Israel: Drive through History Pt 2

2 Chronicles 36:1-23

• King has passed off the scene but not before He’s orchestrated a revival in the nation of Judah, resulting in the repairing of the Temple and Altar of God, finding and reading the Book of the Law, reinstituting the Passover, and removing the places of false worship and idolatry. This Godly man truly wanted to serve the Lord and things were going well until he made a foolish choice and decided to meddle in the affairs of Egypt and attack Pharaoh Neco.

• His meddling in Egypt affairs was a personal political decision and not a command from the Lord, as Josiah wanted to prevent Pharaoh Neco from assisting Assyria in their fight against , not understanding that it was Babylon who he’s assisting, and not Assyria, that would be Judah’s greatest enemy. Isn’t that typical, we involve ourselves in a battle that was not ours and then we pick the wrong side. For that involvement Josiah is mortally wounded by an arrow at Megiddo and dies in , and upon the death of Josiah Judah quickly descends back into immorality and ultimately bondage, as they first become subject to Egypt, and then enslaved by Babylon.

V1-23

• V1-2 Josiah had four sons > “Johanan”, “Eliakim”, who was renamed , “Mattaniah”, who was renamed , and “Shallum”, also known as Jehoahaz. We don’t know what happened to Josiah’s eldest son “Johanan” who should have become the King, but upon Josiah’s death the regular succession plan ceases and Jehoahaz his youngest son is chosen by the people to rule and bypass the two older brothers. His given name was “Shallum” Jer 22:11, but Jehoahaz was the name he was given when he took the throne.

• His reign was short lived lasing only 3 months but in that 3 months 2Kings 23:32 he did evil in God’s sight following not in his father’s Godly footsteps but those who had been ungodly before him. V3-4 says that Pharaoh Neco didn’t approve of him and removes him as King, imprisons him in Egypt, and places his older brother “Elkiakim” upon the throne. Neco then changes his name which means “God will establish” to “Jehoiakim” which means raised by Jehovah, and he imposes upon Judah a tribute of 100 talents of silver and a talent of gold to be paid to him.

• What’s interesting is that in Mathews account of Jesus ancestry Jehoahaz is omitted which shows the Lord never recognized him as being a true successor to the throne. V5 says like his brother he doesn’t follow in his father’s Godly footsteps either but does evil in the sight of God like those before his father. :36 says he reigned 11yrs and in order to pay Egypt he severely taxed the people showing that he was nothing more than a puppet King for Pharaoh Neko to raise funds to help him in his fight to remain in power. Jer 36:22-24 shows how great the ungodliness of Jehoiakim was as he burned a scroll of God’s Word in an attempt to silence it. • V6-8 like his brother before him his evil is rewarded with enslavement as Nebuchadnezzar upon defeating the Egyptians now subdues Jerusalem who had been loyal to Pharaoh. By this time had been telling Jehoiakim that he needed to submit to Babylon but he wouldn’t listen and rebels against them and God doesn’t bless that rebellion, and allows Nebuchadnezzar to come conquer, and remove the King and replace him with his son, and take captives including Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, during the first of three deportations.

• V9-10 Jehoiachin after doing evil in the sight of the Lord he’s rewarded by being taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar who also raids both the temple and the palace of its valuables, this was his second attack and raid upon Jerusalem. In Jer 22:24-26 God told him that this would happen because of his disobedience. V11-14 Zedekiah Jehoiachin’s uncle and Josiah’s son is put on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar, as he thinks he will be more pliable to his commands, but he rebels also not only to Nebuchadnezzar but more importantly the Lord.

• Zedekiah has rejected Jeremiah’s counsel, he’s placed ungodly men as priests, and of course the nation has plummeted into darkness and ungodliness, defiling the house of the Lord > Jer 32:1-5 tells him his rebellion would not succeed and yet he continues to disobey the Lord, the prophet, and Nebuchadnezzar, and it’s because the leaders, the priests, and the people neck’s is stiff and their hearts re hardened. V15-16 God is longsuffering, He’s patient, compassionate, but once we have refused to heed His warnings and have chosen our way above His then its judgment.

• V17-20 the people, their families, their possessions, the Palaces, treasures, Land, the House of God, the things of God, either taken or burned to the ground. Those who escaped became either slaves or refugees without a homeland or place to call home, they never thought upon entering into the Promise land that they would be reduced to when they entered Egypt the first time. V21-23 Zedekiah before this happened was bound, his family bought before him and slaughtered before his eyes, then had his eyes gouged out, and taken to Babylon with the last thing he sees is his family killed and Jerusalem being burned to the ground because of his sin.