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From here in 2 kings 23 to 25:30 we finish off the timeline of the nation prior to the captivity in Babylon. God brings about his discipline for Judah's disobedience and finally puts the nation into the woodshed for much needed correction. Oddly, at any time during this, they could have submitted to God's work and it would have spared them so much suffering - and it's a testimony to us when God needs to bring correction to our lives.
31 - 35 Jehoahaz
Despite Josiah's great spirit and dedication to the Lord and winding things back in Judah prior to Solomon's move away from Yahweh, Jehoahaz his son turns back to the same ways of the kings before Josiah. It's almost as if Josiah had never existed, except this time, God has Judah on a very short leash. Jehoahaz was actually Josiah's third son. It's thought his eldest, Johanan, died earlier. His second born, Eliakim (named Johoiakim by Neco) was also passed over for an unknown reason.
36 - 24:7 Jehoiakim
Jehoiakim was thoroughly wicked. Jeremiah the prophet describes him as one who took from his people for his own gain. (Jer 22:13-17) But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence."
He also opposed the representatives of God (Jer 26:20-23, 36:21-23) and filled the land with violence and apostasy (Jer 18:18-20). But as I said, time was short for Judah. It's almost like with Josiah, God showed the people how it could have been, but their real character of making God an enemy was too soon to come back, so they get what they asked for.
After the battle at Carchemish, Nebuchadnezzar from Babylon overtook the remaining Egyptian forces at Hamath. Some remaining troops fled back to Egypt, but Judah became a vassal of Babylon from that point on. Nebuchadnezzar himself boasts of this conquest in 605 B.C. Once Egypt gained some strength back, Johoiakim once again turned his loyalty to the south. Eventually Nebuchadnezzar regained enough strength to come storming into Jerusalem. He would find Jehoiakim dead, replaced with this son, Jehoachin.
Another famous story about Jehoiakim happens in Jeremiah 36. Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, wrote down all the words from God on a scroll. It was read to the king by Jehudi read it line by line and after he had read three or four columns, the king would cut it off with a knife and throw it into the fire.
24:8 - 9 Jehoachin
Jehoachin has relatively little going for him. He had no ally in Egypt anymore, nor did he have an ally in God, for he had abandoned him. He faced the awful specter of the advancing armies of Nebuchadnezzar and the fearful prospect of defeat.
24:10 - 17
This was actually the second deportation. In the first a relatively small group was taken to Babylon, including Daniel. This time a much larger group left as the king surrendered. This group included the prophet Ezekiel.
24:18 - 20 Zedekiah
Zedekiah's birth name was Mattaniah. It's at this time that Zedekiah sent to Jeremiah and asked for a word from the Lord. Jeremiah told him he was going to be handed over to the Babylonians and Zedekiah's men put him in prison (Jeremiah 37, 38). It says "neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Lord that he spoke through Jeremiah the prophet." (Jer 37:1). This is when Jeremiah is thrown into the cistern and rescued by an Ethiopian eunuch. Eventually, Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah secretly. Jeremiah gave him the same words, adding "if you will surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city shall not be burned with fire" (Jeremiah 38:17). But Zedekiah still wouldn't follow the word of the Lord.
2 Chronicles 36 describes it this way: "12 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. 13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel. 14 All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of the Lord that he had made holy in Jerusalem. 15 The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.
25:1 - 7
Jerusalem was under siege from 588 to July of 586 B.C. when the Babylonians broke through the walls and captured the city. The king thought they could escape, but he was captured and taken to Riblah, killing his sons and blinding him before sending him as a prisoner of war to Babylon.
25:8 - 12
The Chaldeans burned the temple in order to get the gold plating off of the walls. They destroyed the wall so the place could no longer be defended. The only people left were the poor and helpless who could not form a rebellion against Babylon.
25:13 - 17
Jeremiah 52 has a full accounting of all that was taken, all the gold, bronze, and silver utensils used in the temple.
25:18 - 21
Jeremiah's prophecy was delivered to Babylon by Seraiah, but not the high priest. All the major religious, military and members of the nobility were put to death. But Seraiah's sons were not executed. Among them was Ezra the scribe.
25:22 - 26
Gedaliah was an ally of Jeremiah, the only two prominent officials left in the city. After Gedaliah's assassination by Baalis, the Ammonite king, a group led by Johanan fled to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with them, despite his warnings against it (Jeremiah 42:10-21).
25:27 - 30
When Nebuchadnezzar died in 561 B.C, his son, Evil-Merodach, released Jehoahcin from prison as a sign that, after seventy years, God would release his people from their captivity and return them to life in the Promised Land.
Conclusions
God wasn't finished with Israel. 70 years after their captivity, Daniel the prophet realized after reading Jeremiah 25:11-13 ("these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years"), that it was time for them to return. (Daniel 9:1-3). At that point he prays an incredible prayer of repentance and forgiveness. In response, God gives him the vision of the 70 weeks.
Darius, the king in Babylon at the time, made a decree and send Ezra back to rebuild the temple, sending back the articles of gold, silver, and bronze that Nebuchadnezzar had taken (Ezra 6:5)
Joel 2:25 I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten. As we give into the discipline, realize what God is doing, repent and turn toward Him once again, God will restore us just as He restored Jerusalem. All the while they were in Babylon God was keeping the line of the Messiah alive. Jehoiachin's son Shealtiel kept up the line, passing it down through Joseph, and through Mary in Luke 3.
Judgment is real, accountability is coming, but God has provided a way to deal with it. It starts with hearing, believing, and acting on His Word, as communicated through His prophets and Apostles. You can't just hear it, like Jehoachin, then throw it away, and expect to receive God's mercy. You can't hear it and ignore it, doing your own thing, like Johanon, and expect God's provision and blessing. You can't just hear, you must take action. Like Paul said:
Rom 10:9-10 if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. |
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