II Kings 25: The Wrath Of Nebuchadnezzar (And God)

Judgment day arrives for Jerusalem, and it comes with Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army.

For years, prophets like Jeremiah had been warning Judah what was in store for its sin.  In spite of the Lord's pleadings, the people persisted in their idolatry and immorality.  Even after the first siege of Jerusalem in 598 B.C. which led to the national humiliation of exiles being led away in captivity, God's people refused to turn their hearts to Him.

Nebuchadnezzar, along with his armies of Babylon, was God's chosen instrument to deal judgment to Judah.  After Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon, the army laid siege to the city of Jerusalem.  Lasting at least eighteen months, it led to the most horrible conditions imaginable, many of which are described in the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations.  "On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine became so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land" (vs. 3).

When the walls of Jerusalem are finally breached, King Zedekiah and his men sneak out at night in a vain attempt to escape.  They are captured, and Zedekiah is forced to watch the execution of his sons before his eyes are blinded and he is taken away to Babylon as Nebuchadnezzar's prisoner.

Then Jerusalem itself comes in for destruction.  Anything of value in the Temple is stripped and carted away to Babylon as scrap.  Then Nebuchadnezzar's captain "burned the house of the Lord, the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down" (vs. 9).  All the walls around Jerusalem were torn down, leaving the city defenseless (vs. 10).  Doubtless this was done to prevent the city from ever resisting the might of the Babylonians again.

More bloodshed follows, including the killing of several priests, as well as military and political officials.  With Zedekiah led away in chains, Nebuchadnezzar appoints Gedaliah to be governor, though it would be a short-term assignment as he, too, is killed by assassination.  

The book of II Kings ends on a bloody note as the wrath of God is poured out upon the land through the military might and strategy of Nebuchadnezzar.  The nation undergoes a near-death experience as the Promised Land given through Moses and Joshua is taken away from them and the people go into harsh exile.  It is hard to imagine a darker chapter in the history between God and His people.