2 Crônicas 36

2 Crônicas 36

William MacDonald - Nebuchadnezzar intended to carry Jehoiakim to Babylon but did not succeed. Although Chronicles does not record the fact, we know that he died ignominiously while still in Jerusalem, as Jeremiah had prophesied (Jer. 22:19; 36:30). W Gustafson - Verse 6 says that Nebuchadnezzar “bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon”. But we do not know from that whether Jehoiakim was actually carried to Babylon or only threatened with deportation. However, since the phrase, “bound him with fetters to carry him to Babylon”, is only found elsewhere of the exile of Manasseh in 33:11 and of Zedekiah in 2 Kings 25:7; Jeremiah 39:7 (RV), and 52:11 with almost identical words, it seems probable that he was actually carried to Babylon, albeit temporarily....Verse 7 is not in 2 Kings but is confirmed by Daniel 1:1–2. The word “also” in v. 7 supports what has been said about Jehoiakim actually being carried to Babylon: “The Chronicler twice uses the doom-laden words ‘to Babylon’, in v. 6 about the king and in v. 7 about the temple treasure.(What the Bible Teaches) Peter Leithart - Jehoiakim reigns for eleven years, but Nebuchadnezzar captures him and takes him to Babylon (NOT IN THE TEXT!). Nebuchadnezzar puts Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin on the throne (2Ch 36:5–8). (Brazos Theological Commentary) 2 Chronicles 36:7 Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of the articles of the house of the LORD to Babylon and put them in his temple at Babylon. the vessels: 2Ki 24:13 Ezr 1:7-11 Jer 27:16-18 28:3 Da 5:2-4 Related Passages: 2 Kings 20:12-13+ At that time Berodach-baladan a son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and the house of his armor and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. Isaiah 39:3-7+ Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon.” 4He said, “What have they seen in your house?” So Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasuries that I have not shown them.” 5Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD of hosts, 6 (ISAIAH'S PROPHECY) ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the LORD. 7‘And some of your sons who will issue from you, whom you will beget, will be taken away, and they will become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” TEMPLE ARTICLES TO BABYLON TO DEMONSTRATE COMPLETE CONQUEST Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of the articles of the house of the LORD to Babylon and put them in his temple at Babylon - This is the first retrieval of articles in the Temple.The confiscation of a nation’s temple objects was a common practice in the ancient world, symbolizing total conquest, not only over the people, but also over the gods of that city or nation. (cf. Da 1:1-2+; Ezra 1:7). The idea was "My god is stronger than your God!" Not only did Nebuchadnezzar take objects, but he also took a few choice people (Daniel and his friends in 605). The next two deportations were larger, so in 597 he took 10,000 including Ezekiel and in 586 he took the largest number into exile. Regarding the articles in the house of the LORD recall that King Hezekiah had foolishly shown Babyonian envoys his wealth and Isaiah prophesied "the days are coming when all that is in your house and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left." (Isaiah 39:6+) This prophecy was now beginning to unfold in Judah and Jerusalem. 🙏 THOUGHT - Lest we skim over Hezekiah's mistake, let us all be soberly warned of the danger of pride. Hezekiah’s pride turned a testimony into a temptation and he showed the pagans his treasures when he should have shown them his God! The consequence of his sin came to fruition over 100 years later! Beware when you sin that consequences of yours may ripple down the corridor of time, coming to fruition long after you are gone! 2 Chronicles 36:8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and the abominations which he did, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son became king in his place. written: 2Ki 24:5-6 Jehoiachin: 1Ch 3:16,17, Jeconiah, Jer 22:24,28, Coniah, Mt 1:11,12, Jechonias Related Passages: 2 Kings 24:1-6 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 The LORD sent against him bands of Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. So He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken through His servants the prophets. 3 Surely at the command of the LORD it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4 and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the LORD would not forgive. 5 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 6So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son became king in his place. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim - This is a summary formula often used in Kings/Chronicles and indicates that that there were many more details not recorded here (cf 2Ki 24:5). Cyril Barber on Jehoiakim's oppressive acts - For the first few years of his reign Jehoiakim was looked upon as the puppet of Egypt. But instead of building up his nation he chose to oppress his subjects and parade his wealth. Recent archaeologists from the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, have uncovered his palace (ED: BUT NOT DEFINITIVELY). The light of history now illumines his malevolent reign. What appears from these remains is a “Jewish Nero” who squandered money on himself while his people languished in poverty. The prophet Jeremiah denounced Jehoiakim (cf. Jeremiah 22:13–19), for he used forced labor to build his palace... Jeremiah 22:13-14 castigated Jehoiakim writing “Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his own people work for nothing, not paying them for their labor. He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms.’ So he makes large windows in it, panels it with cedar and decorates it in red. And the abominations (toebah) which he did and what was found against him - The chronicler expands on the evil of Jehoiakim for the designation abominations refers to idolatry (Dt 7:25), moral perversion (Lev 18:22) and false worship, among other evils. Behold (hinneh), they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah - What a sad record to have one's abominations written in a book. Although not referring to the same "book," ultimately Jehoiakim's abomination would come back as evidence to convict him at the future Great White Throne judgment of Christ... Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great (KINGS LIKE JEHOIAKIM) and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books (JEHOIAKIM'S ABOMINATIONS WILL FOREVER HAUNT HIM!), according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Rev 20:11-15+) And Jehoiachin his son became king in his place - This is Josiah's grandson, so he is still from a godly line, but sadly he continues the evil of Jehoiakim. I have 6 grandsons and my prayer is that their godly lineage would affect their hearts, but there are no guarantees as this study of kings clearly shows. Iain Duguid: To the standard concluding statement of sources, the Chronicler has added “abominations . . . and what was found against him,” an evaluation warranted by the consistent negative oracles in Jeremiah, including those concerning Jehoiakim’s arrogant, dismissive attitude to Jeremiah’s prophetic word (Jer. 19:3–15; 22:13–23; 26:20–23; 36:1–32). (See ESV Expository Commentary - Volume 3: 1 Samuel–2 Chronicles) Abominations (detestable, loathsome) (08441) toebah refers to an abominable custom or thing. Abomination. Loathsome. Detestable thing. Something or someone who is loathsome and abhorrent. Toebah identifies unclean food (Dt. 14:3); the activity of the idolater (Isa. 41:24); the practice of child sacrifice (Dt. 12:31); intermarriage by the Israelites (Mal. 2:11); the religious activities of the wicked (Pr 21:27); and homosexual behavior (Lev. 18:22). In a broader sense, the word is used to identify anything offensive (Pr 8:7). Sometimes toebah is used as a synonym for idol, a repulsive thing, a worship object, with a focus that it is an item to be rejected (Dt 32:16; 2Ch 34:33; Isa 44:19, Jer 16:18; Eze 5:9; 7:20; 11:18, 21; 16:36). Toebah is even used for a specific pagan deity, as in 2Ki 23:13 where Milcom is called "the abomination of the Ammonites." And even prayer is an abomination when offered by one who refuses to obey God's Word (Pr 28:9). Uses in Kings and Chronicles - 1 Ki. 14:24; 2 Ki. 16:3; 2 Ki. 21:2; 2 Ki. 21:11; 2 Ki. 23:13; 2 Chr. 28:3; 2 Chr. 33:2; 2 Chr. 34:33; 2 Chr. 36:8; 2 Chr. 36:14 2 Chronicles 36:9 Jehoiachin was eight years (ALMOST CERTAINLY A SCRIBAL ERROR) old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. Related Passages: 2 Kings 24:8-9+ Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. JEHOIACHIN'S BRIEF BUT EVIL REIGN Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king - Most authorities consider this a scribal error. The Syriac, Arabic, and the parallel place, have "eighteen years;" which, as Scaliger observes, is no doubt the genuine reading. The Septuagint has the Greek word oktōkaideka which can be broken down as follows - oktō = eight + kai = and + deka = ten which literally is “eight and ten” = eighteen. Greek often forms numbers by adding smaller numbers to ten. Believer's Study Bible on eight years old - This is another instance of a scribal misreading in textual transmission. The "ten" may have been misplaced and mistakenly used to add ten days to his reign (cf. 2 Kin. 24:8). And he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and he did evil in the sight of the LORD - Jehoachin fortunately did not have long to do evil in the sight of the LORD. From the conduct of these last four kings, one can appreciate Yahweh's words through Huldah to King Josiah "Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched." (2Ki 22:17+) The "fires" of divine judgment have begun and would not be quenched until the Temple and Jerusalem were burned. Surprisingly, King Jehoiachin is included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (See chart below). The line goes from Josiah to his son Jehoiakim to his son Jeconiah. Josiah's other two sons Joahaz and Zedekiah are not in the Messianic line. Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel. (Mt 1:11-12+) John Mayer: The cause of Nebuchadnezzar’s taking of Jehoiachin is not stated. However, Josephus said that fearing the young king would seek to revenge his father’s capture and ignominious casting out of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, he thought it unsafe to allow Jehoiachin to reign. Therefore he came against him, carried him away to Babylon and set up another king in his stead: Zedekiah. Others think that Nebuchadnezzar, having first made Jehoiachin king, soon repented and returned thus again. . . . But on God’s part, the cause of Nebuchadnezzar’s being sent against Jehoiachin was due to the latter’s wickedness. (See 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles: Old Testament Volume 5) Below is a chart from the unique work by Nancy S Dawson and contributing author Eugene H Merrill - All the Genealogies of the Bible: Visual Charts and Exegetical Commentary (Logos version)(highly recommended). In the list of Kings in the lineage you will note brackets ([....]) around the names of 4 kings - Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah and Jehoiakim. Dawson explains that "To maintain the highly stylized 14–14–14 generational structure of the composition, Matthew deliberately omits the name of King Jeconiah/Jehoiachin’s father (Jehoiakim/Eliakim) and the names of three consecutive kings of Judah—Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah. Matthew’s omission of them is an example of “literary telescoping,” in which he purposely shortens the entire genealogy by reducing the number of constituent elements. Since each of these kings caused apostasy in Judah, as did others, it is unclear why Matthew omits these rulers in particular." The point is that although they are not in Matthew, even these evil kings are in the line of Messiah! 2 Chronicles 36:10 At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon with the valuable articles of the house of the LORD, and he made his kinsman Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem. At the turn of the year 2Ki 24:10-17 25:27-30 Jer 29:2 Eze 1:2 valuable articles: Heb. vessels of desire, 2Ch 36:7 Jer 27:18-22 Da 1:1,2 5:2,23 Zedekiah: 2Ki 24:17, Mattaniah his father's brother, 1Ch 3:15,16 Jer 37:1 Related Passages: 2 Kings 24:10-17+ At that time (597 BC) the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. 11 And Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it. 12 Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he and his mother and his servants and his captains and his officials. So the king of Babylon took him captive in the eighth year of his reign. 13 He carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, just as the LORD had said. 14 Then he led away into exile all Jerusalem and all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land. 15 So he led Jehoiachin away into exile to Babylon; also the king’s mother and the king’s wives and his officials and the leading men of the land, he led away into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 All the men of valor, seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths, one thousand, all strong and fit for war, and these the king of Babylon brought into exile to Babylon. 17 Then the king of Babylon made his uncle Mattaniah king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah. Jeremiah 24:1-2+ After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the officials of Judah with the craftsmen and smiths from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the LORD showed me: behold, two baskets of figs set before the temple of the LORD! 2One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, and the other basket had very bad figs (PEOPLE STILL IN JERUSALEM WHO FAILED TO REPENT) which could not be eaten due to rottenness. NEBUCHADNEZZAR REMOVES JECONIAH AND INSTALLS ZEDEKIAH At the turn of the year - The year is presumably 597 BC. This idiom consistently refers to springtime and the beginning of the military campaign season (cf 2Sa 11:1+) This is the time when winter rains ended, roads dried out and armies could move again. Jehoiachin's 3 month reign is brought to an abrupt end. Nebuchadnezzar took Jeconiah (Coniah) captive to Babylon fulfilling God’s warning in Jer 22:24-25 “As I live,” declares the LORD, “even though Coniah (Jeconiah) the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet ring on My right hand, yet I would pull you off; 25 and I will give you over into the hand of those who are seeking your life, yes, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand (HAND PICTURES POWER) of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him (JEHOIACHIN) to Babylon with the valuable articles of the house of the LORD - This can be a bit confusing when compared to the parallel longer description in 2Ki 24:11-17+ where Nebuchadnezzar actually came to Jerusalem and Jeconiah surrendered. Chronicles and Kings accounts are not contradictions - Nebuchadnezzar sent his army to Jerusalem, then personally arrived during the siege. Jehoiachin surrendered to him, after which Nebuchadnezzar took him captive and had him brought to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar's removal of gold and sacred vessels from Solomon’s temple symbolized total conquest, politically and spiritually, for as noted earlier, in the ancient world, taking temple items implied victory over that nation’s god. Nebuchadnezzar undoubtedly thought it was his power that conquered Judah but Da 1:2+ reminds us The Lord GAVE Jehoiakim king of Judah into his (NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S) hand (yad = his power), along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god. Once again we see the interplay of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. And Pr 21:1 adds that "The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes." And he made his kinsman Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem - Zedekiah (Mattaniah) was Jehoiachin's uncle and again Nebuchadnezzar changes his name to underscore Judah was under his authority and contol of the puppet king. QUESTION - Who was King Zedekiah in the Bible? ANSWER - Zedekiah was the last king of Judah and was king when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by Babylon in 586 BC and the majority of the people were carried into exile. The story of Zedekiah is told in 2 Kings 24–25, 2 Chronicles 36, and the book of Jeremiah. Zedekiah’s original name was Mattaniah. He was the son of King Josiah and the brother of King Jehoahaz and King Jehoiakim. Zedekiah would not normally have been included in the line to the throne, but the kings preceding him made bad decisions, both spiritually and politically, and were removed in succession. Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, ruled for 3 months and “did evil in the sight of the Lord,” and Pharaoh Necho took him to Egypt in exile (2 Kings 23:31–33). Necho put his brother Jehoiakim in his place. Jehoiakim ruled for 11 years. During his reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded. Jehoiakim swore allegiance to him and continued as a vassal king. He also did evil in the Lord’s sight (by not removing all of the idols from the land) and then rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. Upon his death, his son Jehoiachin succeeded him (2 Kings 24:1–7). Jehoiachin continued his father’s evil ways. He reigned for 3 months and then was removed from the throne by Nebuchadnezzar. At this point Mattaniah, son of Josiah, was put on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar to rule as a vassal king. Nebuchadnezzar changed his name to Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:8–17). Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king, meaning he would have only been about 10 when his father, Josiah, died and his brother Jehoahaz became king. Zedekiah ruled for 11 years but continued on all the evil of his brothers and nephew Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24: 18–20). In his ninth year on the throne, Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, and, as a result, Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem. Zedekiah was confident of Egypt’s help, which never materialized. In the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign, the city fell to Babylon. Second Kings gives the basic historical outline, which is supplemented in 2 Chronicles 36. Jeremiah fills in much of the behind-the-scenes information and the spiritual component. In Jeremiah 21, during the siege of Jerusalem, Zedekiah asks Jeremiah to intercede to the Lord so that perhaps the Lord would deliver Judah. Jeremiah returns God’s answer: He has irrevocably handed Judah over to judgment, first by plague, and those who escape that will fall to the Babylonians. The only hope that any of the people have is to surrender to the Babylonians. “Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives” (verse 9). Zedekiah heard God’s definitive answer, but he did not like it. False prophets contradicted Jeremiah and preached a more favorable message (Jeremiah 23), but God reiterated His message to Jeremiah (chapters 24–25). There is a “showdown” in Jeremiah 27–28. Jeremiah comes to the king wearing a yoke around his neck as a visual of what will happen to the people—they will be taken to Babylon as exiles in bondage. The (false) prophet Hananiah took the yoke from Jeremiah and broke it, saying, “This is what the LORD says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years’” (Jeremiah 28:11). The Lord then tells Jeremiah to pronounce judgment on Hananiah and tell him that, before the end of the year, he will be dead. Demonstrating the legitimacy of Jeremiah as a prophet and the truth of his prophecies, Hananiah died “in the seventh month of that same year” (verse 17). Jeremiah sends a letter to those already in exile in Babylon telling them not to trust prophets who foretell a speedy return. He tells them to settle in, build houses and gardens, have children, and seek the prosperity of Babylon, for they will be there for a long time (he specifies 70 years, Jeremiah 29:10). However, they are promised that God will restore Judah to the land, but only in His time (Jeremiah 29–31). In chapter 32, King Zedekiah confines Jeremiah to the courtyard of the guard in the palace (verse 2), but Jeremiah does not compromise his message. In chapter 34, Jeremiah assures Zedekiah that he (Zedekiah) will die peacefully in Babylon, but that the city of Jerusalem will not escape. At some time in his reign, Zedekiah freed all the slaves that should have been freed every seven years, a command of the Law that had been neglected for many years. However, Zedekiah then reversed his decision and allowed the freed slaves to be enslaved again. Jeremiah delivers this message to the king: “Therefore this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, declares the LORD—‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth. . . . I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon, which has withdrawn from you. I am going to give the order, declares the LORD, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, take it and burn it down. And I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there” (verses 17, 21–22). Finally, during the siege, Zedekiah fled the city by night but was captured. Zedekiah’s sons were killed before him, and then he was blinded and taken to Babylon in chains (Jeremiah 52, see also 2 Kings 25 and 2 Chronicles 36). Then the Babylonians broke down the walls of Jerusalem, burned the temple, and took the temple articles to Babylon with them. Zedekiah died in Babylon years later. No doubt it was a peaceful death as the Lord had promised, but what awful memories he must have endured in the meantime! Zedekiah had been presented with a tremendous opportunity. Although he missed the throne three times when two of his brothers and then his nephew were crowned, he finally received stewardship of the kingdom. Zedekiah had the benefit of seeing firsthand the mistakes of his brothers and nephew, and he also had direct messages from God through Jeremiah. Yet he would not submit to the Lord. As a result, Zedekiah lost his sons, his sight, his freedom, and his throne. Through it all God was faithful to do what He promised. He carried out the judgment He had declared, but He also brought about the restoration. Seventy years later, Cyrus, king of Persia (successor to the Babylonian Empire), declared that all of the Jewish exiles who wanted to return to Jerusalem might do so, and they could take with them all the implements of the temple (Ezra 1). GotQuestions.org 2 Chronicles 36:11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old: 2Ki 24:18-20 Jer 52:1-3 Related Passages: 2 Kings 24:18-20+ Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20 For through the anger of the LORD this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. Jeremiah 52:1-3 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 2 He did evil in the sight of the LORD like all that Jehoiakim had done. 3 For through the anger of the LORD this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. JUDAH'S LAST KING BEFORE FINAL EXILE Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem (from 597-586 BC) - 2 Kings 24:17 says Zedekiah was originally named Mattaniah. Zedekiah means "The Lord is Righteous" which is a bit of bitter irony as the righteous judgment of Yahweh would soon be seen against Judah. This king hardly lived up to his great name as he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar who actually gave him that name! Matthew Henry Notes: 2Ch 36:11-21 SUMMARY - This passage summarizes the fall of Judah and Jerusalem as the direct result of persistent sin and covenant unfaithfulness. King Zedekiah’s personal rebellion—refusing to humble himself before God’s word through Jeremiah (2 Chronicles 36:12) and breaking his oath to the king of Babylon (Ezekiel 17:18)—accelerated the nation’s downfall. More broadly, the people, including the priests, were deeply corrupted by idolatry (2 Chronicles 36:14), and they compounded their guilt by mocking, rejecting, and persecuting God’s prophets, despite His persistent compassion in sending them warnings (2 Chronicles 36:15–16; Matthew 23:34–37). As a result, divine judgment fell without remedy. The Chaldeans destroyed Jerusalem—slaughtering many, desecrating the temple, carrying off its treasures, burning the city, and taking the survivors into exile in Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:17–20). The land itself was left desolate, fulfilling God’s warnings that it would enjoy its missed Sabbaths (Leviticus 26:34; 2 Chronicles 36:21). Yet even in judgment there was a hint of hope: the land lay empty, as if awaiting the eventual return of the people, showing that God’s covenant purposes, though disciplined, were not ultimately abandoned. We have here an account of the destruction of the kingdom of Judah and the city of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. Abraham, God's friend, was called out of that country, from Ur of the Chaldees, when God took him into covenant and communion with himself; and now his degenerate seed were carried into that country again, to signify that they had forfeited all that kindness wherewith they had been regarded for the father's sake, and the benefit of that covenant into which he was called; all was now undone again. Here we have, I. The sins that brought this desolation. 1. Zedekiah, the king in whose days it came, brought it upon himself by his own folly; for he conducted himself very ill both towards God and towards the king of Babylon. (1.) If he had but made God his friend, that would have prevented the ruin. Jeremiah brought him messages from God, which, if he had given due regard to them, might have secured a lengthening of his tranquillity; but it is here charged upon him that he humbled not himself before Jeremiah, 2Ch 36:12. It was expected that this mighty prince, high as he was, should humble himself before a poor prophet, when he spoke from the mouth of the Lord, should submit to his admonitions and be amended by them, to his counsels and be ruled by them, should lay himself under the commanding power of the word of God in his mouth; and, because he would not thus make himself a servant to God, he was made a slave to his enemies. God will find some way or other to humble those that will not humble themselves. Jeremiah, as a prophet, was set over the nations and kingdoms (Jer. 1:10), and, as mean a figure as he made, whoever would not humble themselves before him found that it was at their peril. (2.) If he had but been true to his covenant with the king of Babylon, that would have prevented his ruin; but he rebelled against him, though he had sworn to be his faithful tributary, and perfidiously violated his engagements to him, 2Ch 36:13. It was this that provoked the king of Babylon to deal so severely with him as he did. All nations looked upon an oath as a sacred thing, and on those that durst break through the obligations of it as the worst of men, abandoned of God and to be abhorred by all mankind. If therefore Zedekiah falsify his oath, when, lo, he has given his hand, he shall not escape, Eze. 17:18. Though Nebuchadnezzar was a heathen, an enemy, yet if, having sworn to him, he be false to him, he shall know there is a God to whom vengeance belongs. The thing that ruined Zedekiah was not only that he turned not to the Lord God of Israel, but that he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart from turning to him, that is, he as obstinately resolved not to return to him, would not lay his neck under God's yoke nor his heart under the impressions of his word, and so, in effect, he would not be healed, he would not live. 2. The great sin that brought this destruction was idolatry. The priests and people went after the abominations of the heathen, forsook the pure worship of God for the lewd and filthy rites of the Pagan superstition, and so polluted the house of the Lord, 2Ch 36:14. The priests, the chief of the priests, who should have opposed idolatry, were ring-leaders in it. That place is not far from ruin in which religion is already ruined. 3. The great aggravation of their sin, and that which filled the measure of it, was the abuse they gave to God's prophets, who were sent to call them to repentance, 2Ch 36:15, 16. Here we have, (1.) God's tender compassion towards them in sending prophets to them. Because he was the God of their fathers, in covenant with them, and whom they worshipped (though this degenerate race forsook him), therefore he sent to them by his messengers, to convince them of their sin and warn them of the ruin they would bring upon themselves by it, rising up betimes and sending, which denotes not only that he did it with the greatest care and concern imaginable, as men rise betimes to set their servants to work when their heart is upon their business, but that, upon their first deviation from God to idols, if they took but one step that way, God immediately sent to them by his messengers to reprove them for it. He gave them early timely notice both of their duty and danger. Let this quicken us to seek God early, that he rises betimes to send to us. The prophets that were sent rose betimes to speak to them, were diligent and faithful in their office, lost no time, slipped no opportunity of dealing with them; and therefore God is said to rise betimes. The more pains ministers take in their work the more will the people have to answer for if it be all in vain. The reason given why God by his prophets did thus strive with them is because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling-lace, and would by these means have prevented their ruin. Note, The methods God takes to reclaim sinners by his word, by ministers, by conscience, by providences, are all instances of his compassion towards them and his unwillingness that any should perish. (2.) Their base and disingenuous carriage towards God (2Ch 36:16): They mocked the messengers of God (which was a high affront to him that sent them), despised his word in their mouths, and not only so, but misused the prophets, treating them as their enemies. The ill usage they gave Jeremiah who lived at this time, and which we read much of in the book of his prophecy, is an instance of this. This was an evidence of an implacable enmity to God, and an invincible resolution to go on in their sins. This brought wrath upon them without remedy, for it was sinning against the remedy. Nothing is more provoking to God than abuses given to his faithful ministers; for what is done against them he takes as done against himself. Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Persecution was the sin that brought upon Jerusalem its final destruction by the Romans. See Mt. 23:34-37. Those that mock at God's faithful ministers, and do all they can to render them despicable or odious, that vex and misuse them, to discourage them and to keep others from hearkening to them, should be reminded that a wrong done to an ambassador is construed as done to the prince that sends him, and that the day is coming when they will find it would have been better for them if they had been thrown into the sea with a mill-stone about their necks; for hell is deeper and more dreadful. II. The desolation itself, and some few of the particular so fit, which we had more largely 2 Ki. 25 1 Multitudes were put to the sword, even in the house of their sanctuary (2Ch 36:17), whither they fled for refuge, hoping that the holiness of the place would be their protection. But how could they expect to find it so when they themselves had polluted it with their abominations? 2Ch 36:14. Those that cast off the dominion of their religion forfeit all the benefit and comfort of it. The Chaldeans not only paid no reverence to the sanctuary, but showed no natural pity either to the tender sex or to venerable age. They forsook God, who had compassion on them (2Ch 36:15), and would have none of him; justly therefore are they given up into the hands of cruel men, for they had no compassion on young man or maiden. 2. All the remaining vessels of the temple, great and small, and all the treasures, sacred and secular, the treasures of God's house and of the king and his princes, were seized, and brought to Babylon, 2Ch 36:18. 3. The temple was burnt, the walls of Jerusalem were demolished, the houses (called here the palaces, as Ps. 48:3, so stately, rich, and sumptuous were they) laid in ashes, and all the furniture, called here the goodly vessels thereof, destroyed, 2Ch 36: 19. Let us see where what woeful havock sin makes, and, as we value the comfort and continuance of our estates, keep that worm from the root of them. 4. The remainder of the people that escaped the sword were carried captives to Babylon (2Ch 36:20), impoverished, enslaved, insulted, and exposed to all the miseries, not only of a strange and barbarous land, but of an enemy's land, where those that hated them bore rule over them. They were servants to those monarchs, and no doubt were ruled with rigour so long as that monarchy lasted. Now they sat down by the rivers of Babylon, with the streams of which they mingled their tears, Ps. 137:1. And though there, it should seem, they were cured of idolatry, yet, as appears by the prophet Ezekiel, they were not cured of mocking the prophets. 5. The land lay desolate while they were captives in Babylon, 2Ch 36:21. That fruitful land, the glory of all lands, was now turned into a desert, not tilled, nor husbanded. The pastures were not clothed as they used to be with flocks, nor the valleys with corn, but all lay neglected. Now this may be considered, (1.) As the just punishment of their former abuse of it. They had served Baal with its fruits; cursed therefore is the ground for their sakes. Now the land enjoyed her sabbaths; (2Ch 36:21), as God had threatened by Moses, Lev. 26:34, and the reason there given (2Ch 36:35) is, "Because it did not rest on your sabbaths; you profaned the sabbath-day, did not observe the sabbatical year.'' They many a time ploughed and sowed their land in the seventh year, when it should have rested, and now it lay unploughed and unsown for ten times seven years. Note, God will be no loser in his glory at last by the disobedience of men: if the tribute be not paid, he will distrain and recover it, as he speaks, Hos. 2:9. If they would not let the land rest, God would make it rest whether they would or no. Some think they had neglected the observance of seventy sabbatical years in all, and just so many, by way of reprisal, the land now enjoyed; or, if those that had been neglected were fewer, it was fit that the law should be satisfied with interest. We find that one of the quarrels God had with them at this time was for not observing another law which related to the seventh year, and that was the release of servants; see Jer. 34:13, etc. (2.) Yet we may consider it as giving some encouragement to their hopes that they should, in due time, return to it again. Had others come and taken possession of it, they might have despaired of ever recovering it; but, while it lay desolate, it did, as it were, lie waiting for them again, and refuse to acknowledge any other owners. It's A Long Story He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed. — Proverbs 29:1 Today's Scripture: 2 Chronicles 36:11-17 In August 1989, a major fire broke out under an elevated section of New Jersey’s Interstate 78. The intense heat buckled parts of the highway and forced the closing of the East Coast artery. The governor said it was the worst transportation crisis in years. An investigation brought to light a longstanding problem. It revealed that the fire broke out in a dump site in which construction debris had been collecting for many years. The owners of the site had been convicted of a multimillion dollar conspiracy to allow the illegal dumping of construction debris. But appeals in federal and state courts frustrated New Jersey’s efforts to clean up the area. Not until the day after the fire did a state appeals court finally order the operator of the dump to stop accepting trash and begin clearing the site. That fire tells a basic story of life. Most of our problems don’t just happen. They are the result of a long series of bad decisions. Second Chronicles 36 illustrates this and reminds us that God will not allow His children to continue in sin. Even though He is longsuffering, His patience has a limit. If we don’t correct the problem ourselves, we can be sure that He will discipline us. Lord, help me see my hidden sin, Those secret wrongs that lurk within; I would confess them all to Thee- Transparent I would always be. —D. De Haan The most deadly sins do not leap upon us, they creep up on us. 2 Chronicles 36:12 He did evil in the sight of the LORD his God; he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet who spoke for the LORD. he did not humble himself: 2Ch 32:26 33:12,19,23 Ex 10:3 Da 5:22,23 Jas 4:10 1Pe 5:6 before Jeremiah: Jer 21:1-10 27:12-22 28:1-17 34:2-22 37:2-21 38:14-28 the prophet who spoke for the LORD: 2Ch 35:22 Related Passages: 2 Kings 24:19 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. Jeremiah 38:17-18 (YAHWEH'S WARNING THRU JEREMIAH) Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘If you will indeed go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned with fire, and you and your household will survive. 18 ‘But if you will not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given over to the hand of the Chaldeans; and they will burn it with fire, and you yourself will not escape from their hand.’” ZEDEKIAH REFUSED TO HUMBLE HIMSELF He did evil in the sight of the LORD his God - Did evil does not mean he merely to make mistakes, but that the general direction of his life was in active rebellion against Yahweh. 2 Kings 24:19 he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet who spoke for the LORD - This passage explains how Zedekiah's evil showed itself. Yahweh had graciously sent Jeremiah as His mouthpiece (Jer 1:9), bringing clear warnings and a path to preservation (Jer 38:17–18). To humble himself would have meant bowing to God’s word, repenting, submitting, and obeying even when it was difficult. Instead, Zedekiah resisted. His refusal was not merely rejection of a man, but rejection of God speaking through that man (Luke 10:16). The heart of Zedekiah's problem was the pride problem in his heart! Bob