Bible Time Period: Exile
You punished first Israel, then Judah, with exile. Prophets brought a message of hope: In my exile due to sin, show me the way home.
Reflection
Hezekiah was the king of Judah from around 715 to 687 BC, and the son and successor of Ahaz. His reign was marked by the great religious reform. He trusted the Lord. But much of King Hezekiah’s good will be undone by his son Manasseh.
Manasseh the son of King Hezehiah was king of Judah from 696-642 BC. He took the throne at age twelve. Manasseh embraced a pro-Assyrian policy, supported the installation of foreign cults, and he sacrificed his own son to pagan idols.
The state of God's people at the close of the period of exile is as follows: Israel, the northern kingdom, was conquered by Assyria in 722 BC and the tribes that composed it ceased to exist in any meaningful way. Most of the people were deported and scattered. In their place, King Sargon imported people from five other conquered nations and settled them in the area of Samaria. These intermarried with the remaining Israelites. The mixed population of Samaritans that resulted worshiped the God of Israel along with the gods they brought from their homelands.
In 587BC, the southern kingdom (Judah) fell to the Babylonians, who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and carried off many of the Judeans to exile in Babylon. God's faithfulness to his people and to the promises he made regarding David's throne, despite their infidelity, can be seen in the messages of the prophets of that time, who prophesied destruction and exile but also held out the hope of restoration and a new covenant.
The state of God's people at the close of the period of exile is as follows: Israel, the northern kingdom, was conquered by Assyria in 722 BC and the tribes that composed it ceased to exist in any meaningful way. Most of the people were deported and scattered. In their place, King Sargon imported people from five other conquered nations and settled them in the area of Samaria. These intermarried with the remaining Israelites. The mixed population of Samaritans that resulted worshiped the God of Israel along with the gods they brought from their homelands.
In 587BC, the southern kingdom (Judah) fell to the Babylonians, who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and carried off many of the Judeans to exile in Babylon. God's faithfulness to his people and to the promises he made regarding David's throne, despite their infidelity, can be seen in the messages of the prophets of that time, who prophesied destruction and exile but also held out the hope of restoration and a new covenant.
Today's Reading
2 Kings 21 - 25
Commentary
For items devotional items related to the Catholic Church
please visit Lynn's Timeless Treasures
No comments:
Post a Comment