Jeremiah 52:1

The Bible says in Jeremiah 52:1-3, “Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.[2] And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.[3] For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.” Every king of Israel and Judah was known for either being a good king after the example that King David had set or for being an evil king. Zedekiah was an evil king. They were good or evil. The same is true concerning all people. You are known by God to be either good or evil. The way to become good is by faith in Jesus Christ. When a person trusts in Christ as Savior, the righteousness of Christ is credited to his or her account. The Bible says in Romans 4:5-8, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.[6] Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,[7] Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.[8] Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”

And so we see that Jeremiah chapter 52 talks about how evil the leader of the nation was, and as a consequence judgment came upon the nation. Of course, the leader of a nation leads a nation in one direction or another. A leader can lead a nation into greater sinfulness and wickedness, and when he does the whole nation will suffer. It says in Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” There is no escape from God’s judgment when He decides to bring it. King Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchanessar the king of Babylon, but God somehow used that rebellion to bring judgment upon Israel. “Through the anger of the Lord” “Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.” God rules all, even the hearts of the wicked. The rebellion made Babylon angry, and God used that anger to bring judgment to Israel. It says in Proverbs 21:1, “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.”

The Bible says in Jeremiah 52:4-7, “And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about.[5] So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.[6] And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.[7] Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain.” Just to make one practical point here, we notice that the Israelites were able to survive for about a year and a half. Once their food and supplies were all used up, “Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled.” If the grocery stores where you live had nothing left on the shelves, how long could you survive? You might want to start putting together a plan. Things happen in this world of lost souls.

The Bible says in Jeremiah 52:8-16, “But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.[9] Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him.[10] And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.[11] Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.[12] Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem,[13] And burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire:[14] And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.[15] Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.[16] But Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.” These verses show us how thorough was the conquest of Jerusalem and its destruction by the Babylonians. Not only did the Israelites break God’s commandments over and over, but they also refused to humble themselves and ask for forgiveness. God is very merciful and forgiving because of Jesus, but once someone finally and completely refuses His offer of forgiveness judgment must follow. God is holy and He is the just Judge of the whole earth. Even though He is merciful and patient, and has gone to great lengths to bring the Gospel of Christ to the whole world, there eventually comes a time when justice must be served and judgment must be given. That is what happened to Israel. They were given a long time to repent, and they were given many chances. They were also given the prophets who brought them God’s warnings. But because the warnings were not heeded and the opportunities to repent were not taken, judgment came. And a thorough judgment it was. All the buildings in Jerusalem were burnt including Solomon’s beautiful temple, the walls of the city were demolished, and the king was blinded and taken captive. Three things happened to the people: they were killed, taken captive, or if they were poor they might have been left to farm the land.

The next several verses emphasize the fact that just about everything having to do with the temple was either destroyed or carried off to Babylon as spoil. The Bible says in Jeremiah 52:17-23, “Also the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.[18] The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.[19] And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.[20] The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.[21] And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow.[22] And a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these.[23] And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about.”

It appears that the goal of Nebuchadnezzar was to destroy the capability for Israel to reconstitute itself and become a nation again. He put to death just about anyone who could be a leader in Israel. The Bible says in Jeremiah 52:24-27, “And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:[25] He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king's person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city.[26] So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.[27] And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.”

The Bible says in Jeremiah 52:28-34, “This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty:[29] In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons:[30] In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.[31] And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison,[32] And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon,[33] And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.[34] And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.” There are at least two details in these last verses of Jeremiah to make note of. The first has to do with how few people were taken captive to Babylon. There may have been as many as several million people living in Israel at the time when the Babylonians attacked and conquered it. Many were killed in the onslaught, many died of starvation and disease during the siege, many escaped to Egypt and ultimately died there, and some of the poor were left to farm the land. Only 4,600 were taken captive to Babylon. What a small remnant! This is symbolic of how few people on a percentage basis turn to the Lord and get saved. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

The image of King Jehoiachin being taken good care of even while he was a captive in Babylon is given in order to be symbolic of the fact that God was going to take care of all of the Jewish captives. God promised that they would be able to return to the land one day, and in order to keep that promise, God preserved them even in their captivity. In a way all believers are captives in this world. We are among the heathen, and they have a lot of power in this world. But Jesus has promised to take care of all of us, and to take us to the Promised Land. What a great Savior we have. Jesus always keeps His promises.

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