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Home , 2 Kings 23, 2 Kings 24, 2 Kings 25, Jeremiah 37, Jeremiah 38, Jeremiah 52

n The Kings of the Divided Kingdom n

The Changeable King n n of

(2 Ki n g s 2 4 : 1 7 —25:7)

When I disagreed with a friend of mine on a but he reigned only three months (:6, question that she thought was more important 8). When Nebuchadnezzar besieged , than I did, she jokingly said to me, “Coy Roper, Jehoiachin paid him tribute to save the city. you’re too wishy-washy. You don’t stand for However, he and many others were taken away anything!” I replied, also in jest, “I do, too, stand to (2 Kings 24:14–16). Next, we read that for something! I stand for wishy-washiness!” “the king of Babylon made [Jehoiachin’s] uncle Zedekiah, the twentieth and last of the kings Mattaniah king in his place, and changed his of Judah, who reigned from about 597 to 586 B.C., name to Zedekiah” (2 Kings 24:17). This name could be described in that way. The only thing he means “ is (my) righteousness.” Zedeki- stood for was “wishy-washiness”; that is, he was ah himself was not responsible for his name “lacking in strength or character; indecisive.”1 change, yet that change seems to have foreshad- He was a “weak and wavering king.”2 He was owed a life characterized by fickleness. changeable, vacillating, and unstable. If Jesus is the “Rock of Ages,”3 Zedekiah was a straw His Allegiance blowing in the wind. Second, Zedekiah’s allegiance to the king of We will look at three areas of Zedekiah’s Babylon changed. According to 2 Kings 24:20b, life that reflect his variable nature, notice two “Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon” things that did not change while he ruled, and (see also 52:2). Concerning Zedekiah’s then consider what we can learn from him about rebellion, the chronicler said, “He . . . rebelled “changeability.” against King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear allegiance by God” (2 Chronicles Three Things That Changed 36:13a). in ZEDEKIAH’S LIFE In the days of the last four , God’s people were never independent. The great His Name nations of and Babylon were fighting to First, we learn that his name was changed. control the region of Palestine. At first, Egypt was After ’s death, Jehoiachin became king, victorious in this contest, so the king of Egypt, Neco, deposed one king of Judah (Je- hoahaz) and placed another (Jehoiakim) on the 1The American Heritage Dictionary, 4th ed. (2001), s.v. “wishy-washy.” throne. Then Babylon gained the advantage. We 2Dayton Keesee, “Zedekiah: A Weak & Wavering King,” are told, “The king of Egypt did not come out of in “Jeremiah, 5,” Truth for Today (March 2001): 3–6. his land again, for the king of Babylon had taken 3A. M. Toplady, “Rock of Ages,” Songs of Faith and Praise, comp. and ed. Alton H. Howard (West Monroe, La.: Howard all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Publishing Co., 1994). to the river ” (2 Kings

1 THE LAST FOUR KINGS OF JUDAH1

Jehoahaz ’s son Made king by 609 B.C.; Deposed by Pharaoh Neco; (Shallum, the people three months taken to Egypt Joahaz) and died there

Jehoiakim Josiah’s son Made king by 609–598 B.C.; Died; how is uncertain (Eliakim) Pharaoh Neco eleven years (:6)

Jehoiachin Jehoiakim’s son, Made king by 598–597 B.C.; Taken into Babylonian (, Josiah’s grandson birth three months captivity by Coniah) Nebuchadnezzar and died there

Zedekiah Josiah’s son Made king by 597–586 B.C.; Taken into Babylonian (Mattaniah) Nebuchadnezzar eleven years captivity; blinded and died there

1For the biblical account of these kings, see :30—25:30. was appointed by Nebuchadnezzar as ­governor (not king) of Judah over those who were left in the land after most of the people had been taken to Babylon. Gedaliah was murdered after only seven months, and many of the people still left in the land fled to Egypt (:22–26).

24:7). From that point on, Judah was subservient Nebuchadnezzar conquered the nation, destroyed to Babylon. Jerusalem and the temple, and carried all but the The Babylonian kings were relatively be- poorest of the land back to Babylon (2 Kings nevolent. As long as a nation continued to pay 25:1–21). tribute (the equivalent of a yearly tax) to Babylon, Judah’s final destruction came about when that conquered nation was allowed to govern “Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon” itself. However, if a nation tired of paying tribute (2 Kings 24:20b). He rebelled because he thought and rebelled against its Babylonian overlords, that he could get help from Egypt against Baby- then the Babylonian army would march upon lon (:15). He was wrong (Ezekiel 17:17), that country, wreaking as much vengeance as and the Ezekiel condemned him for was necessary to bring the vassal state back into breaking his oath: submission. “As I live,” declares the Lord Go d , “Surely The kings of Judah seemed unwilling to ac- in the country of the king who put him on the cept Babylon’s rule for very long. When they throne, whose oath he despised and whose tired of paying tribute and/or decided they were covenant he broke, in Babylon he shall die. . . . [H]e despised the oath by breaking the cov­ strong enough (or that they had allies who were enant, and behold, he pledged his allegiance, strong enough) to defend against Babylon’s yet did all these things; he shall not escape.” forces, they would rebel. Such rebellions oc- Therefore, thus says the Lord Go d , “As I live, surely My oath which he despised and My curred three times during the waning days of the covenant which he broke, I will inflict on his Judean kingdom. Each time, the Babylonians head” (Ezekiel 17:16–19). came against the nation, subdued it, and took captives back to Babylon. The first deportation Zedekiah had broken a covenant, an agree- was in 605 B.C., when Daniel, with Hananiah, ment, with the king of Babylon (v. 16); but in Mishael, Azariah (also known as Shadrach, Me- doing so, he had also broken a covenant with schach, and Abednego), and others were carried God (v. 19). Why? Because God’s covenant with into cap­tivity (Daniel 1:1–7). The second occurred commanded His people to keep their oaths in 597 B.C., when Ezekiel and thousands of oth- and vows (see Leviticus 19:12). ers were taken to Babylon (2 Kings 24:10–16; Israel’s kings were forbidden to play the :1–3). The third was in 586 B.C., when customary political power game of changing

2 allegiances as often as the wind shifted. When the cistern. Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian, asked they made a pact, an agreement, or a covenant, the king to spare Jeremiah’s life, and the king they were required to keep it! Zedekiah broke responded by giving him thirty men to help him that rule; he pledged allegiance to Babylon— bring the prophet up from the cistern (Jeremiah swearing an oath in the name of God—and then 38:7–13). Ebed-melech saved Jere­miah’s life with rebelled. Consequently, he was condemned by Zedekiah’s help. the and his nation was destroyed. (6) He secretly sought a word about his future from Jeremiah. He sent for Jeremiah, asked him to His Response to God’s Prophet share God’s message with him, and promised Third, Zedekiah’s treatment of the prophet that he would not put him to death or deliver Jeremiah frequently changed. While his attitude him into the hands of those who wanted to kill toward the prophet may have remained the same him (:14–16). The prophet responded throughout his reign, his treatment of Jeremiah by saying that if Zedekiah would surrender to varied depending on the circumstances. the Babylonians, he would save himself, his city, (1) He sent for Jeremiah’s help. According to and his household; if he refused, he would be , when the Baby­lonians were warring ridiculed and abused, and the city would be against Judah, Zedekiah sent messengers to re- burned with fire (Jeremiah 38:17–23). The king quest that Jeremiah ask God to cause the Baby- asked Jeremiah not to tell others what the two of lonians to withdraw. Jere­miah responded with them had discussed (Jeremiah 38:24–28). an oracle threatening Judah’s destruction and (7) He would not listen to Jeremiah. The prophet saying that Jerusalem’s citizens should surrender knew as Zedekiah was seeking advice in Jere­ to Nebuchadnezzar to save their lives (Jeremiah miah 38 that the king would not listen (38:14, 21:9). Jeremiah did not give Zedekiah the kind 15). An earlier verse contains this summary: of help he wanted. “But neither [Zedekiah] nor his servants nor (2) He imprisoned Jeremiah. In :1– the people of the land listened to the words of 5, Zedekiah had Jeremiah imprisoned “in the the Lo r d which He spoke through Jeremiah the court of the guard” because he did not like the prophet” (:2). prophet’s message: He did not want Jeremiah Why did Zedekiah’s relationship with Jere­ preaching that Jerusalem would be destroyed miah vary? Why was there so much ambiguity and that he himself would be taken captive to in his dealings with the prophet? He respected Babylon. Jeremiah enough to ask for his help, yet he did not (3) He delivered Jeremiah. After the prophet had listen to his message. He cooperated with those been falsely accused and imprisoned in a dun- who sought to put Jeremiah to death but then geon, Zedekiah took him out (Jeremiah 37:15–17). helped to rescue him. He threw him into prison The king sought an encouraging word from the but saved him from the dungeon. Why? prophet but got none. After hearing Jeremiah’s Several answers to that question are possible. petition, Zedekiah committed him to “the court of First, Zedekiah recognized and respected Jere- the guardhouse” rather than the dungeon where miah as a prophet, but he did not like his message. he had been staying (Jeremiah 37:18–21). Therefore, he refused to listen to him. (4) He allowed Jeremiah to be thrown into a cis- Second, he was a weak king in troubled times. tern. When Jeremiah urged the people to sur- The Babylonians were besieging Jerusalem and render to the Babylonians, certain leaders of the threatening the nation’s destruction. Besides that, nation accused him of discouraging Judah’s war- Zedekiah was young (only twenty-one when he riors and said he should be put to death. Zedeki- became king; 2 Kings 24:18). He was relatively ah went along with them, saying, “Behold, he is inexperienced in comparison with the rich, pow- in your hands; for the king can do nothing against erful nobles who sought Jeremiah’s life. He may you” (Jeremiah 38:1–5). The prophet was thrown have thought he was telling the truth when he into the muddy bottom of an empty cistern (Jere­ said, “The king can do nothing against you” miah 38:6), where he certainly would have died (Jeremiah 38:5). if he had not been rescued. Third, Zedekiah lacked courage. The main (5) He arranged for Jeremiah to be rescued from problem was simply that he was unwilling to

3 stand for what was right. Youth, inexperience, and adverse circumstances could not excuse the Lessons for Us actions of Zedekiah. This changeable king should have consistently listened to, encouraged, and God and Change protected Jeremiah—but he did not. Some parts of our lives are unchangeable! We will all die (unless Jesus returns while we are Two Things That Did Not still alive), and we will all be judged (Hebrews Change IN ZEDEKIAH’S LIFE 9:27). Everyone of accountable age has sinned (Romans 3:23). Spiritual death exists as a result Judah’s Fate of sin because “the wages of sin is death” (Ro- With all the variableness during Zedekiah’s mans 6:23). reign, two things did not change. First, God did God Is Unchanging. God exists; He was and is not change His mind about destroying Judah, and always will be. He is “the Father of lights, in spite of Josiah’s reforms (2 Kings 23:26, 27). with whom there is no variation or shifting Jeremiah’s message to Judah and to Zedekiah shadow” (James 1:17; see Malachi 3:6; Numbers was always consistent: The kingdom would be 23:19). His nature never varies. He is a God of conquered by Babylon. The only question was love, but also a holy God. He is a God of mercy, whether the city or the individuals would survive but also a God of justice. He loves mankind by surrendering to the king of Babylon. enough to make salvation available to us through Christ (John 3:16), but His wrath will destroy the Zedekiah’s Wickedness impenitent (Exodus 34:6, 7; Hebrews 10:31). Second, Zedekiah did not change his evil God Expects Us to Change. In at least one way, ways. “He did evil in the sight of the Lo r d , ac- we are to be unchangeable: Unlike the “weak and cording to all that Jehoiakim had done” (2 Kings wavering” Zedekiah,4 we should, without vary- 24:19). Nothing that the says about Zed­ ing, remain faithful to the Lord who has saved ekiah would lead us to believe that he ever us. Let us be faithful even if it means death obeyed God. In this one respect, Zedekiah was (Revelation 2:10; Matthew 24:13). While we must consistent: He was consistently disobedient! be, as Paul said, “steadfast, immovable, always Because he persisted in evil, he was captured by abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthi- Nebuchadnezzar, forced to watch his sons slaugh- ans 15:58), we should change in certain ways. tered, and then had his eyes put out before being We should not be satisfied with ourselves led away to die in Babylon (2 Kings 25:6, 7). Ap- until we are the best we can be—physically, parently, the only area in which Zedekiah was mentally, socially, and spiritually. We should resolved was his refusal to obey God! He paid a strive to grow in every aspect of our lives. Most terrible price for his sin, and so did the nation he important is our need to change when we sin. ruled! Such change is called “repentance” (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30; 8:22). Repentance includes being CONCLUSION sorry for our sin and making sure that our sorrow Jeremiah constantly prophesied that doom results in a determination to live righteously. was coming upon Zedekiah and Judah, yet he What Is Our Decision Concerning Repentance? held out a small glimmer of hope: If the people God allows us free moral agency; He does not would repent, if the nation would turn back to force our obedience, but allows us to choose God, then it would be saved from the destruction whether or not to submit to His commands. If he had prophesied: “. . . I might speak concerning we follow Satan, we will be punished. If we repent a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to of sin and obey Him, He will save us. We must pull down, or to destroy it; if that nation against be willing to repent. Let us never be like Zede­ which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will kiah, who consistently and stubbornly refused relent concerning the calamity I planned to to change his sinful ways. bring on it” (:7, 8). When we repent, God relents! The prophet was warning him, but 4Dayton Keesee, “Zedekiah: A Weak & Wavering King,” Zedekiah would not listen. Coy Roper in “Jeremiah, 5,” Truth for Today (March 2001): 3–6. © Copyright, 2011 by Truth for Today. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 4