God's Glory in God's Word
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God’s Glory in God’s Word Lesson 14 – Kings and Chronicles Part 4 The Southern Kingdom – Part 3 The Southern Kings – all dates B.C. and approximate - Continuing from last week Setting the stage for the end… At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. And Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, "What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?" And Hezekiah said, "They have come from a far country, from Babylon." He said, "What have they seen in your house?" And Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them." Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD: Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD. And some of your own sons, who shall be born to you, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good." For he thought, "Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?" (2Ki 20:12-19) Manasseh (698-643) And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem will I put my name." And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. And the carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the LORD said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever. (2Ki 21:2-7) Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria, and the plumb line of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. And I will forsake the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies, because they have done what is evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day." (2Ki 21:12-15) Chronicles does speak of his repentance: The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. Therefore the LORD brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. (2Ch 33:10-13) Amon (642-640) Did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasseh his father had done Did not humble himself as his father had done, “but this Amon incurred guilt more and more”. 2 Chron 33:23 His servants put him to death The people put those servants to death and placed Amon’s son Josiah on the throne. Josiah (640-609) Put on the throne at 8 years old. Of Hezekiah… He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. (2Ki 18:5) Of Josiah… Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him. (2Ki 23:25) Chopped down altars to Baal, broke in pieces the Asherim Famous for reforms – recall that it was his great grandfather Hezekiah who had previously cleansed the temple, removed the high places, restored worship, and celebrated Passover o Makes repairs to the temple o The high priest Hilkiah “finds the book of the Law” (2 Kings 22:8) When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, "Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us." (2Ki 22:11-13) The response: And she said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Tell the man who sent you to me, Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.'" And they brought back word to the king. (2Ki 22:15-20) Battle of Megiddo (609) o Nabopolassar – king of Babylon – Nebuchadnezzar’s father o Assyria is still main player – even though they have been weakened o Babylon fights Assyria o Egypt sides with Assyria, because they are afraid of Babylon’s growing power. Pharoah Neco II decides to go to Assyria’s aid o Josiah didn’t like Egypt going through his land, so Josiah met him at Megiddo and Josiah is killed o Neco continued on, but he was too late – Babylon destroyed Assyria – Egypt marches back Jehoahaz (609) Rules for 3 months Pharoah Neco – returning from trying to help Assyria – takes Jehoahaz off the throne and puts Josiah’s other son Eliakim on the throne – and changes his name to Jehoiakim (2 Kings 23:34) Jehoiakim taxed the land to pay tribute of gold and silver to Pharoah Jehoiakim (609-598) Placed on the throne by Pharoah Neco Forced to pay tribute to Egypt In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldeans and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the Ammonites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servants the prophets. Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the LORD, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD would not pardon. (2Ki 24:1-4) Battle of Carchemesh fought in 606 BC – between Neco and Nebuchadnezzar o Babylon wins the battle o Jehoiakim declares allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar and stops paying tribute to Neco Nebuchadnezzar takes small group of exiles back to Babylon with him after he discovers his father has died (including Daniel) 601 – Nebuchadnezzar comes back through Jerusalem to Egyptian border for war with Egypt o Jehoiakim changes sides again o Nebuchadnezzar surrounds Jerusalem and Jehoiakim dies in 598 BC Jehoiachin (598) Jehoiakim’s son becomes king at 18 years old Rules for 3 months At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.