2 Chronicles 36:11-2011Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord. 13And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel. 14Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. 15And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: 16But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy. 17Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand. 18And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon. 19And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. 20And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: (2 Chronicles 36:11‑20); Dan. 3
Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear. Fear Him, which after He hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him.
HOW kind God had been to Hezekiah, king of Judah!
God would not let the people of Assyria hurt him. At last Hezekiah died, and there was another king; and there were a great many kings, one after another, and most of them were wicked. Most of the people of Jerusalem were wicked, and worshipped idols. So God sent prophets to tell them that He would not keep them from being hurt any more, and that He would let some heathen king take them a long way off. You remember that the people in the other part of Canaan (who were called the people of Israel) had been taken away by the king of Assyria: and God said that the people of Judah should be taken away by some other king.
At last there came a rich, proud king, called Nebuchadnezzar, to fight against the people in Jerusalem. This king came from a country called Babylon. He had a great many soldiers, who placed their tents all round Jerusalem. At last they got into the city, and they broke down the wall, and they burnt a great many of the fine houses, and they even burnt the beautiful temple that Solomon had built, and they took away the golden things that he had put in it, the gold basins, and candlesticks, and altars, spoons, and cups, and shovels, and they took them to Babylon, to put them in the house of their idols.
Nebuchadnezzar also took the king that was then at Jerusalem, and put out both his eyes, and brought him to Babylon, and kept him in prison till he died. He killed a great many people, and he took a great many more to be slaves with him in Babylon!
How sorry the people were to leave their land, and go to Babylon!
They sat down by the rivers of Babylon and wept, and they would not sing psalms as they used to do, but they hanged their harps upon the willow-trees that grew by the water side
Why did God let them be taken from the land of Canaan?
Because they had sinned against Him.
Some of the people, who were taken to Babylon, loved God. I will tell you about four young men, who loved God very much, and who would not worship idols. One of these men was called Daniel, and he had three friends.
Nebuchadnezzar once made a very large image of gold: it was higher than a very tall tree. This image was placed out of doors, and Nebuchadnezzar sent for all the judges and captains in his land, and for a great many rich people, to come and see this golden image. Now Nebuchadnezzar had made Daniel's friends, the three good young men, judges; so that they were obliged to come and see the golden image. When all these captains, and judges, and rich men Were come, they stood round the image, and a man called out very loud, 'O people, when the music begins to be played, then fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.'
Do you know, dear children, what a furnace is? It is a place full of fire; it is like a very large oven, full of fire. How horrible it must be to be put into a furnace! I do not know where Daniel was at this time, but his three friends were present near the image. Would the three good young men worship the image, or would they not?
Very soon the music began to play, and the people fell down, and worshipped the image.
Then some men came to Nebuchadnezzar, and said, 'O king, live forever. Did you not command every man to fall down and worship the golden image, when the music was played: and that if any one did not worship, he should be cast into a fiery furnace? There are three men, who have not obeyed what you said: they never worship your gods, nor have they worshipped the golden image.'
Then Nebuchadnezzar was in a rage, and he ordered the men to be brought to him. Then these men were brought before the king. And Nebuchadnezzar said to them, `Is it true that you do not worship my gods, nor the golden image I have set up? Now, if next time the music is played you fall down and worship, it is well: but if not, you shall be cast into the furnace. And who is the God that can deliver you out of my hand?'
Then the young men answered the king, `O Nebuchadnezzar, our God is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image thou hast set up.'
Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury: and his face looked quite different from before, because he was in such a great passion.
He ordered his servants to make the furnace seven times hotter than usual, and he ordered the strongest of his soldiers to throw the three young men into the furnace. First the young men were bound, so that they might not be able to move when they were in the fire; and their clothes were not taken off. Then the strongest soldiers threw them into the furnace; and the flames were so great that the soldiers who put in the young men caught fire, and were burnt up. The three young men fell down in the midst of the furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar was near the furnace, and watched to see the young men burning. But O! how much surprised he was to see them walking about the furnace, and to see a man with them, who looked like the Son of God!
Nebuchadnezzar cried out to his servants, Did we not cast three men bound, into the fire?' and they answered, 'True, O king.'
And Nebuchadnezzar said, 'I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and one of them is like the Son of God.'
Nebuchadnezzar had never seen the Son of God! but he had never seen a man like Him Who was in the furnace: so he supposed that He must be God. Was it not kind of God to come and walk with these young men in the furnace?
Then Nebuchadnezzar went to the furnace, and called the three young men by their names, and said, 'O servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come hither.' And the three young men came out of the furnace. Then all the judges, and captains, came near and looked at the young men, and saw that they were not the least hurt; not a hair of their heads was singed, nor were their clothes scorched, nor did they even smell of fire. Then Nebuchadnezzar saw that there was a God who could deliver His servants from the burning flame; and Nebuchadnezzar said, that if any person spoke against this God he should be cut in pieces, and his house should be made a dunghill. And the king was very much pleased with these three young men.
Do you think that the young men had been happy while they were in the fire? Yes, I think they must have been very happy, for they had such a Friend walking with them. Were they not glad that they had not worshipped the golden image? If they had been burnt, their spirits would have gone to heaven: but God did not let them be burnt, that all people might see that He was the true God, and that everybody should worship Him.
Though all the other people worshipped the image, they did not. If other people do wicked things, should we do them too? My dear children, if all your companions do a naughty thing, still you should do what is right, that you may please God.
If other children are disobedient, and join in doing something they are not allowed to do, still remember God sees you. If others laugh at you, do not mind it, for God is pleased.
I hope you will be like these three good young men. If you should be burnt, your spirit would go to God, and you would be happy forever.
Thousands are met in the great plain,
Where a vast golden image stands;
They hear the music's thundering strain—
They kneel—for so the king commands.
Three men refuse to bow the knee
Before that golden image vast;
They still refuse:—the faithful three
Into the fiery flames are cast.
But lo, they walk amidst the flames,
Nor seem to feel the raging heat:—
It does not scorch their tender frames,
But burns the bands around their feet.
And does the Son of God descend
To guard them by His wondrous power?
Ah! is He not a loving Friend,
Who flies to help in trouble's hour?
His glorious form the king admires
And views the three with wondering eyes.
At His command they leave the fires,
Which were to them like paradise.
Child
This golden image seems to me
Like sin, when it appears most bright:
Thousands around still bend the knee,
And in its pleasures take delight.
If I refuse to do the same,
Perhaps they'll show me hate and scorn.
But He, Who to the furnace came,
Will never leave my soul forlorn.
I've heard that in the days gone by,
Some have been burnt for Jesu's sake.
Ah! dearest Savior, Thou wert nigh,
When they were suffering at the stake.
Questions on Lesson 37
Were there any more kings over Judah after Hezekiah was dead?
Why did God at last let the people of Jerusalem be taken away to another country?
Who took them away?
What became of the temple?
Did any of the people of Judah who were taken to Babylon love God?
What wicked thing did they refuse to do?
What did the three young men tell Nebuchadnezzar that their God was able to do? What became of the strong men who put the good young men into the furnace?
Who walked with them in the fire?
What did Nebuchadnezzar gay about the true God when he saw that the young men had not been hurt by the fire?
Why had God done this great wonder?