Exiled
The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people.
Jeremiah 39:8-9
What Jeremiah had been predicting all along finally comes to pass. The wall is breached and the city falls. Flames engulf the buildings. The temple is destroyed. The people are led away in exile. Thus it ends.
The fall of Jerusalem is duplicated in three passages: here, 2 Kings 25, and Jeremiah 52. This chapter is the briefest, providing the essential information to carry on the narrative and show where Jeremiah was in the midst of it. Jeremiah wouldn’t go to Babylon, but because he was part of the sinful people, he still experienced the effects of God’s judgment on the nation.
The phrase “carried into exile” is the Hebrew word gala (גלה). It has two main meanings. First, it can mean “to go/send away [into exile]”. Secondly, it means “to uncover or reveal”. I haven’t mentioned it before, but it has already appeared multiple times throughout the book of Jeremiah. Perhaps the connection between the two distinct meanings is that those exiled “uncover” the land. Besides talking about the exile, here are a few other uses to give you a feel for the word:
- Genesis 9:21 – Noah “lay uncovered inside his tent”
- 1 Samuel 4:21-22 – God’s “glory has departed from Israel”
- 1 Samuel 9:15 – “the Lord had revealed to Samuel”
- 1 Samuel 20:2 – “disclosing” information
- Isaiah 24:11 – “all joyful sounds are banished from the earth”
Exile was one of the worst things that could happen. They were being taken away from their land and their community with God seemingly abandoning them. What did they have left? They had lost their identity.
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
Psalm 137:1
when we remembered Zion.
However, God was still with them, even in exile. And it was temporary (for the nation). He would bring them back eventually.
To Ponder…
- The book of Lamentations was written in direct response to the destruction of Jerusalem. It is traditionally attributed to Jeremiah. Take some time to read it and note the honesty of the tragedy sprinkled with the hope of God’s restoration.
- How do you handle tragedy and loss? Are you able to see God’s love in the midst of suffering?