The Exile in Babylon

What is the one thing you think God HATES the most? SIN!

2 Kings 25 Read this Chapter This scripture talks about the story of Exile. What does the word EXILE mean? When did that Exile happen? –The period during which most of the people of Judah and Jerusalem were forced to live in Babylonia

God’s Commandments The Lord is Holy God doesn’t like sin, so when people sinned, they were punished by being sent into exile

Zedekiah, King of Jerusalem sinned against the Lord. The people followed him and sinned. They turned away from the commandments of God, so the Lord punished them.

There was another King whose country was a neighboring country, what was his name? King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia

–This King came to fight the king of Jerusalem. His army got into the city, looted (stole) and killed many people. They built towers around it and besieged it. The siege lasted for 2 years! –The people in the city suffered from severe hunger, they needed food and there was severe famine.

–The King of Jerusalem and a number of his army fled at night through the Royal Garden, went through the gateway and fled in the direction of the Jordan Valley, but the Babylonian army pursued King Zedekiah and captured him in the plains near Jericho. King Zedekiah was deserted by all of his soldiers.

–King Zedekiah was taken to King Nebuchadnezzar and there he was passed sentenced on. –While Zedekiah looked on, his sons were killed in front of him and then His eyes were taken out and he was placed in chains and taken into Babylon.

How did the Lord Punish the People when they sinned? What does “spiritual exile” mean? Who can forgive sins? What was the sentence passed on the King of Jerusalem?

The King of Babylon (King ….) entered Jerusalem: He burnt down the temple, the palace, and the houses of all the important people. The city walls were also torn down by his soldiers.

He took with him to Babylon those that were left in the city, all the people of Jerusalem into exile and plundered them. He sent all the people into exile, except for the Prophet Jeremiah,

The people suffered oppression for a long time, during this long time of suffering their hearts returned to God. They cried, “O Lord, have mercy on us…we have sinned against You. Remember your promise, your covenant. O Lord, when will you come back to us and have mercy on us again?”

We are all sinners and we must always humble ourselves and ask the Lord by saying, “O Lord, have Mercy on us sinners!” Repeat the phrase together….

Questions What did Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon do with the city of Jerusalem? What did Nebuchadnezzar do with the king of Jerusalem and the people of Jerusalem? What did Nebuchadnezzar do with the temple, he King’s palace and all the houses of the people? What caused all these tribulations?

Conclusion Although God is merciful, kind, gracious and overly abundant to us with His Love, He dislikes sin! He is righteous. He gives sinners many chances to repent and return, but when man lives in sin all of his life, the Lord punishes him –“Or do you presume upon the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not know that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:4-5)

Memory Verse: “God be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13)