The story of Judah’s (southern Israel) exile at the hands of the Babylonians is sobering. It’s not simply about military defeat or displacement – it’s about the covenant people of God learning to live out their calling in a foreign land under foreign gods. The exile is one of the most formative periods in Israel’s history, shaping their identity, faith, and hope in ways that still resonate with us today.
The Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonian Empire, under King Nebuchadnezzar II, rose to dominance in the early 6th century B.C. Judah was caught in the geopolitical squeeze between Babylon and Egypt, often trying to maneuver for survival. But repeated rebellions against Babylon’s authority provoked Nebuchadnezzar’s wrath.
In 597 B.C., Jerusalem was besieged for the first time. King Jehoiachin surrendered, and Nebuchadnezzar carried off the young king, members of the royal family, military leaders, and skilled craftsmen (2 Kings 24). This first wave of deportees included a young man named Ezekiel, who would later become one of the most significant prophets of the exile.
A decade later, in 586 B.C., Jerusalem fell completely. After a long and brutal siege, the Babylonians broke through the walls, burned the temple, destroyed the palaces, and left the city in ruins (2 Kings 25). It was a devastating moment – the loss of the temple was not just architectural, it was theological. The house of Yahweh, the visible reminder of God’s presence among His people, lay in ashes.
Who Was Taken – and Who Was Left
Nebuchadnezzar’s strategy was shrewd. He carted off the best and brightest – the ruling elite, warriors, artisans, and priests. These were the people who could rebuild resistance or inspire rebellion. By removing them, Babylon weakened Judah’s future capacity for independence.
Those left behind were mostly the poor, farmers, and common laborers. To Babylon, they posed little threat. They were left to work the land and provide tribute. But to the exiles, it meant the land of promise was still inhabited – though stripped of its glory. The remnant in Judah and the exiles in Babylon were now two halves of the same broken nation, both struggling to make sense of what had happened.
Geographically, the exile meant a complete shift in worldview. Babylon was far to the east, across the desert, in the lush river valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates. The exiles were now surrounded by imposing ziggurats, walls that dwarfed anything in Jerusalem, and gods whose images dominated public life. Babylon was not just another city—it was the embodiment of human power and pride, the antithesis of Zion.
Stories from Exile
Exile life was not uniform. Some exiles, like Daniel and his companions, found themselves in positions of influence within the Babylonian court. Their stories remind us that even in a foreign land, God’s people could bear witness to His covenant faithfulness – his hesed. Daniel’s refusal to defile himself with the king’s food (Daniel 1), his friends’ fiery trial (Daniel 3), and Daniel’s prayer life that landed him in the lions’ den (Daniel 6) show us that faithfulness was possible under pressure.
Ezekiel’s visions along the Kebar River (Ezekiel 1) revealed that God’s presence was not bound to the temple in Jerusalem. The vision of the wheels and the glory of the Lord on the move proclaimed that Yahweh was not defeated. He had gone into exile with His people.
Psalm 137 gives us another angle – the deep anguish of the exiles. By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. The grief was real. They wrestled with questions of identity: Who are we without the temple? Who are we without the land?
God’s Directives in Exile
Into this confusion came a remarkable word from the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah. Writing from Jerusalem to the exiles in Babylon, he delivered God’s surprising directive:
“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters… Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:5–7)
This was not the message they wanted. Many longed for a quick return, a short captivity. False prophets promised just that. But God was clear: exile would not be over in a year or two. It would be a season of seventy years (Jeremiah 29:10).
In that season, the people were not to withdraw in bitterness or plot rebellion in secret. They were to live faithfully as God’s kingdom people in a foreign land. They were to put down roots, raise families, and bless the city of their captors. In other words, they were to embody God’s covenant life even in exile.
Kingdom People in a Foreign Land
The exile became a crucible for Judah’s faith. They discovered that God was still with them. His kingdom was not bound to geography or to buildings. His people could live for Him anywhere, under any circumstances, if they clung to His word, trusted His promises, and bore witness through obedience.
The exile reminds us of a larger truth: God’s people are always, in some sense, “resident aliens.” Whether in Babylon or in our own cultural moment, we are called to live distinctly, faithfully, and with hope – even when the world around us feels hostile or foreign.
Practical Theology Today 