2 Chronicles 36:17-23
In the remainder of this sad chapter we now read of the destruction of Jerusalem. King Nebuchadnezzer's army invaded killing young and old, male and female. The temple, city walls, palaces and vessels were all burnt and destroyed. Treasures from the King's palace and the temple and all the temple vessels were taken to Babylon with any surviving Jews, where they were made servants.
For seventy years these Jews remained in captivity and the land of Judah desolate, fulfilling God's word which had been prophesised by the prophet Jeremiah.
After 70 years, also according to what he had spoken via Jeremiah, God stirred up the the spirit of the new King of Persia, Cyrus, who proclaimed that the temple in Jerusalem was to be re-built and any Jews might return and do this.
We read twice in this short section how events occurred to either 'fulfil' or 'accomplish' the word of the LORD which he had spoken to Jeremiah (verses 21-22). Jeremiah had been giving the people messages from God since the 13th year of King Josiah's reign and right up until the last king Zedekiah was taken prisoner (Jeremiah 1:1-3).
In Jeremiah 25 we have more details of his message. He tells the people how they will be taken into captivity for 70 years if they do not repent of their ways, but that after this time they would pray to God and he would enable them to return to Jerusalem (Jeremiah 29:10).
How does this apply to us? God is showing us here that he gives us messages through people, and that he keeps his word, even if it is years and years later.
The entire Bible is written by people who God inspired - it is God's voice speaking to us. It can be easy to think that what we read does not apply to us, or won't happen to us - and some parts are very difficult to understand. For example, the long lists of names in the book of Numbers and the mysterious visions in Ezekiel and Revelations.
But God can open our eyes to hear his voice - we can pray with the Psalmist, 'Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law' (Psalm 119:18).
Jesus tells us that the Old Testament speaks of him - he says, 'Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me' (John 5:39). In Luke 24:27 we read of him expounding to two disciples of all the things in Moses and the prophets which speak of him. How wonderful, as we read the Old Testament to have our eyes opened to those things which speak of our Saviour and then to read in the New Testament verses which link back to these.
Furthermore, not only does the Bible speak of Jesus, and give us directions for how we are to live, but Jesus tells us that he IS the Word of God in human form (John 1:14). When we read the Bible we are hearing the Lord Jesus himself. Hebrews 4:12 says,
'For the word of God is quick (living) and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing, even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart'.
So, as we read the Bible the Lord can give us powerful messages revealing to us our thoughts and intentions.
That suddenly strikes me as so special in a way that I haven't felt for a while! When first searching to know the Lord I used to constantly feel that there was a great barrier between him and me - that my prayers didn't go beyond the ceiling of my room. That he was silent to me. I used to wish I could speak to him and hear his voice as easily as we can pick up the phone and talk to each other - but how this verse in Hebrews speaks to us! The word of God is as alive as if we have the Lord Jesus standing in front of us and audibly speaking to us!
Let us come to our Bibles anew, and eagerly read them - they are our Saviour - words of God himself, which he can use to speak to us in any circumstance which we are in. They are truth, love and the way to God - for Jesus is all of these things.
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