Exile

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel%2021-22&version=NIV

Chapter 21 predicts God’s sword of judgment in the form of exile to Babylon and the oppression of King Nebuchadnezzar. This judgment would be devastating and complete and none would escape the effects – not even the righteous. To get an impression of what this exile looked like, I’d like to share information found in my study bible about exile in the Ancient Near East.

When a nation or city suffered a calamitous defeat, it could lead to the near eradication of the defeated people. The scenario often began with the destruction of the conquered city, including the walls. The palace was looted, the religious artifacts carried off and the temple demolished. The deportation of the survivors into exile then began. In some cases, only royalty, government officials and well-educated were initially deported. If the conquered territory remained rebellious, additional mass deportations of the general populace were undertaken.

Assyrian kings attempted to deal with unruly populations through massive deportations. Exiles were often treated with extreme cruelty. Certainly we read about these instances in scripture. There are instances, however, when captives fared well and were able to rise in positions of authority. We will see examples of this when we read the book of Daniel. Genocide was also practiced at times as a means to completely destroy a nation or ethnic group. We see this attempt in the book of Esther.

I wanted to share this because it helps create for us a picture of what God is warning the people is coming to them because of their rebellion. And it helps us understand the context of the books we have yet to read – especially Daniel, which is one of my favorite books.

In all of what we read in the upcoming weeks, note that while God did not protect his righteous ones from the exile, he protected them in the exile. He also uses their faith as a testimony to the very people who hold them in captivity. Sometimes God sends us into tough circumstances – often with the purpose of displaying his glory in those places. But even so, he protects us there, walks with us there, and uses us there. Watch for the way he does this in the upcoming books we read as we continue to read God’s story of his people and faithfulness – the story that is our story and part of our rich heritage.

Today's post was submitted by Carol Bartels