Based on 2 Kings 25:1-21 (New King James Version)
“Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around. So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled at night by way of the gate between two walls, which was by the king’s garden, even though the Chaldeans were still encamped all around against the city. And the king went by way of the plain. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him. So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they pronounced judgment on him. Then they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon. And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month (which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He burned the house of the Lord and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire. And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls of Jerusalem all around. Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive the rest of the people who remained in the city and the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, with the rest of the multitude. But the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers. The bronze pillars that were in the house of the Lord, and the carts and the bronze Sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried their bronze to Babylon. They also took away the pots, the shovels, the trimmers, the spoons, and all the bronze utensils with which the priests ministered. The firepans and the basins, the things of solid gold and solid silver, the captain of the guard took away. The two pillars, one Sea, and the carts, which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, the bronze of all these articles was beyond measure. The height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the capital on it was of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits, and the network and pomegranates all around the capital were all of bronze. The second pillar was the same, with a network. And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three doorkeepers. He also took out of the city an officer who had charge of the men of war, five men of the king’s close associates who were found in the city, the chief recruiting officer of the army, who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city. So Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, took these and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. Then the king of Babylon struck them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive from its own land.”
Who loses when we do not follow the Lord, God, or us? One of the biggest problems humanity faces today is the perception of reality. Quite simply, people generally make the mistake of thinking that truth is relative, or even worse, subjective to themselves. But if we only understand the vastness and expansiveness of the universe, we would understand that it is illogical to think we have any power over reality, or that reality depends on us in any way. So many things happening all around us clearly show that nothing depends on us, and that we are truly insignificant in existence. Even the beating of our hearts, the air we breathe, and the involuntary functions of our mind and body indicate that we are incredibly dependent beings.
Let's ask ourselves this: Do we have any control over the galaxies and the billions upon billions of stars that exist in our universe? In our galaxy, the Milky Way, it is estimated that there are between 100 and 400 billion stars. Do we exert any dominion over the planets in our solar system, or over the sun itself? And with regard to our planet, is its rotation controlled by humans in any way? Is it our intellect that makes this planet spin on its axis, which is invisible to our eyes? Are we in charge of days and nights? Are we responsible for gravity? Does rain fall because we designed it that way? Are you beginning to grasp the point, and how insignificant we are?
And now let's see, who did all this? God or man? Many want to believe that all this is the product of a cosmic accident that happened approximately 13.8 billion years ago. And I understand why they want that so much, because it justifies their atheism and creates within themselves the illusion that they neither depend on nor owe anything to a being like God. That is their reality, because there is no other reason for their disbelief. And they choose not to understand that the Genesis account primarily focuses on the creation and design of our planet, not the universe. God (Elohim – the Trinity) simply ordered things with the sound of His voice, making existence possible through His Word. This same account tells us that many things already existed in the universe, including our planet, as it is written: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:1-2. Only God knows how much time passed between what is said in verse one and two, but the earth already existed in some form before the seven days of creation. But what tells us most that God made all this possible is His incredible design and order. It is not possible, even after so much time, for an accident to produce so much order and structure. This is what the Word says: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20.
So, if we understand the basics we just explained, who loses when man does not follow the Lord—God or man? The answer should be quite obvious, but the sin within us prevents us from seeing even the most obvious magnificence of God and our great dependence on Him. God loses absolutely nothing when we disobey, when we do not follow His Word. Today we read that Judah was destroyed, its king was blinded and jailed, his sons were killed, and even the Lord's temple was destroyed, all because of rebellion. One might say: God lost because His temple was destroyed. But what does the temple matter if He is the King over all existence? It is written: “Thus says the Lord: ‘Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,” says the Lord… Isaiah 66:1-2a. But He also says this: “But on this one will I look: ‘On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.’” Isaiah 66:2b. So, quite simply, it is we who lose, and if we do not do as He instructs us, we will lose our souls forever. We need Him to look upon us with grace and compassion always. So, will you follow the Lord as He truly is, for your own eternal good? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!