← The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 191: The Babylonian Exile (2025)
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As we finish our journey in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, Fr. Mike highlights the Babylonian exile as a critical event in the story of salvation. Although the exile is a dark and devastating part of Israel's history, Fr. Mike reminds us that it's not the end of their story. Today's readings are 2 Kings 25, 2 Chronicles 36, and Proverbs 9:1-6.
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Fr. Mike Schmitz
Hi, my name is Fr. Mike Schmitz and you're listening to the Bible in a Year Podcast where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture. The Bible in a Year Podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the Great Adventure Bible Timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story. Today it is day 191. As I said yesterday, maybe even the day before. It is the last chapters in Second Kings and Second Chronicles. We're reading Second Kings chapter 25 and Second Chronicles chapter 36. Also reading Proverbs chapter 9, verses 1 through 6. Just a short reading from Proverbs today. As always, the Bible translation that I am reading from is the Revised Standard Version, second Catholic Edition, and I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com Bibleina year if you want to, you can subscribe to this podcast and receive daily episodes. As I said, notice how I know keep notice this I have not kept like hammering away the point about the subscription of these things, that's all. Just noting that it is day 191. We are reading 2 Kings 25, 2 Chronicles chapter 36, and Proverbs chapter 9, verses 1 through 6. The second book of Kings, chapter 25 and in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it, and they built siege works against it round about. So the city was besieged till the 11th year of King Zedekiah. On the 9th day of the 4th month, the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. Then a breach was made in the city. The king, with all the men of war, fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls by the king's garden, though the Chaldeans were around the city, and they went in the direction of the Arabah. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, who passed sentence upon him. They slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters and took him to Babylon. The Babylonian exile in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month which was the 19th year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. And he burned the house of the Lord and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every great house he burned down. And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. And the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the multitude. Nebuzaradon, the captain of the guard, carried into exile. But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and ploughmen. And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the Lord and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the Lord. The Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon. And they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service. The fire pans also, and the bowls. What was of gold, the captain of the guard took away as gold. And what was of silver, as silver as for the two pillars, the one sea and the stands which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord. The bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. The height of the One pillar was 18 cubits, and upon it was a capital of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits, a network in pomegranates. All of bronze were upon the capitol round about. And the second pillar had the like with the network. And the captain of the guard took Seraiah, the chief priest, and Zephaniah, the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold. And from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of war and five men of the king's council who were found in the city. And the secretary of the commander of the army, who mustered the people of the land and 60 men of the people of the land who were found in the city. And Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. And the king of Babylon struck them and put them to death at Riblah, in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of its land, Gedaliah made governor of Judah. And over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had left, he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, the governor. Now, when all the captains of the forces in the open country and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedalia governor, they came with their men to Gedalia at Mizpah, namely Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maakathite. And Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. But in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Netaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with 10 men and attacked and killed Gedalia and the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpeh. Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. Jehoiachin is freed by Evil Merodach. And in the 37th year of the exile of Johoiachin, king of Judah, in the 12th month, on the 27th day of the month, Evil Merodach, king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin, king of Judah, from prison. And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments and every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table. And for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king every day, a portion as long as he lived. The second book of Chronicles, chapter 36. Jehoahaz rule over Judah. The people of the land took Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem. Jehoahaz was 23 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. Then the king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and laid upon the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. And the king of Egypt made Eliakim, his brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Necho took Jehoahaz, his brother, and carried him to Egypt. The reign and captivity of jehoiakim. Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters to take him to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also carried a part of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his palace in Babylon. And now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and the abominations which he did and what was found against him, Behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son, reigned in his stead the reign and captivity of Jehoiachin. Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. In the spring of the year, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon with the precious vessels of the house of the Lord and made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem. Zedekiah's reign over Judah. Zedekiah was 21 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah, the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel. All the leading priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations, and they polluted the house of the Lord, which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. The fall of Jerusalem the Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, till the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand, and all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his princes. All these he brought to Babylon and they burned down the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels. He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia to fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths, all the days that it lay desolate, it kept Sabbath to fulfill 70 years. Cyrus proclaims liberty for the exiles. Now, in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing. Thus says Cyrus, king of the Lord, the God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up. The Book of Proverbs, chapter 9, verses 1 through 6. The Feast of Wisdom and General Maxims. Wisdom has built her house. She has set up her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts. She has mixed her wine. She has also set her table. She has sent out her maids to call from the highest places in the town. Whoever is simple, let him turn in here. To him who is without sense, she says, come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave simpleness and live and walk in the way of insight. Father, in heaven, we give you praise. And as we come to a conclusion of this, this portion of the story, we know that. Gosh, Lord, where all things seem dark. Where all things seem dark, especially in our lives, we recognize that they are truly dark. They can be real dark. There is real death, there's real suffering, there's real destruction. And yet we keep walking. Lord God, you've given us the ability to continue to move and act in this world, to continue to cry out to you, to call out to you with our broken hearts, to cry out to you with our broke lives. Even in the midst of darkness, you give us the power to walk. Help us, Lord God, help us to walk with hope, knowing that darkness is not dark for you. The end is not the end for you, that even the grave is not the end for you. Because we know that you've conquered sin, you conquered suffering, you conquered death by your death and your resurrection. And so, Lord God, like you will bring resurrection to the people of Israel, although it'll take so long. Bring resurrection to our lives. Bring healing to our lives. Restore us. Restore us to our home. Restore us to your heart. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Okay. Gosh. Okay, so here we have. We have it. We have the last chapters of Kings and Chronicles, 2 Kings 25 and 2 Chronicles 36. And we hear. This is. This is a critical moment right there. There have been so many critical moments that we've. We've listened to, that we've heard of in this whole Bible. In a year, for the last 191 days, the critical moments of being sold, not sold into slavery in Egypt, but to find themselves in Egypt and then slaves, but then also to be delivered by slavery, by the hand of the Lord God himself. In all these miracles that he had done against the Egyptians to set them free from Pharaoh and from slavery, how God led them through the wilderness, led them into the promised land, and led them by Moses, by Joshua, gave even good Judges and some bad Judges. We heard about how God blessed, anointed Samuel to be able to anoint the first king Saul and then to anoint David. We saw all of these ways in which God continues to call his people to himself and to give them this blessed land. And now here with the conclusion of these two books, 2nd Kings and 2 Chronicles, they are leaving their land and they're being brought to Babylon. A couple things to keep in mind. The kingdoms of the north, or the kingdom of the north, the nations, the tribes of the north, those 10 tribes, they're gone. They are gone, only to be restored in the age of the church. But these two tribes in the south, Judah and Benjamin, they are misplaced, right? They are in exile. A couple things to highlight, just to kind of point out. We have King Zedekiah and Zedekiah, what happened is here is the army of the Chaldeans, and they captured him and brought him up to the king of Babylon, and they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and then put out his eyes. So the last thing that Zedekiah saw was the death of his sons, was the death of his children. And yeah, this is obviously horrible, horrible kind of a situation, but it fulfills this promise that Ezekiel. We're going to read Ezekiel in a number of weeks from now. But Ezekiel had said this in Ezekiel chapter 12. He had said, I will also spread my net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans. Yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there. So what happened was, here's Zedekiah, who, again, the last thing he saw was his sons being killed in front of his eyes. And then what happened was the king Nebuchadnezzar took him, found him in fetters, and brought him to Babylon. And so, yeah, just like Ezekiel had said, he will be brought into the land of the Chaldeans and brought into Babylon, but he shall not see it. He will die there. We saw that. I also want to note that there's two prominent people who are left in Judah. That's the Gedalia, who's made the governor, basically, of Judah. And we have Jeremiah. Now, we don't know that Jeremiah is left there yet, unless we've already read Jeremiah, chapter 39, where Jeremiah notes this, that he is going to stay with the people of Israel in Judah. He's going to say that stay with the people, the chosen people in Judah. He's going to stay with them amongst the poor. And yet all of this Second Chronicles ends with a word of hope. Remember, this is the last book written. The last book written. It's this word. Yes. The people of Judah are brought into exile. Yes. They're made into servants to the king of Babylon and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia. This is verse 21. To fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths, and all the days that it lay desolate, it kept sabbath to fulfill 70 years. Jeremiah had noted that the land's going to recover its lost Sabbaths. What are you doing by turning away from the Lord? Remember how Joel says about that, says this. I think Amos says this as well, that that sense of you cannot wait. You can't wait for feast days to be over. You can't wait for Sabbath to be over so you can go back to your work. And so here is this spiritual interpretation that the chronicler gives, which is, yeah, the Lord is recovering the lost Sabbaths of the land that you did not. You were not willing to give God that Sabbath day. You're not willing to give God that rest. You're not willing to give God that worship. So what's happening is he's going to exile you away from the land. The land will have to rest because very few people will be living there, you will not be living there. And therefore the land will recover its lost Sabbaths, but not forever. And this is the incredible good news, the incredible piece of hope which is God is going to bring you back. And that's the last verses of chapter 36 in Chronicles that the day is going to come when there's this king of Persia, King Cyrus, and he'll make this decree and he'll be able to say, and he will say, all of you, all of you. The Lord God has given me the kingdoms of the earth, all of them. He's charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. And whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up. And this word, this powerful word of Cyrus that he's prophesied about Cyrus is prophesied about by Isaiah. So before Cyrus even existed, Isaiah had said, now this is what's going to happen. There's going to be a king, king Cyrus, who's going to send the people back to Jerusalem. He's going to send them back to build him a temple, to rebuild that city of Jerusalem. And here it is in the second book of Chronicles, chapter 36. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him and let him go up. Tomorrow we begin walking with the prophets. The prophets have so much to say to the people of Israel, so much to say to the Jewish people. The prophets also have so much to say to us today. And so that's what we're going to do for the next number of days. We're going to be journeying with the prophets. If you want to join, know what we're going to be saying or what we're going to be reading from, you can download your own Bible in ear reading plan@ascensionpress.com Bibleinier that way you'll know what's coming. Not only do we have Isaiah tomorrow, we also have the book of Tobit, which for those of you who have never read the book of Tobit, it's pretty, pretty interesting. It's a great book. We also have prophet Joel coming up. Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Baruch, all these prophets. Then we're going to get to some of the major prophets as well, Ezekiel. But we're starting tomorrow with Isaiah and Tobit as well as continuing with the Proverbs. Gosh, you guys, let's keep going because the story is not over. In fact, we're kind of doubling back to hear what was God saying this whole time? What was God saying to get the attention of his people, to win them back, to win back their hearts this whole time that they were taking their hearts from him. We're going to hear those words of those prophets starting tomorrow. So I can't wait. We're going to pray. Pray for me. I'm praying for you. Please pray for each other. This is not. You are not alone. You are not alone. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless Sam.