exiled, but protected

And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

2 Kings 24:17

So at this point, with Babylon controlling the palace in Jerusalem, the Exile of the Jews has begun. The Chaldeans began deporting the Jews to Babylon. Having a puppet ruler on the throne to facilitate the control of the people only helped to serve this purpose. But really, all of this occurred by God’s direct decree. He warned the people through His prophets that it would happen. And now as the consequences of their repeated unfaithfulness became reality, the curses of the covenant would bring judgment.

For the next seven decades the Jews would be forced to live in Babylon. But they would thrive there. God would keep them safe. Many of them would even rise to positions of authority in their service to their captors. Men like Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, and especially Queen Esther, would be used to save and to encourage the exiled nation. And God would eventuallly lead them back, a humble and newly worshipful people of His own, ready to rebuild in repentance what their sins had torn down in judgment.

Exile leads to renewal for the Jews. And God can use consequences of our sinfulness to draw us back to Him. At the end of a season of such suffering and reflection can come strong and new redemptive work from God.