a light thing to the House of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence * * therefore will I also deal in fury" (Eze_8:17-18).

In the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the five hundred and fourth year after Saul was crowned as king, the Babylonian servitude began. This was in 496 B.C. Eight years later Jehoiachin was carried into captivity, and Zedekiah became a vassal-king in Jerusalem, under Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah rebelled, and in 477 B.C. the Temple was burned, the city partially destroyed and Zedekiah was carried captive to Babylon.

At the time of Zedekiah’s captivity, Isaiah the Prophet had been dead one hundred years; Jeremiah was just closing his testimonies, and Ezekiel was already on the scene. Daniel was carried into Babylon about 496 B.C., and continued 72 years, unto 424 B.C. Ezra and Nehemiah came along about this same time.

The above dates and epochal events are set forth to get before us the times of the servitude, captivity and desolation of Israel.

We have no better way to get at the real conditions of Jerusalem and the holy city during these days of her vassalage and captivity, than to read the Lamentations of Jeremiah, the prayer of Daniel recorded in his 9th chapter, and the heartaches of Ezra and Nehemiah as set forth in their respective books.

Suffice it to say that satan had well nigh depleted the city, destroyed the Temple, and ravaged the people.

Jeremiah foreseeing all of these devastations thus expresses God’s thought:

"How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!

She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.

Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.

Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.

The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things" (Lam_1:1-3, Lam_1:8, Lam_1:10, f. c).

It is true that, under Cyrus, Cambyses and Darius Hystaspis the rebuilding of the Temple became possible. All of this, however, was finally accomplished with much difficulty.

The slurs and contemptible epithets of Sanballat and Tobiah during the rebuilding of the wall, readily reveal the efforts of satan to undo everything that God, in His grace, was making possible in behalf of His people.

When Christ was born the children of Israel were still vassals, being under the iron heel of Rome.

Satan had continued to fight against the people of God, and so corrupted had they become that, when God’s Son came they refused Him, and killed Him.

Satan had never wearied himself in his conflict against God’s people. He had left no stone unturned for their overthrow. After all, satan knew well enough that he could never have prevailed against Israel by mere sieges and force conflicts. God always had manifested His power to deliver His people under any circumstances, when His people sought Him with a true heart. This was demonstrated in many ways such as the slaying of Goliath; Jonathan’s victory; the overthrow of Sennacherib’s army; the undoing of Haman’s direful plot, etc.

Satan knew he could be successful only in so far as he could turn the heart of the people away from their fidelity to God. If he could swerve Israel from her trust and faithfulness, God would, in the holy justice of His wrath, place a curse upon His people.

Thus, satan hardened Israel’s heart, and corrupted Israel’s faith. He turned her against her own Prophets, and finally he turned her against her Saviour, the One Who held her redemption in His hand. Such were satan’s strategies and such was the success that he reached against the people of the Lord.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR