말보다 말씀! 빚보다 빛!

[Key Verse] 
“They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there. He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power.” (2 Chronicles 36:19-20, NIV)

[Our Story] 
There’s a movie titled Olympus Has Fallen that was released over a decade ago. Even the premise—that the White House, the very symbol of American power, comes under attack—is shocking. In the movie, after North Korea continues to provoke with military threats and nuclear tests near the DMZ, a high-level peace summit is held between the U.S. and South Korea. But one of the Korean bodyguards, ‘Kang,’ turns out to be a North Korean spy who, along with other terrorists, devastates the White House and takes the U.S. President hostage. Their demands? The withdrawal of the Seventh Fleet from the East Sea, the removal of 28,500 American troops from the Korean Peninsula, and access to nuclear launch codes. Of course, everything is resolved thanks to former Secret Service agent Mike Banning. Although fictional, the film is humiliating from an American perspective. It’s unimaginable: Washington D.C., the heart of the nation, under siege; the White House destroyed; the President captured. Yet, throughout the movie, I couldn’t shake the thought—this kind of humiliation could happen not only to nations, but to us personally. And that’s exactly why we must be ready.

[Bible Story]
2 Chronicles 36 records the tragic end of the Kingdom of Judah, briefly summarizing the reigns of four disgraceful kings. Given that 2 Chronicles was written to encourage Jews returning from exile, there was no reason to dwell on this national and spiritual shame in detail. After King Josiah was slain by Pharaoh Neco at Megiddo, his fourth son Jehoahaz became king (2 Chronicles 36:1–4). But within three months, Pharaoh deposed him and took him to Egypt, where he died. Jehoiakim, his brother, was then made king (2 Chronicles 36:5–8; 2 Kings 23:33–34). As the global powers shifted, Babylon rose while Egypt declined. Jehoiakim brought shame upon himself: he despised the prophet Uriah, who preached judgment, and had him killed (Jeremiah 26:20–23). He even burned the scroll of Jeremiah’s prophecies, which Baruch had written (Jeremiah 36:9–24). After Jehoiakim, his son Jehoiachin became king at the age of eight (2 Chronicles 36:9–10). Like his father, he did evil in the eyes of the Lord. After three months, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded and deported leaders, warriors, and craftsmen—including the prophet Ezekiel—in the second wave of exile in 597 B.C. Jehoiachin’s successor, Zedekiah, presided over Judah’s final fall (2 Chronicles 36:11–21). During the third invasion in 586 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar burned Jerusalem, including the temple. In a harrowing act, he executed Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, then blinded Zedekiah and bound him in bronze chains, dragging him to Babylon. It was Judah’s ultimate humiliation.

[Your Story] 
Have you ever experienced a moment of unbearable disgrace? A shame so deep it seemed impossible to endure? How did you respond? Did you struggle to control your anger? Were you anxious or uneasy? Did you blame others or even God? In times like these, it’s vital to pause and examine ourselves. Rather than accusing others or dwelling on our circumstances, we must come quietly before God. Lay down your anger and resentment. Listen humbly to the Word of God. Come to Jesus as the leper once did—prostrate before Him, seeking healing in faith. For it is in such moments of humiliation that God transforms shame into glory.

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

With joy in Christ,
Pastor Hyung Joong Kim

© 2025 by Hyung Joong Kim. All rights reserved.