Jeremiah 39:1 says, In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it. Nebuchadnezzar and his army besieged Jerusalem, as Jeremiah had said he would. No many how many people claim God's word will not come to pass, it always will in His time. Verse two states, And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up. Around two and a half years later, Jerusalem fell to Babylon. They no longer had God's protection but were under His judgment. No matter how long we may avoid God's judgment, we can be certain that it is one day going to come. Verse three says, And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon. The princes of Babylon took control of the city. All those prophets who had stated that Jerusalem was not going to fall were proven wrong, even though they were all aligned against Jeremiah. Verse four declares, And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain. Zedekiah and those with him fled the city by night. God had already told Zedekiah to surrender, but he would not listen to Him. We may think that when the judgment of God comes that we will be able to slip away and avoid it, but that will never happen. God gives everyone plenty of opportunities to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and if they do not listen they will be even more defeated than Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem were. Verse five adds, But the Chaldeans’ army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him. Zedekiah's escape was not successful, and he was soon brought before Nebuchadnezzar. Verse six states, Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar killed all of Zedekiah's sons and the nobles while Zedekiah watched. He would probably have preferred to die. Death at time might be the lesser of two evils. Verse seven adds, Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon. After that, Nebuchadnezzar put out Zedekiah's eyes, chained him and led him away captive to Babylon. The last thing that Zedekiah saw was the killing of his sons and the princes around him. This was indeed a cruel punishment. Verse eight says, And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem. Though he would not see it, Zedekiah house, and those of all the people of Jerusalem were burned and the walls were broken down. When God's judgment comes, there will be nothing left standing between His people and Him. Verse nine adds, Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained. The captian of the guard carried away the rest of the people of Jerusalem into captivity. Then verse ten concludes, But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time. The poor people were left in Judah and were given vineyards and fields. Maybe sometimes it pays to be poor. Whether we are poor or not, when God's judgment comes, those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord will be left in God's kingdom. We will have all that we ever need.
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