Jacqui: 0:12

Greetings listeners. I'm excited to announce that the next few episodes that we're going to be looking at will be focused on the prophets in Babylon during the exile. Hold up what just happened One minute. We're in Jerusalem with prophets like Isaiah Zephaniah, Jeremiah Habakkuk, calling God's people to repent before it's too late. And now we're in Babylon, hundreds of miles from Jerusalem. No temple, no king, just exiles trying to figure out what went wrong and where God is in all of it. Before we jump to those voices of the exile like Daniel Ezekiel Malachi, I thought we should pause and make sure we're all on the same page. Let's focus on the exile. What exactly was the exile and why did it happen, and why is it such a major turning point in the story of the Bible? That's what we're going to break down in this short episode, so you can see how we got from Jerusalem to Babylon and what it meant to God's people. Well, welcome everyone. I'm your host, jackie Adewole, and this is the Bible Basics Podcast, where, weekly, we break down the basics of the Bible into understandable, bite-sized chunks.

Jacqui: 1:50

Now let's rewind a bit. The kingdom of Israel had already split in two in 931 BC Israel in the north and Judah in the south. We see that in 1 Kings 11. We see that in 1 Kings 11. God sent prophets to both over and over. God warned them to return to him, to stop worshiping false gods and to stop ignoring the poor and vulnerable. But the people didn't listen. And what happens when God's people refuse to heed his warnings and his call? Let's keep going and find out.

Jacqui: 2:45

In 722 BC, the northern kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria. The people were scattered. About a century later, babylon rose as the new world power and in 586 BC, they marched into Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, tore down the city walls and took thousands of people, including the young, the educated and the influential. They took them all into captivity, and that's what we call the Babylonian exile. It refers to a period when many of the people of Judah were taken from their homeland and forced to live in Babylon. So to be in exile means to be forced out of your home, to live in a place that isn't yours, often against your will and under someone else's rule a total loss of freedom. We actually see the first example of exile all the way back in Genesis, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. They were exiled from the Garden of Eden. They lost access to the place of God's presence, provision and peace and were sent out to live under the weight of that separation, that's, the heart of exile being separated from what God intended, often because of sin. In more recent history, we've seen other examples of forced exile too, like refugees fleeing war or people groups removed from their land by invading powers. It's not just about geography, it's about being uprooted, powerless and wondering if you'll ever return to what once felt sacred and secure, to what once felt sacred and secure. So when we say the exile, we're talking about a time when God's people were removed from the land that he gave them, with no temple to worship in and no king to lead them. And it didn't happen all at once. It came in three waves. There was the first wave. That was in 605 BC. This was the earliest group taken Babylon, defeated Egypt at the Battle of Carchemish and gained control of Judah. During this time, daniel and other young nobles were taken to Babylon to be trained for royal service. Then there's the second wave. Oh, and that first wave you can find, you can read about that in 2 Kings, 24, 2 Chronicles, 36, and Daniel, chapter 1.

Jacqui: 5:39

Now let's talk about the second wave, at the beginning of the 6th century BC, the kings of Judah rebelled against their Babylonian overlord, king Nebuchadnezzar II. His response was swift and decisive. In 597 BC, he accepted the surrender of Jerusalem and took many of the city's leading citizens into Babylon. That included King Jehoiachin, royal officials, soldiers, artisans and skilled workers A total of about 10,000 people. This was a massive blow to Judah's leadership and economy, and we see that in 2 Chronicles 36. Ezekiel was taken captive to Babylon in this particular wave. Now let's look at that third wave.

Jacqui: 6:39

After King Zedekiah also rebelled, Babylon came back with full force. This time they completely destroyed Jerusalem. After they removed all the treasures, burned the temple and all the other important buildings and took most of the remaining population into exile. They also broke down the walls around Jerusalem. Only a few of the poorest, unskilled laborers were left in the land, and we find this in 2 Chronicles 36, verses 5 to 21. So God's people remained there in Babylon from approximately 605 to 536 BC. This 70-year period was in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah. We see that in 2 Chronicles 36 21. That period is called the exilic period, or the Babylonian exile. Spoiler alert. God had also promised that after judgment, restoration would follow. So in 539 BC, the Babylonian conquerors were themselves conquered by the Persians, led by Cyrus. The Great Jews who wanted to do so were allowed then to return to Judah and begin the rebuilding process.

Jacqui: 8:15

Now let's talk a little bit about Babylon's approach to exile. When Babylon conquered a nation, they didn't just destroy it, they relocated its people. They especially targeted the leaders, skilled workers and educated elites, people who had influence, talent and training. The goal was threefold To prevent rebellion by removing anyone who might organize resistance back home. Second, to strengthen Babylon itself by putting those people to work in service of the empire. And third, to prevent them from worshiping their god, whom Babylon knew was powerful. By bringing the best minds and hands to Babylon, the empire gained advisors, craftsmen, soldiers gained advisors, craftsmen, soldiers, scholars and even servants for the royal court, such as Daniel and his friends. It was a strategic way to weaken the conquered nations while enriching Babylon culturally, politically and economically. At the same time, babylon tried to reshape these exiles by immersing them in Babylonian language, religion and customs, hoping they'd adopt a new identity and forget where they came from. But many, like Daniel, didn't forget.

Jacqui: 9:53

Now let's talk about why it even happened. The exile didn't come out of nowhere. God had warned his people from the very beginning, all the way back in Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus, chapter 26. God laid it out clearly If you follow me, I'll bless you, but if you turn away, if you chase after other gods, you'll be removed from the land. So this wasn't a surprise. It was the result of long-term sin and disobedience. For generations, judah's leaders and the people had ignored God's covenant. They worshipped idols, abused power and ignored the cries of the poor. And it wasn't just about breaking rules, it was about breaking relationship. The prophets, jeremiah, zephaniah, habakkuk, for example, warned them over and over again stop trusting in politics and power plays, stop the violence, stop ignoring justice. Come back to God. But they didn't. They hardened their hearts, they refused to listen, and so eventually, God let them face the consequences.

Jacqui: 11:25

In a book called the Story Retold by GK Beale and Benjamin Glad, we're told that quote. At the end of 2 Kings, God discloses why he sent Israel into exile. I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read, because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made. My anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched. And we find that in 2 Kings, 22, 16 and 17. And centuries before, moses predicted this very thing in Deuteronomy, chapter 29, verses 26 to 28. Quote they went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them. In furious anger and in great wrath, the Lord uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land. Unquote.

Jacqui: 12:38

Like Adam and Eve, the nation of Israel committed heinous acts of idolatry. So God drives Israel from his presence into Babylonian exile, just like he drove the first couple out of the garden. It's important to say this wasn't God being cruel, it was God being just. He gave them chance after chance, but when they refused he let them go into exile. We now understand what sent God's people there and how their story didn't end in ruins. In fact, right in the middle of exile we get new prophetic voices. Some of the most powerful acts of faith and boldest visions from God came after the exile begins. This teaches us that even when we're in the middle of a bad situation that we wander into, god's grace and mercy continues to pursue us, not so that we can remain in the disobedience, but so that we can return to God's much better provisions for our lives.

Jacqui: 13:57

Remember, Jeremiah writes a letter to the exiles and says, quote this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there, do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. And moving down to verse 11, it says For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. So stay tuned to the next episode, where we'll begin exploring those messages of hope and the future. We'll find out that, even when it felt like everything was lost, god was with his people. He didn't forget them. Until then, keep reading, keep seeking and keep growing in your faith.