Let's turn to the second book of Chronicles, and chapter 36, commencing at verse 5. So the second book of the Chronicles, chapter 36, commencing at verse 5 and then we will just read on and read the first two verses in Ezra.

So the second book of the Chronicles and chapter 36 verse 5. Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also carried the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his temple at Babylon.

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and his abominations, which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiakim his son reigned in his stead. Jehoiakim was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and 10 days in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. And when the year was expired, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon with the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

And Zedekiah was one and 20 years old when he began to reign and reigned 11 years in Jerusalem And 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. And 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.

Moreover, 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. And 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. But 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.

Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with a 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. And 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. And they burnt in the house of God, and break down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.

And 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. To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths. For as long as she lay desolate, she kept sabbath to fulfil three score and ten years.

Now, in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus, king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me, and hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him and let him go up.

And then Ezra, the first two verses.

Now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, thus saith the king of Persia, the Lord God of Israel, of heaven rather, hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he hath charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

It makes quite sad reading, doesn't it, as we read there of the children of Israel who'd gone down into captivity and we would have thought that they were there and they would have realised their sin and the evil way in which they had operated and truly desired to serve the Lord. But, as we read through these verses, each of those kings which lived in those days we're told did evil in the sight of the Lord. It's a very, very solemn consideration.

And of course, we have that confirmation that as Jeremiah had so clearly said, they would go down into Babylon for those 70 years, and so it came to pass. God always tells the truth. We should never mock God. We should never think that those things which God says is not true, because God does those things which he has indeed promised. And so we have this testimony in these last few verses, really, in the second of Chronicles, which make a sad reading.

And then it's very strange, really, as we come to the end, we read of Cyrus. In the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia. It's the first time that Persia is actually mentioned in the Bible. The first year of Cyrus, King of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished. Again, you see, God's will being accomplished. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, King of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus, king of Persia, all the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me. And he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him. and let him go up.

Of course the first two verses in Ezra are very similar to the last two verses in the 36th chapter of the second book of Chronicles. And it is thought possible that Ezra was the scribe that actually wrote the second book of the Chronicles.

Well the reality is if you and I read these verses we would hope that Cyrus was a good king. The Lord had used him and we would hope he was a good king. But if we turn to the 45th chapter of Isaiah, Isaiah tells us this in the 45th chapter and it starts off Lord addresses, thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus.

Now we must remember kings were anointed. King Saul was anointed but he was not a good king and we have this picture then of Cyrus being anointed. But when we read down these first few verses, we might think that, well, here was a man that God was going to greatly use and greatly bless. Well, no doubt, he was used. But in the fourth verse, we read this. For Jacob, my servant's sake, and Israel, mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name. I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. It's a very solemn statement, isn't it? To think, there he was, named and surnamed, and yet here is his statement, yet he tells us, though thou hast not known me. And we carry on in the fifth verse, which tells us, I am the Lord, and there is none else. there is no God beside me

it's a familiar statement isn't it which we often refer to and he says I girded thee though thou hast not known me so it really is very searching statements like that as we read them to apply them to ourselves and see how the Lord may have used us in various ways and yet how vital it is that you and I are blessed with that personal knowledge of the Saviour as our Saviour, the one who's died for us, to have that assurance that our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

And again, we can go back, can't we, to King Saul. Initially, when he was made king, he was blessed and did great things. But it was quite clear he was not one of the children of God. And so as we read an account like this, we see how God was dealing with Israel. And again, that's sad to realize that there they were in captivity for 70 years. They had plenty of time to consider their ways, plenty of time to reconnect how they'd offended Almighty God. And yet you see, they appeared still to be alienated from Almighty God.

And so I believe the Lord gives us these accounts to make us realize that we come to that great position. By the grace of God, I am what I am. It's his amazing mercy toward us. If he's called us out of darkness, if he's turned our feet to serve the Lord, turned away from all the vanities of this world. It's of His grace. There may be those signs in our lives. People might think, well, there's someone blessed of God, God's prospered him, he may well have done so. But the great blessing is to know the Lord and how wonderful it is if God has looked upon us he's come to us and he's called us out of darkness and brought us into the glorious light of the gospel

surely we have much cause then to praise glorify our kind and gracious God. Well we'll just leave these few remarks this evening may God instruct us by them and let's turn