By Name

- Assyrian Empire

Last week we spoke on the Prophet Jonah, and how he went into Assyria and preached repentance before them.

Assyria at that time was a major player with growing power.

And it grew stronger.

In 733-732 Assyrian began its first round of taking Israelites hostage.

Then in 722BC, about ten years later, the Northern Kingdom of Israel fell after a seige led by Shalmaneser, and ultimately succumbed to the loss of their nation, The Northern Kingdom, and sent the Israelites into Captivity, and Exile by Assyria’s next ruler, Sargon II.

Assyria held the power until the founder of the Babylonian dynasty rebelled against Assyria in 626 BC.

- Babylonian Empire

And began what was the great Babylonian Empire.

And by 612 BC, Nabopolassar conquered Jonah’s once repented Assyrians, and the city of Nineveh.

And so Nabopolassar of the Babylonians became a major power player ruling in Babylon while his son,

A general, worked on expanding the empire.

His name was Nebuchadnezzer.

(John D. Barry et al., eds., “Nabopolassar,” The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

Shortly after successfully defeating Egypt’s Pharaoh Neco at Carchemish in 605 BC, and now controlling a major portion of the middle east,

He recieved news that his father, Nabopolassar died, and he had to return to Babylon to be crowed the new king.

- Siege #1

But not before taking a few captives of the land with him.

But in 601 BC, he again fought against Egypt but suffered major setbacks and was forced to return to Babylon and regroup his power.

Trying to take advantage of this period of weakness, the Southern Kingdom of Judah rebelled, trying to break free from under the Nebuchadnezzer.

Obviously this didn’t sit well with Nebuchadnezzer, and he led a seige against Judah under the prerogative of God, apparently from

Jeremiah 43:10 (CSB)

10 and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will place his throne on these stones that I have embedded, and he will pitch his pavilion over them.

Jeremiah warned the king not to rebel against Babylon, but was ignored and imprisoned.

When he comes into Judah, he removed the reigning king at the time the Bible tells us was Jehoiakim,

He either killed him or took him captive.

We don’t know for sure what happened to him at the hands of the Babylonian king.

He also went into the Temple and removed articles of Gold and took them to Babylon.

Then about three months after this, Nebuchadnezzar deported Judah’s king Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin to Babylon, and left Jehoiachin’s uncle Zedekiah to rule as a vassal in his place.

(Elliot Ritzema, “Nebuchadnezzar,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).Ritzema, Elliot. “Nebuchadnezzar.” Edited by John D. Barry, David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder. The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.)

At this point in history, God is still moving.

He is moving even as he allowed Nebuchadnezzer to exile the brightest minds in Judah, when he began deporting many to Babylon,

Beginning the what we know as the “Exilic period.”

- Siege #2

The second Siege

Among the exiles from Judah was a young soon to be prophet by the name of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 1:1 (CSB)

1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, while I was among the exiles by the Chebar Canal, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.

Ezekiel also warned Judah not to rebel, but he did from exile in Babylon.

It is assumed that the prophet Daniel was not among this group, that included Ezekiel, but that he was taken several years prior, back in 605 BC. during Nebuchadnezzar’s first siege of Judah.

(Faithlife, LLC. “Daniel (prophet).” Logos Bible Study, Computer software. Logos Bible Study Factbook. Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, LLC, September 5, 2024. https://ref.ly/logos4/Factbook?id=ref%3abk.%23Daniel.)

Which brings us to our next Major Character of the Bible, and his book.

The Prophet Daniel.

The book of Daniel is set during the time when the Israelites were in exile in Babylon, around 600 years before Christ.

The Book of Daniel twelve chapters.

The First six are history, and the last six are of his visions.

He was taken most likely during the first siege, in which Isaiah prophesied,

Isaiah 39:7 (CSB)

7 ‘Some of your descendants—who come from you, whom you father—will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ ”

This first siege effectively began the 70 year servitude of the nation prophesied by

Jeremiah 25:11 (CSB)

11 This whole land will become a desolate ruin, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.

Now, don’t be mistaken

Not only did Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and Isaiah prophesy about it, but they tell us it would last for 70 years.

Seems like a nice round specific number, so why did God choose 70 years?

God explains why in

2 Chronicles 36:20–21 (CSB)

20 He deported those who escaped from the sword to Babylon, and they became servants to him and his sons until the rise of the Persian kingdom. 21 This fulfilled the word of the Lord through Jeremiah, and the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation until seventy years were fulfilled.

Basically God was charging them for all the years they spent in rebellion against him by serving other gods, and idols etc.

And God said, you owe the land those seventy years of Sabbaths that you didn’t keep.

Wow!

Another instance of God meaning what He says and Saying what He means. AMEN

- Siege #23

Now the third seige kicked off what the Bible calls, the seventy years of desolation

When the Temple was destroyed it left the nation desolate,

- Persian Empire

And not to be confused with the seventy years of servitude of Jeremiah

Jeremiah 25:1 (CSB)

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon).

This period ended Babylon fell to Darius the Median and the “Decree” of Cyrus to rebuild the Temple, and the beginning of the Persian Empire.

For a recap of the timeline,

There was Egypt, then Assyrian Empire, then Babylonian empire, & the Persian empire,

(The time we are moving into here in our studies today),

After the Persians will come Alexander the great and the Grecian Empire.

That will break up into four empires after the young death of Alexander the Great, a Greek, who ruled from Babylon, just for future reference, and then those four merged into one, The Roman Empire which was in power at the time our Lord walked the earth, and then ultimately died.

Ethelbert W. Bullinger, The Companion Bible: Being the Authorized Version of 1611 with the Structures and Notes, Critical, Explanatory and Suggestive and with 198 Appendixes, vol. 1 (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2018), 615.

When Cyrus walked into Babylon, he was handed a scroll from Isaiah that was written to him several hundred years before, calling him out by name.

In Isaiah chapter 44 and 45, God is telling them that He will allow Jerusalem be rebuilt after it’s yet future destruction due to their rebellion.

God through the prophet mentions Cyrus king of the Persians by name.

Isaiah 44:26–28 (CSB)

26 who confirms the message of his servant and fulfills the counsel of his messengers; who says to Jerusalem, “She will be inhabited,” and to the cities of Judah, “They will be rebuilt,” and I will restore her ruins; 27 who says to the depths of the sea, “Be dry,” and I will dry up your rivers; 28 who says to Cyrus, “My shepherd, he will fulfill all my pleasure” and says to Jerusalem, “She will be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Its foundation will be laid.”

And again in

Isaiah 45:1 (CSB)

1 The Lord says this to Cyrus, his anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him and disarm kings, to open doors before him, and even city gates will not be shut:

Wow, can you imagine God calling you out by name?

- Your Personal God

He did you know?

When he sent Jesus to die on the cross, He called you out by name.

By writing your name in the book of life at moment of your conversion.

The very moment that in your sincerest of hearts, you accepted Jesus, repentance happened,

forgiveness available to you through the very blood of Jesus that fell from the cross,

You were sealed that day by the Holy Spirit and granted everlasting life, and the forgiveness of your heavy sins.

That’s right!

You didn’t think you were all that important did you?

You thought, well, surely God doesn’t know me.

It’s true, I get it.

Although many presidents have run this country since its founding,

None of here have ever met any of them.

Even though their policies and worldview directly affect our every day way of life.

They most likely would have no idea who you and I are.

Lupe Lopez, of Anna, IL. Well who in the world is that.

Be careful that you understand that your relationship with God is not like that.

For God knows exactly who you are!

He created you.

Your momma and daddy may have had required human procreating relations,

but make no mistake, God is the one who pushed the button on your conception.

Meaning, it was God that gave you life!

He knows exactly what is going on in your daily life as well.

I have news for you.

He is not too busy to care about what you got going on either, as a matter of fact,

It may even come as a surprise to you, But He is directly involved in every thing that happens to you.

Our God Yahweh is a personal God. Amen

Our God is a God who has counted the very hairs on your head.

Our God has not only created every star in the sky, but has named each one.

The Bible tells us that not even a sparrow falls from the sky without Him knowing.

Matthew 10:29 (CSB)

29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent.

Speaking to Jeremiah, He said

Jeremiah 1:5 (CSB)

5 I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.

The Psalmist said

Psalm 139:13 (CSB)

13 For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Psalm 139:16 (CSB)

16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.

I could go on and on like this.

Do you know what this is?

This Bible that you and I hold in our hands, is a Love letter written in Blood, Jesus’ blood to you and I,

by name!

Amen

point to someone-

You now have the road map to Me, God says, how do you choose?

Do you choose to trust me, now that I have shown you I am trust worthy,

Or do you reject me, and continue trying it your way?

When the first Siege happened under the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzer, most scholars believe, this is when Daniel was taken.

Along with Daniel, we are told he had three friends and colleges with him.

The four of their names were, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

These four young promising Hebrew men, understood their personal relationship with an all personal God.

And they were resolute in their unwavering committment to their God,

Why?

Because they “knew” Him.

He wasn’t a stranger to them.

They had a relationship with Him that was unbreakable, even in the face of tribulation.

These four men were taken captive, by a strange king to a strange land, and were treated kindly.

They were treated to the Kings own food supply from his table, and they refused to eat it and be a partaker in theirs captors pleasures.

Daniel 1:12–16 (CSB)

12 “Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then examine our appearance and the appearance of the young men who are eating the king’s food, and deal with your servants based on what you see.” 14 He agreed with them about this and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days they looked better and healthier than all the young men who were eating the king’s food. 16 So the guard continued to remove their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables.

Daniel and his three friends, chose not to risk their personal relationship with God, in exchange for the pleasure and temptations of the world.

Brothers and Sisters here today,

Are you willing to exchange your personal relationship with the all powerful, all personal God,

Just so you can experience a sliver, a piece of the desires of the flesh?

Are you willing to compromise your eternity for a temporary fleeting pleasure?

You know, if you do that, you will have to accept the new name the world will give you.

These four Hebrew young men didn’t accept the name forced upon them by the world.

Do you know what happens when someone changes their name?

People no longer know who you are anymore.

If your name used to be Jack, and now it Bob, Rob, or Jill, you will no longer be that which the Lord Created,

You will now be what YOU created.

It will then be impossible for the Lord to recognize you as the being He created, and will be forced by

Your own hand, to look upon you as the one Sin created.

Choose Him not the world.

Be yourself, and strengthen that relationship with Him who created you.

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Invitation