![]() ![]() The captivity of the Jews also raised many theological questions. They hated them for destroying the temple, God’s dwelling place on earth. They hated them for attacking the city of God. The people of Judah hated everything the Babylonians stood for. To the Jews, Babylon was the center of evil. Finally, the time came when God said, “Enough!” and God allowed them to go through a season of discipline.īy 597 B.C., a large group of Jews was in exile in Babylon. They did not listen to God.įor generations, the people had turned away from the Lord. They took advantage of the poor and the weak. Why did it happen? We say it simply, it happened because the people of Judah turned away from the Lord. The Babylonian empire was one of the most demonic, brutal, corrupt, and evil empires in history.Īmid this backdrop, there is also one other part of this story that we need to consider. They were the most powerful nation on earth, and their army was ruthless. The Babylonians were not what you would consider nice people. He took whatever he wanted and destroyed everything else. He tore down the city walls, burned the temple down, and left the city in ruins. Some 10,000 people were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar in this deportation. There the Babylonians defeated the army of Judah, capturing the city and capturing their king. The year is 597 BC and Nebuchadnezzar has led the army of Babylon to the gates of Jerusalem. It was a time of despair, as we see in the book of Jeremiah. Let us reflect by looking back to the time when the people of God, the nation of Judah, went through a dark, desperate moment in their nation’s history. When the pandemic started, your business suffered a terrible loss.Īnd you cry out, “Lord, what’s happening?” How can we find hope in moments of despair? The Context of Jeremiah When the stock market crashed, you lost 60% of your family’s savings. Your father has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. You prayed for your oldest son to come back to the Lord, but instead, he seems to have hardened his heart. Your job search has led to a dead-end, and now you are out of money and out of leads. Your boss calls you in and says, “We’ve decided to let you go.” Your oldest daughter runs away, and now she’s living with her boyfriend. It’s cancer and there’s nothing we can do.” Your wife tells you she wants to separate after 25 years of marriage. ![]() The doctor calls with bad news, “I’m sorry. What do you do when you don’t like the circumstances of your life and it seems that you have lost hope and you are filled with despair? Michael Cariño delivered this message on the second night of the church’s RESET: Mid-Year Prayer and Fasting online event on July 9, 2020. ![]()
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