The siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, began in the ninth year of King Zedekiah’s reign. The city was besieged for approximately 1.5 to 3 years. This event had, in fact, long been foretold by God’s prophets. God allowed all of this to happen as a consequence of Judah’s disobedience and as part of His discipline of His people. Unfortunately, many of the people of Judah chose to reject this message. They believed that the Temple of God and His holy city could not be destroyed by a pagan nation. Jeremiah was even accused of being a traitor and nearly lost his life whilst prophesying the fall of Judah. 

Now the disaster has truly come to pass. The mighty Babylonian army entered Jerusalem. They laid waste to the city and set it ablaze. The ritual objects used in worship were plundered and carried off to Babylon as spoils of war. Do you know what King Zedekiah did when this crisis struck? Zedekiah fled with his army, abandoning the people he was supposed to guard and protect. Thank God that the people of Judah remained under God’s protection despite the various crises in their lives. 

Dear Friends of the Bible, life and joy do indeed often alternate with challenges and struggles. In times of joy, it is easy to feel gratitude, but in the face of challenges and struggles, it feels so difficult. Like Zedekiah, we too may want to run away and abandon all our responsibilities. Yet the Lord wants us to persevere and face challenges by relying fully on Him. Just as Judah was shaped by challenges and struggles, this may well be the way the Lord shapes us too. Let us recognise this and continue to persevere in our own lives.