2024-Mar-10: Fourth Sunday in Lent
2024-Mar-10: Fourth Sunday in Lent 2 Chronicles 36 This reading tells of Judah’s demise under its last three leaders, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. Like most of their predecessors, these leaders embraced evil - relying not on God but on their own judgment, ignoring the repeated warning of prophets like Urijah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel thereby spurring Yahweh and entering into alliances with Egypt to secure their future. This resulted in idolatry and heavy taxation by Egypt who installed puppet Kings they could control. God then removed His hand of protection and allowed Nebuchadnezzar II to gain control of Judah, plunder and destroy the Temple which had become defiled and send its people into exile for 70 years. The people, including God's prophets, suffered because of the sins of these evil leaders. Finally, God was faithful not to abandon His people in exile. After 70 years of captivity, He used a Persian king named Cyrus to free His people. God wants you to place...