Jerusalem Fails - Jeremiah 39

Jeremiah 39:2 "And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up."

Zedekiah has been king for nine years when the king of Babylon laid siege to the city, then after about two years they entered the city. These two years or so were are very bad time for Jerusalem. It could have been avoided if they had listened to Jeremiah and the words of the Lord.

v4 "And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls; and he went out the way of the plain."

At this point, there was no mercy from the Chaldeans. They broke up the city, killed the sons of Zedekiah and put out the kings eyes, leading him away in chains to Babylon.

v8 "And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem."

So a great kingdom, created and built up by the LORD, is brought down because they turned from the LORD and would not be corrected.

As for Jeremiah, he remained with the remnant that was left.

v12 "Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee." So said Nebuchadrezzar to the captain of the guard.

As for Ebedmelech the Ethiopian who helped Jeremiah and saved his life. He was given a good word from the Lord.

v17 "But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid."

v18 "For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee; because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD."