Justice and the Prophets
Called to God's Work of Justice
Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5)
Practice Justice
2 Kings 24:20-25:7 New International Version
20 It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end, he thrust them from his presence.
The Fall of Jerusalem
Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
25 So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siegeworks all around it. 2 The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.
3 By the ninth day of the fourth[ a] month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. 4 Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians[ b] were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah,[ c] 5 but the Babylonian[ d] army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered 6 and he was captured.
He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where a sentence was pronounced on him. 7 They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.
For Reflection
When given a choice to save his people or ensure their deaths, Zedekiah chose to preserve the sinful character of a fallen city. In doing so, he defied God and accepted the idolatry of maintaining power and domination over God's people. No king, not even David, escaped the corrupting influence of power.
Pray
Pray so that you can ward off the corrupting influences of our times.
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