Day 231 – Reading – 2 Kings 24 – 25 and 2 Chronicles 36

Read today’s Scriptures … ANYWHERE you find yourself this summer. Stay in the WORD!

2 Kings 24.

The chapters cover Israel’s history during the final days of Judah and Jerusalem.

This chapter begins when King Jehoiakim (first after good King Josiah) reigned.  It also tells of the FIRST of three invasions that King Nebuchadnezzar accomplished against Judah.  Jehoiakim rebelled (stopped paying tribute) and that’s why the Chaldeans came in person (other armies were used against Juda as well).

Nebuchadnezzar bound Jehoiakim in chains, took him, as well as other captives (INCLUDING 14-year-old Daniel, his fiends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) back to Babylon to serve the king. He also ransacked the temple and too part of the vessels of the house of the LORD.  

Jehoiachin (also called Coniah) was king in his place. He reigned three months when Nebuchadnezzar came for the second time to Jerusalem.  Jehoiachin surrendered himself and his family to the Babylonian king who took him back to Babylon captive. 

Nebuchadnezzar also carried off the rest of the treasures in the Temple and the king’s palace which Solomon had made, plus all the officials and mighty men of valor and craftsmen and smiths, 10,000 in all.  The prophet Ezekiel and his wife went to Babylon at this time too. 

Nebuchadnezzar made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, changing his name to Zedekiah. 

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2 Kings 25. 

As we learned yesterday, Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar in his third year of reign, causing the Babylonian king to come with all his army and lay siege to Jerusalem.

On the 9th day of the 4th month of the 11th year of Zedekiah’s reign, the great city of Jerusalem fell to the Chaldeans, who burned and destroyed, taking away the rest of the people of any value. The left only the poorest to tend to the fields and vineyards.  

This chapter gives details of the treasures of gold, silver, and bronze that were taken from the Temple to Babylon, including those great, huge pillars of bronze that Solomon had made. They had to cut them into pieces to be able to carry them.

Did they take the Ark of the Covenant?  It is not mentioned specifically.  Some historians say that Jeremiah had hidden it before the final invasion. 

The Babylonian Captain took the priests as well, city council members, and King Zedekiah (who had tried to escape but was captured.  The king and his sons were killed by Nebuchadnezzar at his headquarters.

Nebuchadnezzar named a former secretary named Gedaliah as “Governor,” not king, to oversee Judah.  But later, some dissidents killed Gedaliah, along with his cohorts. 

Then … all the people and the captains of the forces got up and went to … Egypt, because they were afraid of the Chaldean.  (We learn later, that Jeremiah went too, to comfort the people.)

And then a STRANG HISTORICAL FOOTNOTE:  In the 37th year of the exile, the captive king Jehoiachin of Judah was brought out of confinement by the then king of Babylon, Evil-merodach.  He “graciously freed him, spoke kindly to him, and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in  Babylon. 

“So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments and every day of his life dined regularly at the king’s table. And he was given a regular allowance according to his needs as long as he lived. (!!)

This man, who had surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar like Jeremiah encouraged the kings & people to do, was rewarded.  He is also the king through whom the line of David would pass … right down to Joseph, Jesus’ stepfather.  

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2 Chronicles 36.

This chapter covers most of the above, sometimes in greater detail, with two additional notations.

1.  The captivity lasted 70 years for a purpose.  It was to give the land rest, for the 70 Sabbath years that the people had refused to give to it … out of greed. 

1.  Cyrus, the king of Persia – way after Babylon – was spoken by Jeremiah to be the one who would allow and send the captives back to Judah and Jerusalem, by decree.  Anyone who wanted to go, could return.  He said, “The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all His people, may the LORD His God be with him.  Let him go up!”

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WOW.. Those three statements are hugely encouraging. God does NOT forget His promises or His people.  David’s line would continue until the Messiah came  The Jews would be in captivity 70 years.  And they would return (be sent back, and with help!) seventy years later, to rebuild the wall and the Temple.

God is a faithful God.  He means what He says and performs it to the letter.  We can count on that IN OUR OWN TIME.