God allowed Babylon to conquer Judah because Judah persistently refused to turn from idolatry and rejected His prophets' warnings.
The Bible, as cited by Les Feldick, shows that God sent prophets repeatedly to call Judah back, but they mocked them and refused to listen. Their stubborn idolatry and mistreatment of God's messengers led to a point where God's wrath was without remedy, resulting in the Babylonian conquest.
2 Chronicles 36:15-16 — This passage directly describes God sending prophets to Judah, who rejected them, leading to His wrath.
The Bible, specifically in 2 Chronicles 36, recounts how the Lord sent His messengers to Judah repeatedly because He had compassion on His people. The people, however, mocked these messengers, despised God's words, and mistreated His prophets, until God's wrath arose against them and there was no remedy. This rejection culminated in God giving Judah into the hand of the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, who carried away the temple treasures and took the people into captivity. Jeremiah, a prophet who warned Judah of the coming destruction, was himself thrown into a dungeon for his message, illustrating the people's refusal to heed God's warnings.
Les Feldick teaches that God, in His compassion, sent prophet after prophet to warn both Israel and Judah to turn from their idolatry. Despite these warnings, the people, especially in Judah, continued in their wickedness, even persecuting the prophets. He emphasizes that God's judgement through Nebuchadnezzar was a fulfillment of His prophetic promise that if they didn't straighten up, they would be taken out of the land. Les also notes that God later judged Babylon itself for how it treated Israel, reflecting God's sovereignty. Furthermore, he highlights that even after the captivity, few Jews chose to return to Jerusalem when permitted, showing a continued lack of spiritual fervor.
Les Feldick points out that Judah's idolatry was a central reason for God's judgment. In Jeremiah 44, he shows that the people, especially the women, insisted on burning incense to the 'queen of heaven,' a female goddess, refusing to heed Jeremiah's call to return to Jehovah. This persistent idolatry was a direct violation of God's commands and provoked His wrath.
Les Feldick explains that Jeremiah, who was predominantly sent to Judah, was not only ignored but thrown into a dungeon for his prophecies. This rejection of God's messengers was a pattern that led to God's judgment. The people did not want to hear the truth and instead mistreated those who delivered it.
The Bible records that God removed Judah from His sight, delivering them into the hands of the Babylonians. The Babylonians showed no mercy, killing young men and carrying away the rest as captives. The temple treasures were taken to Babylon, and the people became servants until the Medes and Persians conquered Babylon.
God Sends Prophets to Judah
Les teaches that God sent prophet after prophet to Judah, including Jeremiah, warning of the Babylonian conquest if they didn't turn from idolatry.
Nebuchadnezzar as God's Instrument
Les explains that God used Nebuchadnezzar to take Israel out of the land as He had promised, and later judged Babylon for misusing Israel.
Jeremiah's Warning to Judah
Les compares the mentality of Israel to Jeremiah's audience, emphasizing their rejection of God's warnings.
Israel’s Title Deed: Understanding God's Covenant in Genesis 15
We usually know it as Baal. And unless you can understand, maybe let's just look at one for example. I mean, this is just absolutely unbelievable that Israel, this covenant people, with all the miracle working of God as a fabric of their lifestyle, and yet they come to this place. It's Jeremiah chapter 44, I think it is.
Jeremiah's Imprisonment and Idolatry
Les highlights that Jeremiah was thrown into a dungeon for his warnings, and the people's idolatry led by women, showing their hard-heartedness.
Why Israel Rejected God as King — 1 Samuel 8 Explained
verse 18, Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of His sight. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only. Verse 20, And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers until He had cast them out of His sight.
What the Bible Really Says About the Times of the Gentiles
And so, the residue of the ancient kingdom of Babylon that is part and parcel of our everyday existence in this very year in which we live is banking. The whole idea of interest and usury was really begun on that kind of a scale in Babylon. And so, the Jew just embraced that, and they take it back.
Israel’s Title Deed: Understanding God's Covenant in Genesis 15
But ere they crossed the River Jordan, God gave explicit instructions to the nation of Israel, don't leave a single Canaanite alive. Unfair? Unjust? No. Because they've had 400 years to clean up their act. But instead of cleaning up their act, they degenerated down, down, down, until finally God, in justice, could tell Israel, don't spare a one.
2 Chronicles 36:15-16: 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.
This verse directly explains why God allowed the Babylonians to conquer Judah: the people rejected His prophets and words.
2 Chronicles 36:17: Therefore 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.
This verse shows the consequence of Judah's rebellion: God gave them into the hands of the Babylonians.
Jeremiah 44:17: But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
This verse illustrates the people's stubborn idolatry, as they explicitly refuse to stop worshipping the queen of heaven, a key reason for God's judgment.
God sent the Babylonians as a judgment on Judah because they persistently refused to turn from idolatry and rejected His prophets. Despite God sending messengers like Jeremiah to warn them, they mocked and persecuted them until His wrath was without remedy.
Jeremiah prophesied that the Babylonians would come and overrun Judah, killing without mercy and taking the survivors captive. He tried to warn the people to turn back to God, but they threw him into a dungeon instead of listening.
Watch the Teaching: The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel — What the Bible Really Says