"Why was it seventy years? What made God choose that
number? Was it arbitrary?" No. You see, the Jews were
guilty of not following the book of the Law given to Moses
Leviticus 25:1-4 While Moses was on Mount Sinai, the LORD said to
him, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When
you have entered the land I am giving you, the land itself must
observe a Sabbath rest before the LORD every seventh year. For six
years you may plant your fields and prune your vineyards and
harvest your crops, but during the seventh year the land must have
a Sabbath year of complete rest. It is the LORD’s Sabbath. Do not
plant your fields or prune your vineyards during that year.
Every seven years, there was supposed to be a year of rest for the
land. But for the 490 years that they had been in the promised
land, the Jews had never given the land its sabbaths. They owed
the land 70 years of rest.
2Chr. 36:21 So the message of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah was
fulfilled. The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate
until the seventy years were fulfilled, just as the prophet had said.
Final Thoughts
1. Has AMERICA “Lost the BOOK”?
2. Repentance DOES NOT cancel
Consequences. (2nd Kings 23:26-27)
3. God takes His Word VERY
seriously.
4. God has a plan for every LIFE and
every NATION.
5. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have
for you,” says the LORD. They are plans for good
and not for disaster, to give you a future and a
hope.”
REFERENCE MATERIAL --- “The Last of the Kings”
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JOSIAH [jo SI uh] was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirtyone years.
(While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, went to the Euphrates River to help the king
of Assyria. King Josiah and his army marched out to fight him, but Neco killed Josiah when they
met at Megiddo.)
Josiah’s son JEHOAHAZ [yeh ho aw KHAWZ] was made the next king. Jehoahaz was twentythree years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months.
(Jehoahaz was taken to Egypt as a prisoner, where he died and Pharaoh Neco then installed
Eliakim, another of Josiah’s sons, to reign, and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim.)
JEHOIAKIM [yeh ho aw KEEM] was twenty-five years old when he became king and he reigned
in Jerusalem eleven years.
When Jehoiakim died, his son JEHOIACHIN [yeh ho aw KEEN] became the next king. Jehoiachin
was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months.
Nebuchadnezzar led King Jehoiachin away as a captive to Babylon.
(The king of Babylon then installed Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, as the next king, and he
changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah.)
ZEDEKIAH [zed uh KIGH uh] was twenty-one years old when he became king and he reigned in
Jerusalem eleven years.
(The king of Babylon made Zedekiah watch as they slaughtered his sons. Then they gouged out
Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon.)
King Nebuchadnezzar appointed GEDALIAH [jed uh LIGH uh] grandson of Shaphan, as governor
over the people he had left in Judah. Ishmael and ten other men killed Gedaliah.