2 Kings 25:8 says, And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem: In the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuzaradan came to Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem had not immediately been destroyed when the people finally surrendered, but Nebuzaradan came now about a month later to complete the destruction. Of course, without God's people there, it was just buildings, except that God had made Jerusalem special to Himself. If we as Christians are taken away captive, then our church buildings become just buildings, except for the fact that they were dedicated to God. Verse nine adds, And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire. Nebuzaradan burned God's Temple, the king's palace, the houses of the great men of Jerusalem, and all the houses of Jerusalem. Nothing was spared. Without God's protection and His people there, Jerusalem was defenseless, and so are we as Christians today. Anytime we as individuals or as a nation turn away from God and His commandments, we become defenseless spiritually if not physically. Verse ten continues, And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about. After the buildings were burned, the walls of Jerusalem be broken down. Matthew Henry points out the Temple had stood for 420 or 430 years according to who is counting them, but now God did not spare it. If we as a nation turn away from God, we should not expect Him to continue to protect us, no matter how long He may have been doing so. Verse eleven states, Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away. Nebuzaradan then carried the rest of the people of importance away in captivity. No one who was considered to be of importance was left. If people considered to be of importance to God were carried away today, would we be carried away with them or would we be considered of no importance? Verse twelve adds, But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. The poor people were left to be vinedressers and husbandmen. At least the poor people weren't carried away captive, even if they were left in positions of serving those who had defeated them. We would be better off being poor and not carried away in captivity to some other force in the world and having to serve them physically than we would be if we were completely taken away from a place where God is known to be the ultimate power. Verse thirteen continues, And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the Lord, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. The Babylonians broke up all the things made of brass in the Temple and took the brass back to Babylon. They had no fear of destroying the things dedicated to God and to His worship services, and people of the world today still have no fear of destroying things that are dedicated to God and our worship of Him. Of course, if nearly all the Christians have been taken away captive, as the people of Israel were, then there wouldn't be much need of things that were dedicated to worshipping God. Verse fourteen says, And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. Verse fifteen adds, And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away. These two verses continue to list the things that had been made to be used in worshipping God that were taken away from Jerusalem. In many places in the world today, those in power still attempt to take away anything that is associated with the worship of God, but they can never take away the Holy Spirit, so as long as we remain true to God, they may take away all our material possessions, but they can never take us away from Him. Verse sixteen continues, The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord; the brass of all these vessels was without weight. Verse seventeen concludes, The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work. Some of the brass in the Temple was too heavy to even be weighed. Still, Matthew Henry points out that since the people had profaned the Temple, God no longer protected it and allowed it to be totally destroyed. No matter how valuable our houses of worship to God may be today, if they are profaned, then they become of no value to God. It really is the people and not the buildings that make up God's church, and if the people become profane, then we should not be surprised if destruction comes.
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