July 21, 2013 – Jeremiah 24 – 25

I find it odd that the exile is for 70 years.  It seems that 40 is the number that should have been used.  40 days of rain, 40 years in the wilderness, 40 days in the desert, 40 appears to be the number associated with purification.  But here, 70.  I am trying to think of a reason that this is different or another time 70 might come into play that might be associated with this.  It might be that the sin was worse than the sin of those with Moses in the desert.  Israel had been given this land and kingdom and turned away from God.  A worse crime deserves a worse punishment.  I also thought about Jerusalem being sacked around the year 70 AD by the Romans, the last Temple being destroyed and thinking if there is any correlation there.  The Jews had 70 years from the birth of Christ before the Temple was destroyed to convert themselves and change course.  But that really isn’t accurate because a Jew can convert today.  I just find the number 70 out of place when many numbers that are used are usually connected to some other story or point toward some other purpose.