Topical Bible: Judgments: Delivered: Into the Hands of the Chaldeans

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The theme of divine judgment is a recurring motif throughout the Bible, and one of the most significant instances of this is the judgment delivered upon the Kingdom of Judah, resulting in their subjugation by the Chaldeans, also known as the Babylonians. This event is pivotal in biblical history, marking the beginning of the Babylonian Exile, a period of profound consequence for the Jewish people.

Historical Context

The Chaldeans, a Semitic people who rose to power in the late 7th century BC, established the Neo-Babylonian Empire under the leadership of King Nebuchadnezzar II. The Kingdom of Judah, having turned away from the covenantal laws and practices established by God, faced divine retribution for its persistent idolatry, social injustice, and failure to heed the warnings of the prophets.

Prophetic Warnings

The prophets, particularly Jeremiah and Ezekiel, played crucial roles in forewarning the people of Judah about the impending judgment. Jeremiah, often referred to as the "weeping prophet," delivered God's message of impending doom if the nation did not repent. In Jeremiah 25:9 , the Lord declares, "behold, I will summon all the families of the north,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, whom I will bring against this land and against its residents and against all the surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and scorn, an everlasting desolation."

Ezekiel, prophesying during the early years of the exile, also conveyed God's judgment upon Judah. In Ezekiel 21:31 , the Lord says, "I will pour out My indignation upon you; I will blow the fire of My wrath upon you and deliver you into the hands of brutal men, skilled in destruction."

The Siege and Fall of Jerusalem

The culmination of these prophetic warnings occurred in 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem. The city fell after a prolonged siege, leading to the destruction of the Temple, the burning of the city, and the deportation of many Judeans to Babylon. This event is recorded in 2 Kings 25:8-11 : "On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign over Babylon, Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building. And the whole army of the Chaldeans under the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem."

Theological Significance

The delivery of Judah into the hands of the Chaldeans serves as a profound theological lesson on the consequences of disobedience to God. It underscores the seriousness with which God regards His covenant and the expectations He has for His people. The exile was not merely a political or military defeat but a divine chastisement intended to bring about repentance and restoration.

Restoration and Hope

Despite the severity of the judgment, the prophets also spoke of hope and restoration. Jeremiah 29:10-11 offers a promise of future redemption: "For this is what the LORD says: ‘When seventy years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.’"

The eventual return from exile and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple are seen as a testament to God's faithfulness and mercy, even in the face of judgment. This period of exile and return is a critical chapter in the unfolding narrative of God's redemptive plan for His people, ultimately pointing towards the coming of the Messiah.

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2 Chronicles 36:14-21
Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.
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Library

Carried Captive into Babylon
... could the impenitent nation avert the divine judgments. ... for, said He, thou shalt
be delivered into the hand ... their falsehoods and gave Jeremiah into their hands ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 37 carried captive into.htm

The Restoration of the Jews.
... that the miseries which the people suffered were the special judgments of Heaven ...
be a true prophet of God that he had thus delivered into the hands of his ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter ix the restoration of.htm

We Arrive Now at a Branch of Our Subject Upon which the Lord's ...
... in Babylon and they shalt be delivered by the ... cut down, but we will change them into
cedars.' Unbidden ... by past visitations of God's judgments " without hiding ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/we arrive now at a.htm

The Man and the Book.
... Babylon emerged as that executioner of the Divine judgments on the ... that in that year,
604-3, he delivered to the ... cup of the Lord's wrath was given into his hand ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/lecture i the man and.htm

God.
... he also turned upon the Providence and Judgments of the ... He delivered them from Egypt,
led them through the desert ... siege of the city, gives it into their hands ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/1 god.htm

A Sermon on Isaiah xxvi. By John Knox.
... in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from ... Let us therefore that bear
these judgments of our God, call ... but when he has given us over into the hands ...
/.../knox/the pulpit of the reformation nos 1 2 and 3 /a sermon on isaiah xxvi.htm

Book 1.
... and when they were delivered from them, and gone ... for to him, and presently marched
into Ethiopia, together ... unreasonable dread upon him of judgments that were ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/against apion/book 1.htm

Of Civil Government.
... them as a kind of polity, delivered certain forms ... venally prostitute all rights,
privileges, judgments, and enactments ... that is, not to inquire into the duties ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 20 of civil government.htm

In the Last Chapter we Confined Ourself to the Old Testament, in ...
... were the enemies into whose hands God delivered His wayward ... of the seven, and he
goeth into perdition." Upon ... to be the expression of their judgments, and the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/in the last chapter we.htm

On the Formation of the Character of Believers, and on Giving of ...
... by nature, and unsearchable in Thy judgments; whose life ... on it an immortal soul,
and producest it into the light ... For Thou hast delivered us from the impiety of ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec ii on the formation of.htm