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THE KING’S BUSINESS
taken (Lam. 4:12), but God predicted that it would be and His predictions are sure. It was because of the sins of the prophets and priests and people and the consequent anger of Jehovah against Jerusalem that it fell (Lam. 4:11, 13). Jehovah had with drawn His watchcare (Ps. 127:1), and the people had put their trust in Egypt (Lam. 4:17), and Jehovah had turned back the weapons of war that were in the hands of His people, and had Himself fought against them (Jer. 21:4, 5). When the breach was made in the city the famine was already sore (v. 3; cf. Jer. 52:6, 7). v. 4. "And the city was broken up ( Then a breach was made in the city), and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate - between the two walls, which is (was) by the king’s garden: (Now the Chaldeans were against the city round about:) and the king went (add, by) the way from the plain (of the Arabah)." The famine had incapacitated the men for defending the walls and a breach was made in the night. The entrance of the princes of the king of Babylon into the city and the setting up of their thrones in the mid dle gate was a literal fulfillment of proph ecy (Jer. 21:4; 1:15). The names of the princes indicate that they were worship pers of Nergal and Nebo (Jer. 39:3). This does not prove that Jehovah had been conquered by Nergal and Nebo: He had Himself given His people over because of their apostasy and fought against them (Jer. 21:5). Zedekiah was watching; and, as soon as he saw the leaders of the Chal deans inside the city, he fled with his men of war (v. 4). The manner of his flight was ..an exact and literal fulfillment of prophecy (Ez. 12:12, cf. Lev. 26:36; Deut. 28:35). There was no use in his fleing, he might have known that he could not escape (Jer. 32:45). He certainly ought to have believed God’s word by this time. vs. 5-7. “And (But) the army of Chal dees (Chaldeans) pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him. So (Then) they took the king, and carried
him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with (inf-fetters of brass (omit, of brass), and carried him to Babyton." Zedekiah did not go very far before he was captured. ^ Israel had won their first great national victory in that same plain (Josh. 4:13; 6:12) because they trusted Jehovah. They suffered their final defeat there because they had departed from Jeho vah. Zedekiah’s army had been scattered before his capture. His capture was an exact fulfillment of prophecy (Jer: 32:4, 5). He Was treated with extreme cruelty. The last sight his eyes beheld was the slaughter of his sons (v. 6 ; cf. Deut. 28:34). As this was the last thing he saw before his sight was destroyed it would make a more indelible impression upon his mind. It was prophesied that Zedekiah would be taken to Babylon and yet not see it (Ez. 12:13), It had also been prophe sied that he would speak with the king of Babylon mouth to mouth and his eyes should behold his eyes (Jer. 32:4), and that the king of Babylon should lead Zedekiah to Babylon (Jer. 32:4, 5; '34:3). These prophecies .seemed to contradict one another, but both prophecies proved true, as Zedekiah’s eyes were put out after seeing the king but before reaching Baby lon. All seeming contradictions in prophe cies that are as yet unfulfilled will be reconciled in the actual fulfillment. Zede kiah was carried into the enemies’ country “in fetters:” all rebels against God are carried into enemies’ land in chain (cf. Ps. 107:10, 11; John 8:34). vs. 8-12. “And (Now) in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is (was) the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came N ebuzaraden the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jeru salem : and he burnt the house of the LORD and the king’s house, (;) and all the houses of Jerusalem, and (even) every great man’s house (great house,)
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