Wednesday, November 26, 2008

2 Kings 25 - The End of Judah

LINK: 2 Kings 25
Parallel passage --
Jeremiah 40-43
2 Chronicles 36:11-21

BACKGROUND
After about nine years, Zedekiah rebelled against both King Nebuchadnezzar and the Lord God. The priests and people had also defiled the temple. God sent Jeremiah, but the people mocked him and God. So God brought Babylon one more time to invade Jerusalem. A one and a half year siege resulted in the fall of Jerusalem.

King Zedekiah was captured and made to watch the slaughter of his sons before his eyes were put out. This fulfilled prophesies of both Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Jeremiah had warned Zedekiah that he would see Nebuchadnezzar.

because Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying "Why do you prophesy, saying, 'Thus says the Lord, "Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will take it; and Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but he willl surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will speak with him face to face, and see him eye to eye; and he will take Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him," declares the Lord. "If you fight against the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed"'?" (Jeremiah 32:3-5)

But Ezekiel had prophesied that Zedekiah would not see Babylon.

I will also spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. And I shall bring him to Babylon in the land of the Chaldeans; yet he will not see it, though he will die there. (Ezekiel 12:13)
One month later, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, burned the city and the temple, carried off the temple treasures that remained, and took Seraiah the high priest and others to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah where they were executed.

Gedaliah was appointed governor of the land, and Jeremiah stayed with him at Mizpah, the new capital. But when Gedaliah was murdered by Ishmael, the remnant of Jews feared retaliation from Babylon and fled to Egypt (in direct disobedience to the Lord), taking Jeremiah with them.

Fast forward 27 years . . . .

In Babylon, Jehoiachin was imprisoned for a total of 37 years. When Evil-merodach ascended to the throne in Babylon, he released Jehoiachin from prison and provided him with daily rations and a daily allowance. Interestingly, there are Babylonian tablets that confirm that Jehoiachin, his sons, and others received rations from Nebuchadnezzar's stores. After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-merodach was apparently attempting to gain favor with the captive Jews by releasing Jehoiachin from prison and treating him well.

REFLECTION & APPLICATION
This book was written to the Jews exiled in Babylon. What do you think was the primary message the author was trying to communicate to his audience? If you were a Jew in Babylonian captivity at the time, what would have been the book's major lessons to you?

PRAYER
Father, thank you for the light of your word that guides us and leads us to you. May we follow your ways and seek to please you in all that we say and do. Amen.

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