Study Questions:

1. Why did the Lord send the raiding bands against Judah? 2 Kings 24:2-4

2. Why did the Lord cast Judah out of His presence? 2 Kings 24:18-20

3. What good will did Merodach show to Jehoiachin? 2 Kings 25:27-30

Commentary and Reflection:

Often, when trials and tribulations come, we think it has come at the hand of an enemy to destroy us, when it is the hand of God taking desperate measures to save us. In Genesis 32 Jacob thought Esau was the enemy but found himself wrestling with God. Once Jacob was right with God, Esau was no longer an enemy. Later Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers. At first it appeared his brothers were the enemy, destroying all his dreams, but in Genesis 45:5 Joseph realizes it was God who sent him into Egypt to make his dreams come true.

2 Kings 24-25 is a sad account of the last days of Judah. Babylon is a cruel tyrant, but while it may look like the destruction is coming at the hands of Babylon, it is God working through Babylon to humble his people and bring a remnant to repentance and restoration. Daniel 1:2 tells us God gave Jehoiakim into the king of Babylon’s hands. 2 Kings 24:2 says God sent the raiding bands into Judah. Of course, it would have been better had Judah remained faithful to God. It was not God’s will for any of this to happen. It is a very sad and painful experience in the chapter of God’s people. But even in all this God is working to redeem and restore His people. It was while Judah was in the middle of its darkest experience that God told them:

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

While Judah was experiencing the natural consequences of what goes around comes around, God was working through an evil tyrant like Nebuchadnezzar to bring a remnant to redemption and restoration. We read in John 8:2-11, years later some evil men with very ill intentions seduced a woman into sin and dragged her to the temple one morning thinking they had secured her destruction. Instead, they inadvertently led her to Jesus’ feet where she found salvation, redemption and restoration.

In that story Jesus writes their sins in the sand privately revealing their personal sins, to protect the dignity of the evil men as well as the dignity of the poor woman. In this ugly story Jesus was still working to save everyone involved. Amazingly, we read in Daniel 4 about the conversation of this very evil Nebuchadnezzar we read about in 2 Kings 24-25. Yes, 2 Kings 24-25 is also a very ugly story that should never have happened. Still, God had a plan. Just like Jesus had a plan to save everyone involved in that ugly story at the temple that morning in John 8, God still had a plan to save all the wicked people involved in that ugly story in 2 Kings 24-25. In the ugliest moments of Judah’s history God was still showing his mercy and planning a way to redeem and restore everyone involved, including Nebuchadnezzar. Because of Judah’s sin it wasn’t pretty, but you can fast forward to Nehemiah and read about the restoration of Judah. Yes, by God’s grace everything that was torn down got rebuilt. Where we see man’s ugliness we see God’s beauty. We read of God’s mercy shown to Jehoiachin even during these darkest hours.

Friend, how is it with you today? Is your business falling apart, or maybe your family or personal life, or all three because of terrible decisions you have made? If so, some pretty dark and ugly days could be ahead for you. But take heart-God still has a plan to redeem and restore you just like He had a plan to redeem and restore Judah and Nebuchadnezzar, and the poor woman in John 8 as well as those evil men who dragged her there that day.

The trials and tribulations you face today are not from an enemy intent on destroying you, but rather from a loving God intending to redeem and restore you,