CAPTIVITY . . .
“You will have sons and daughters but you will not keep them, because they will go into captivity.” Deuteronomy 28:41
After the Children of Israel returned to their homeland, problems began with neighboring enemies. Whenever the people sinned against God, he allowed another enemy to attack them. Then an appointed judge stepped forward to rescue them. Eventually the people chose kings to rule them. But in a short while the people again rebelled. Soon the nation split into two parts: Israel in the north and Judah in the south.
Israel was ruled by wicked kings. In 722 BC God allowed the Assyrians to take them into captivity. Second Kings 17:6 says, “The king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria.” They never returned.
Judah fared better, but by 586 BC, they too had fallen away from God. It was the Babylonians who took them away into captivity while destroying their capital city of Jerusalem. Thousands of Israelites were taken to Babylon against their will, including Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Jeremiah 52:27 says, “So Judah went into captivity, away from her land.”
The purpose of taking people captive served as punishment for rebelling against the enemy. Judah’s captivity lasted 70 years, after which they returned to their homeland. Ezra and Nehemiah were appointed to rebuild the temple and the walls of Jerusalem.
Being held captive by an enemy is a terrible thing. It takes away one’s freedom and liberty. Colossians 2:8 is a warning for us not to fall captive to temptation. “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy.” We pray that God would fight for us when Satan tries to take us into captivity!
From: Precious Words of the Bible by Reynold R. Kremer