God's People in Captivity

READ TOGETHER

Read all or parts of 2 Chronicles 36 from the Bible and watch the Bible story video below.

FAMILY DEVOTION

Time and time again, the kings of Judah chose to disobey God. And even though God loved His children like a father, the people did not listen to His warnings, and they forgot about their God. God judged the people of Judah for their sin. They were attacked by the armies of Babylon and lived as slaves in a foreign land.

The northern kingdom of Israel was attacked and conquered by the Assyrians. The southern kingdom of Judah was attacked and conquered by the Babylonians. Because they had disobeyed, God’s people were slaves in other countries for centuries. But what about God’s promise to Abraham to bless all nations through his descendants? What about the promise to David that his descendants would sit on the throne forever? Had God forgotten about these promises?

Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” These words remind us that every promise God has spoken is true, and He will always keep His promises. When God poured out His judgment on the people for their sin, the kingdom of Judah was no more. But even then, God was working out His plan to send a greater king to save His people. God would send His own Son, Jesus—who was from the family of Abraham and David—to bring forgiveness and peace to all who trust in Him.

God was right to punish His people for their sin, but He kept His promise to provide a king through David’s family. Ultimately, God punished our sin through His Son, Jesus, and made Him our King forever.

PRAY TOGETHER

God, we know that You always keep Your promises. Help us to trust in You even when we don’t see how You’re working. Thank You for sending Jesus to die on the cross and to save all who believe in Him.

THROUGHOUT THE WEEK

Thank God for His promises and His faithfulness to always keep those promises. Make a list of the promises you can remember from the Bible. Make note of the promises God has already. How do these fulfilled promises help us to trust in His ability to keep all His promises?