There are some important prophecies in today’s reading that we shouldn’t miss. But first, let’s make sure we’re fully aware of the historical context of these prophecies. The northern kingdom of the split nation of Israel, which retained the name Israel, had been carried into exile by Assyria and ceased to exist as a nation. The southern kingdom, Judah, had miraculously escaped deportation by the Assyrians, then by another miracle the world-dominant Assyrians were destroyed by the Babylonians. The Babylonians took over the vast empire built by the Assyrians, and sought to expand it. God used their aspirations to judge Judah. The exile to Babylon that He foretold happened in three waves: the first ended the reign of Josiah’s son Jehoiakim with deportation to Babylon. The second ended the short reign of Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin in the same way. In both of these deportations, Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar carried away the leading people of the land, some of whom we’ll read more about, and their treasures. He placed Judah’s last king on the throne, expecting him to be his puppet. This was King Zedekiah. Jeremiah lived and prophesied through all of this and beyond. Chapter 24 places the first important prophecy of today’s reading at this point in Judah’s history.
Understand the situation of the exiles. They clearly had suffered God’s punishment. Think about what God had told them in Deuteronomy: exile was the ultimate judgment, and there was no hope of correction at that point. They believed they had been forsaken by God because exile meant the covenant between God and Israel was broken. They were living outside the place of God’s promise. Exiles and remnant both believed that those still living in the Promised Land had not been rejected by God and thus were the favored ones. They thought that the remnant were superior to their exiled brothers who were obviously more sinful and deserving of punishment. The people who had not been carried away were still living in the Promised Land, still possessed their inheritance, still enjoyed God’s presence in their midst. They believed that God would be with them forever and allow them to retain the land because of His promise to Abraham, no matter what they did. The remnant grew more corrupt in their pride and security, contrary to God’s intention that they would be corrected and would humble themselves and seek Him.
The first important prophecy in today’s reading was introduced in yesterday’s reading: the incredible pronouncement that God would be with not the people who remained in the land after the exile, but with those who were carried away into exile. That situation was counter to the people’s and their leaders’ expectations. That God would be with the punished exiles instead of the favored remnant was startling both to the remnant and to the exiles themselves, who feared that God was done with them. Contemplate God’s mysterious ways revealed in this startling plan. We’d better never think that we have God’s higher ways and thoughts figured out. We’d better never grow prideful thinking that we are God’s chosen remnant and all others have been forsaken; that prideful state leaves us deserving of God’s judgment and too corrupted to be able to discern our rejected standing before God.
The second important prophecy in today’s reading is that God intended the exile to last seventy years. He doesn’t always make such clear pronouncements in prophecy. We can measure that one to see how reliable God’s prophecy was. History will prove it to be accurate.
Imagine how the remnant and the exiles received these prophecies. The former wouldn’t hear them; they were deaf in their pride, comfort and security. Some of the humbled exiles would find the prophecies too incredible to believe – could God really be that forgiving and merciful?! Others would cling to them in hope. If God’s Old Testament people are examples to us of what all mankind is like – indeed, what we are like, which group are you most like?