So Judah went into captivity, away from her land.
Jeremiah 52:27b NIV
This is such a sad note. And yet it illustrates a fundamental theme in the Bible. The consequence of rebellion against God results in exile and separation from life with God.
This is first seen in Genesis 3:23 when Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden because of their rebellion. In the years that followed, humanity continued in its rebellious ways.
In response, God established a covenant with Abraham and later with his descendants at Mt. Sinai. A covenant that would bring them into the promised land as his special people, representing a return to the garden and hope for the world.
But they followed the example of Adam and Eve and the rest of humanity who came after them. They rebelled against God. And ultimately, Judah went into exile, away from her land, expelled from the garden.
Is there any hope? Or are we doomed to live in exile away from the presence of God?
There is indeed hope. As John 3:16 says, God loved us despite our rebellion and sent Jesus, his Son, into the world. And all who believe in him will have eternal life. Life in the garden in the presence of God.
We do not fully experience that return from exile while we live in the flesh. But we look forward to when we can fully experience life in the garden—the life we were created to have.
