2 lines
8.6 KiB
HTML
2 lines
8.6 KiB
HTML
|
<p>Though we have reason to think that the army of the Chaldeans were much enraged against the city for holding out with so much stubbornness, yet they did not therefore put all to fire and sword as soon as they had taken the city (which is too commonly done in such cases), but about a month after (compare <a class="bibleref" title="2Kgs.25.8,2Kgs.25.3" href="/passage/?search=2Kgs.25.8,2Kgs.25.3"><span class="bibleref" title="2Kgs.25.8">2 Kgs. 25:8</span>; <span class="bibleref" title="2Kgs.25.3">2 Kgs. 25:3</span></a>) Nebuzar-adan was sent with orders to complete the destruction of Jerusalem. This space God gave them to repent, after all the foregoing days of his patience, but in vain; their hearts (for aught that appears) were still hardened, and therefore execution is awarded to the utmost. 1. The city and temple are burnt, <a class="bibleref" title="2Kgs.25.9" href="/passage/?search=2Kgs.25.9">2 Kgs. 25:9</a>. It does not appear that the king of Babylon designed to send any colonies to people Jerusalem and therefore he ordered it to be laid in ashes, as a nest of rebels. At the burning of the king’s house and <i>the houses of the great men</i> one cannot so much wonder (the inhabitants had, by their sins, made them combustible), but that the <i>house of the Lord</i> should perish in these flames, that that holy and beautiful house should be burnt with fire (<a class="bibleref" title="Isa.64.11" href="/passage/?search=Isa.64.11">Isa. 64:11</a>), is very strange. That house which David prepared for, and which Solomon built at such a vast expense—that house which had the eye and heart of God perpetually upon it (<a class="bibleref" title="1Kgs.9.3" href="/passage/?search=1Kgs.9.3">1 Kgs. 9:3</a>)-- might not that have been snatched as a brand out of this burning? No, it must not be fire-proof against God’s judgments. This stately structure must be turned into ashes, and it is probable the ark in it, for the enemies, having heard how dearly the Philistines paid for the abusing of it, durst not seize that, nor did any of its friends take care to preserve it, for then we should have heard of it again in the second temple. One of the apocryphal writers does indeed tell us that the prophet Jeremiah got it out of the temple, and conveyed it to a cave in Mount Nebo on the other side Jordan, and hid it there (2 Macc. ii. 4, 5), but that could not be, for Jeremiah was a close prisoner at that time. By the burning of the temple God would show how little cares for the external pomp of his worship when the life and power of religion are neglected. The people trusted to the temple, as if that would protect them in their sins (<a class="bibleref" title="Jer.7.4" href="/passage/?search=Jer.7.4">Jer. 7:4</a>), but God, by this, let them know that when they had profaned it they would find it but a refuge of lies. This temple had stood about 420, some say 430 years. The people having forfeited the promises made concerning it, those promises must be understood of the gospel-temple, which is God’s rest for ever. It is observable that the second temple was burnt by the Romans the same month, and the same day of the month, that the first temple was burnt by the Chaldeans, which, Josephus says, was the tenth of August. 2. The walls of Jerusalem are demolished (<a class="bibleref" title="2Kgs.25.10" href="/passage/?search=2Kgs.25.10">2 Kgs. 25:10</a>), as if the victorious army would be revenged on them for having kept them out so long, or at least prevent the like opposition another time. Sin unwalls a people and takes away their defence. These walls were never repaired till Nehemiah’s time. 3. The residue of the people are carried away captive to Babylon, <a class="bibleref" title="2Kgs.25.11" href="/passage/?search=2Kgs.25.11">2 Kgs. 25:11</a>. Most of the inhabitants had perished by sword or famine, or had made their escape when the king did (for it is said, <a class="bibleref" title="2Kgs.25.5" href="/passage/?search=2Kgs.25.5">2 Kgs. 25:5</a>; <i>His army was scattered from him</i>), so that there were very few left, who with
|