Chronological Bible Reading Plan Reading Notes: Week 34 DAY 231: MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013 ~ 2 KINGS 24-25, 2 CHRONICLES 36 Chapter 24 Note: In 605 B.C., about four years after Josiah was killed at Megiddo, the battle of Carchemish between Assyria and Babylon was fought near the Euphrates River. At this point the Assyrian empire fell to the Babylonians, and the Babylonian empire was born. 24:2 When Nebuchadnezzar first raided Jerusalem, many Jews were taken to Babylon as captives. Included were Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Note: Daniel, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and Ezekiel were contemporaries who prophesied shortly before and after the fall of Jerusalem. Chapter 25 Note: For a more detailed description of the destruction of Jerusalem, read chapters 40-44 of Jeremiah, who was an eyewitness of Jerusalem’s end. Lamentations, also written by Jeremiah, is another valuable source for more insight on this tragedy. —CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE 2 DAY 231: MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013 ~ 2 KINGS 24-25, 2 CHRONICLES 36 36:6 “Bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon”—Either something happened that kept Jehoiakim from being deported or he soon returned from Babylon to continue his rule. Second Kings tells us that he died in Jerusalem. 36:7 “Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the Lord.” From this time on, Babylon had control of the Middle East. Egypt, which had some control over Israel after Josiah’s defeat, quickly lost that and was confined to its own land. Israel was no longer a free nation. Babylon plundered it a number of times before finally destroying the temple and Jerusalem. DAY 232: TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013 ~ HABAKKUK Chapter 1 Note: This book was written several decades before Judah and Jerusalem were destroyed by the Babylonians. In this book, Habakkuk twice complains to the Lord, and the Lord answers him. 1:1 “Oracle”—This is a divine revelation frequently received in visions. It most often refers to warnings of impending danger or doom. 2:2 “And make it plain on tablets”—Everyone was to know about the Lord’s words concerning Babylon. It would happen. 2:4 “The righteous will live by his faith”—The person who is righteous, Habakkuk says, will live by his faith in God’s promised Savior. Although everything will point to a complete and lasting victory for Babylon, the righteous person, by faith, believes God’s promise that this force of evil will be overcome. Paul uses this passage in Romans 1:17. There Paul is talking about the righteousness that comes by faith versus righteousness by works. Human reason can conceive of only a complete victory by Satan or of people trying to dig their way out of God’s punishment by living good lives. But the righteous, by faith, know of another way to peace with God—the righteousness Jesus has given them. 3:2 “In wrath remember mercy”—We might paraphrase like this: “You are filled with wrath over the sins of your people, but in the midst of all your wrath, remember your mercy.” 3:3 “Teman . Paran”—Teman means “southland,” the area south of Judah. Mount Paran is south of Kadesh -Barnea. The following verses recount the exodus from Egypt. 3:14 “With his own spear”—Jesus defeated the powers of death by entering death for us and by coming out the victor. 3 DAY 233: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2013 ~ JEREMIAH 41-45 41:1 “Mizpah”—With Jerusalem destroyed, Gedaliah established his headquarters in Mizpah, a city to the north of Jerusalem. 41:4 “Eighty men”—The eighty pilgrims were devout Israelites from what had been the Northern Kingdom. They were on their way to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the ruins of the temple. 42:14 Though the people and their leaders came to Jeremiah and asked him to pray to the Lord for guidance, this verse indicates that they already had their minds made up to go to Egypt. (See also 41:17.) 43:11 “Attack Egypt”—Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of Egypt occurred in the 37th year of his reign, or about 568 B.C. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, all the Jews living in Egypt at that time were deported to Babylon. 44:17 “Queen of Heaven”—The Jews had gathered to celebrate a great festival, but it was not one of the festivals the Lord had commanded. This was a festival to the Queen of Heaven, that is, Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of fertility. 44:29 “The sign”—To assure the Jews of the truth of his Word, God gave his people a sign. The sign would be the fall of Pharaoh Hophra, who reigned over Egypt from 588–568 B.C. The “enemies” to whom Hophra was handed over were not the Babylonians but his own officers and subjects, who dethroned and strangled him. The Lord, not the Queen of Heaven, was in control. 45:1 Baruch, the son of Neriah and secretary of Jeremiah, came from an influential family in Jerusalem. It is very likely that his grandfather Mahseiah (32:12) is the man (Maaseiah) who is referred to in 2 Chronicles 34:8 as governor of Jerusalem during Josiah’s reign. His brother Seraiah was a “staff officer” in the court of Zedekiah (51:59). 45:1 The fourth year of Jehoiakim was 605 B.C. This was an important year in the ancient world. It was the year in which Babylon defeated Egypt in the battle of Carchemish to become the superpower of the ancient Middle East. It was also the year in which Nebuchadnezzar ascended to the throne of Babylon following the death of his father, Nabopolassar. It was also in this year that Jeremiah had dictated all the words he had spoken in Jerusalem since the day of his call into the prophetic ministry 23 years before (36:2-4). The scroll on which Baruch wrote Jeremiah’s words had been cut up and burned by King Jehoiakim (36:23). 4 DAY 234: THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013 ~ JEREMIAH 46-48 Chapter 46 Note: Jeremiah’s prophecies dealt first with the punishment of Judah. In chapters 46–51, however, the man who had been commissioned as God’s prophet “to the nations” (1:5) foretold the coming of God’s judgment on the countries around Israel. He prophesied first the destruction of Egypt by Babylon (chapter 46), then Babylon’s rule over some of the smaller nations around Israel (chapters 47–49), and finally, the destruction of Babylon (chapters 50,51). 46:10 Egypt was Israel’s oldest foe. The Egyptians had oppressed the Israelites and made them slaves after the time of Joseph (Exodus 1), hardened themselves against the Lord (Exodus 5–14), attacked the city of Jerusalem during the time of King Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:25), killed good King Josiah (2 Kings 23:29,30), and encouraged King Zedekiah in his rebellion against Babylon that led to Judah’s destruction (37:7; 30:7). 46:2-12 The first part of Jeremiah’s prophecy against Egypt deals with its defeat at the battle of Carchemish by the Babylonian army in 605 B.C. 46:13-26 The second part of the prophecy against Egypt deals with the invasion of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar, which took place in 568 B.C. Chapter 47 Note: The Philistines lived to the south and west of Judah along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. They had been a thorn in Israel’s side since the time Israel entered the Promised Land (Judges 3:1-4). Whenever the Philistines were strong, they tried to expand from the coastal plain into the hill country of Judah. These attempts were opposed by Shamgar (Judges 3:31), Samson (Judges 13–16), Samuel (1 Samuel 7:2 -17), Saul (1 Samuel 13:1–14:23; 28:1-4; 31:1-10), and David (1 Samuel 29:1,2,11; 2 Samuel 5:17-25). David was finally able to subdue the Philistines (2 Samuel 8:1), and they remained subject to Israel throughout the reign of Solomon. During the time of the divided kingdom, the balance of power shifted back and forth. Judah was in control during the reigns of Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:10,11) and Uzziah, but Philistia regained dominion during the reigns of Jehoram (2 Chronicles 21:16,17) and Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:16-18). 47:1 Since the “Pharaoh” mentioned in the verse is not named, it is difficult to date this prophecy. It may be that Pharaoh Neco attacked Gaza at the time he defeated King Josiah at Megiddo in 609 B.C. (2 Kings 23:29,30). 47:7 This prophecy was fulfilled in 604 B.C. when Nebuchadnezzar passed through Philistia with his army while pursuing Pharaoh Neco after defeating him at Carchemish. Chapter 48 Note: The country of Moab was east of the Dead Sea. It was separated from Edom on the south by the Zered River and from Ammon on the north by the Arnon River. The Moabites were descendants of Lot, and because they were relatives, the Lord commanded the Israelites to leave the Moabites alone as they traveled to the land of Canaan (Deuteronomy 2:9). The Moabites, however, did not return the kindness. Balak, the king of Moab, hired Balaam, a sorcerer, to put a curse on Israel when the Israelites camped on the plains of Moab as they waited to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 22–24). King David, a descendant of Ruth, a Moabitess, subjugated the Moabites during his reign (2 Samuel 8:2).