A Story of God and All of Us Young Reade - By Roma Downey Page 0,27

A stunned silence greets Jeremiah as he enters. The prophet looks preposterous, as if he will crumble under the weight of the yoke. But there is an undeniable fire in his eyes; no trace of fear or weakness is evident in Jeremiah's demeanor when he stands before the king.

"What is this?" snarls Zedekiah, angry that Jeremiah refuses to grovel before his king.

"This is you, as you will be under the yoke of Babylon."

"I will never succumb to Babylon," Zedekiah replies. "I called you here to speak to God on behalf of me and my kingdom."

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Jeremiah continues as if he hasn't heard the king. "If you're wise, you will listen to what I have to tell you."

"And what is that?"

"Bow your neck and serve. Submit to Babylon and you will live."

One of Zedekiah's courtiers springs upon Jeremiah, throwing the yoke to the ground. "Wretch," says the courtier with utter disdain. "How dare you tell your king to bow his neck?"

Jeremiah doesn't flinch. His face flushes in anger as he squares off before his attacker. "No," answers Jeremiah. "How dare you question the words of your Lord God?"

One of the chief priests, thinking he will make points with Zedekiah, says,

"You wrote that we should repent and all will be well. That God will be with us."

Jeremiah fixes the priests with a look of pity. He alone knows that Zedekiah's pride has already guaranteed Israel's fall. The Promised Land will now be Nebuchadnezzar's. Her people will be scattered and enslaved.

Her temple will be destroyed. This is God's prophecy--this is as God allows.

All the protestations of courtiers and high priests cannot stop this from happening.

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"Look outside the walls. You're too late," says Jeremiah.

"Take him to the palace dungeon!" hisses Zedekiah.

Months pass. Inside the city, the people of Jerusalem are trapped and starving, deprived of food and much of their water supply by the Babylonian presence. Time has come for King Nebuchadnezzar to capture the city.

Zedekiah's army tries to hold the gate, but they are disorganized and weak from hunger, and they cannot withstand the Babylonians.

Inside the palace, chaos reigns.

The dungeon has been emptied of all but one prisoner: Jeremiah.

Baruch makes his way through the empty palace. Its walls are lit by the burning city. The footsteps of his sandal-clad feet echo on the stone floor.

Baruch frees Jeremiah and ushers the prophet out of the palace. They race to the temple designed so long ago by David, cavernous, and usually a refuge of calm and tranquility. It is the spiritual home to God's covenant with the Israelites, where the Ark of the Covenant resides. It is about to burn to the ground. The few remaining faithful within the city are 111

inside, working feverishly to save precious scrolls and religious artifacts. The Israelites hide the Ark of the Covenant in order to prevent it from being taken to Babylon.

Baruch and Jeremiah run from the temple, hoping to find a way to escape the city. They turn and take one last look back at the great building, its rooftop now licked by flames. Smoke billows into the sky. Screaming people fill the streets, soon to be taken to Babylon as slaves.

This is what the end of the Promised Land looks like.

Just as Jeremiah prophesied.

Years pass. After conquering Arabia, Egypt, and what will become Europe, King Nebuchadnezzar returns to Babylon to enjoy the wealth and spoils of his vast kingdom. His subjects slowly and reluctantly adapt to their ruler and his ways. Generations of children are brought into the world and grow to adulthood never knowing any difference between Nebuchadnezzar's customs and those of their forefathers. The Israelites unwittingly join in the worship of their king's pagan idols, having long lost even the memory of the God of Abraham. 112 Those who do remember feel God has forsaken them.

Most don't know who God is at all.

However, one Israelite in exile--Daniel--has been blessed in a strange and powerful way. He has a God-given gift to interpret dreams.

This gift comes with a certain peril, though. For once Nebuchadnezzar learns of Daniel's special ability to listen and hear God in all circumstances, the king inquires about the meaning of his own dreams.

On a spectacular morning, long before the desert heat can despoil the setting, Daniel stands at Nebuchadnezzar's side, next to the seated king's throne, in the shade of the palace's outdoor pavilion. Thousands upon thousands of Babylonians and Jews are being herded out of the city and onto a broad desert plain. Daniel watches with regret as the chief priests