Today’s reading should once again encourage us regarding the sovereignty of God and how He works amongst the nations. Jeremiah 24 begins with the historical context of the first wave of exiles from Jerusalem which is found in 2 Kings 24:1-17. When Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, fought against Jerusalem, there were two primary conquests which are recorded in 2 Kings 24-25. There was the initial conquest where King Jehoiachin surrendered himself to Nebuchadnezzar, and there was the time afterward with King Zedekiah’s rebellion and the destruction of the city. The first wave was spared from the great destruction because of this submission, and in Jeremiah’s vision they are regarded as the good figs (Jer. 24:4-7). Why? It seems because they were willing to go along with what God was doing even though it was hard to accept. We’ll see more on this later with Zedekiah’s sinful rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar.
It was a hard truth to accept that the captivity was from God, but it was truth, nonetheless. God appointed the captivity for 70 years (Jer. 25:11) and in all of this He refers to Nebuchadnezzar as His servant! (Jer. 25:9). God was bringing about judgment upon His people for their sin and at this point, Nebuchadnezzar was doing His bidding more than Judah was. Judah was under God’s discipline, and they had to accept it. God was ordering the world stage. He brought about the rise of Babylon. He brought about the captivity of Judah and when He was done, He would bring about the destruction of Babylon.
Surely, in the moment, it would’ve been a fearful thing to live through. Losing the promised land and being taken captive must have been terrifying. Yet, in the midst of all of this, there was the sure hope that God was ordering the events of history and that behind the scenes He was the chess master that had put the pieces where He wanted them. Judah could’ve avoided it had they turned from their sin, but now they had to suffer the consequences of their sins. Yet, they could know that God was sovereign, even over their discipline. He was the one who was ultimately in control.
Doesn’t this give you hope today? Even in the bad times, God is sovereign and in control. Even when the world seems like it’s out of control, God has it all in His hands. Even the discipline of His people is controlled by Him. He will bring about the right amount necessary to accomplish His purpose, and He can move nations to bring it to pass. He would use Babylon, for His purpose, for His timing, until He was done with them. Surely, we should be able to find joy in these things knowing that God is still the chess master, ordering nations and kingdoms according to His purposes in the earth, to bring creation to its intended consummation.
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