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Home , 2 Kings 22, 2 Kings 23, 2 Kings 24, 2 Kings 25, Jeremiah 22, Riblah

We Need a Better King :31-25:30

Ralph Davis likens these final chapters to the dilemma hairy men ahve when forced to remove a Band-Aid. Removing a Band-Aid is a big problem for men, like me, who are hairier than Chewbacca. There is no easy way to remove it, especially when it feels like it is stuck to your hairy harm with superglue. You could take it slowly, prolonging the agony, or you can just pull it off with one howl-creating jerk. When it comes to finishing this story about God’s removal of , the writer seems to take the quick-rip method. There is no easy way to write this section (or preach it!). He could prolong the agony and give lots of detail. But he decides instead bring the story to an end quickly, giving us the impression that he wants to hurry (and the chronicler even more quickly, covering these events in one chapter). Our writer's message is simple: “ is toast” (Davis, 29).

Our writer moves rapidly through the reign of four kings who reigned for a total of twenty-two years. Two kings reigned for three months each: Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin. Two kings reigned for eleven years each: and . Unfortunately, everything post- goes from bad to worse. In these two chapters, the writer tells us of the fall of Jerusalem. takes Judah into exile. The temple gets destroyed. The treasures are taken away. ’s glory departs. The comprise about 400 years of history that moves from Solomon’s golden age, through the divided kingdom, to the fall of and finally to this sad conclusion.

As we finish our study, I would like to consider these final chapters, while trying to also reflect on the book of Kings as a whole. I have tried to magnify one dominant theme in the study: We need a better king! Even the best of kings proved to fall short. That theme is in full view here. Allow me to make two points related to this dominant theme.

#1: WE NEED A BETTER KING BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A FALLEN WORLD (23:31-25:26)

In the beginning of our study, I noted that 1 Kings is about decline, and 2 Kings is about a fall. These books highlight the reality that we live in a fallen world, in need of a Redeemer. We need to realize this fact. Consider some of the effects of the fall in these final chapters, and in the wider context of Kings.

Four Evil Kings

Consider the particular kings mentioned in these final chapters. Jehoahaz (23:31-35) reigned for three months in 609BC. We read very little about him, other than the fact that he “did evil in the sight of the Lord” (23:32). Despite having a godly father, Josiah, Jehoahaz rebelled against God, doing evil.

You do not have to teach a child to rebel. "Folly is bound up in the heart of the child" (Prov 22:15). You have to teach a child the Gospel. One time I got in trouble for calling kids “midget demons.” I had to apologize for my statement because “midget” offended someone. I never use the term any more. But what was curious is that no one got upset that I called their kids little demons! Parents know their kids are little rebels, who need to change, and that change ultimate comes through the power of Christ, or Redeemer.

We also see once again that just because you have a godly father does not mean you will be godly. You must respond to the Gospel. His dad is Josiah! Yet, he rebels. Be diligent in teaching the Gospel in the home.

The circumstances of his imprisonment are not described, but what is clear is that Pharaoh (Judah’s overload at the time) does not like him (33). So he replaces him with his brother, Eliakim, and changes his name to Jehoiakim (34). He is a puppet king, who installs a new tax program to pay the tribute to (35).

Jehoiakim reigned for eleven years in 609-598BC. We read that he too “did evil in the sight of the Lord” (23:37). During Jehoiakim’s reign, the first deportation takes place (24:1-7), which is referenced during Daniel’s time ( 1:1-4). The writer reports:

In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for 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 . 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. Now the rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the ? So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. And the king of Egypt did not come again out of his land, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the to the river . (:1-7 ESV)

We read of judgment coming upon the land because of their evil. It seems that Nebuchadnezzar used these foreign raiders because his army just encountered the Egyptians in a war, so he uses them as an interim solution (Davis, 338). But the writer of Kings gives the real reason why they went against Judah, “the LORD … sent them” (24:2). And it happened “according to the word of the Lord.”

We know more about the rebellion of Jehoiakim from ’s prophecy. Jeremiah prophesied in the days of Josiah through Zedekiah. Consider the 's words:

11 For thus says the Lord concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went away from this place: “He shall return here no more, 12 but in the place where they have carried him captive, there shall he die, and he shall never see this land again.”

13 “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing and does not give him his wages, 14 who says, ‘I will build myself a great house with spacious upper rooms,’ who cuts out windows for it, paneling it with cedar and painting it with vermilion. 15 Do you think you are a king because you compete in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. 16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? declares the Lord. 17 But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.”

We find that the king built a sweet palace of his own, while his people suffered. And he also refused to compensate the builders (Jer 22:13). A true king would deliver the oppressed, and do justice (15; 22:3). That king does not sit on the throne at this time, because he does not know the LORD like his father did (15-16). Jeremiah says because of his evil reign, “They shall not lament for him” (22:18).

Further, Jehoiakim rejects God’s Word. We read later in Jeremiah that God in his mercy revealed His Word, with an offer for repentance (Jer 36:1-3), but Jehoiakim rejects it (36:20-26). Instead of listening, and turning, he burns the Jeremiah’s scroll (Jer 36:23). Perhaps he thought he could destroy it. But God’s Word endures forever. Paul, in prison could write, “But the word of God is not bound!” (2 Tim 2:10, ESV). His men do not tear their clothes, desperate for repentance as Josiah does when he hears it (36:24).

What a picture of human depravity! Oppression. Indulgence. burning. If God in his kindness should give you His Word, then you should treasure it like Josiah, and repent, not burn it like Jehoiakim. What are you doing with the scrolls?

The point is clear: Repent while you can. Do not persist in unbelief. For what is coming is worse than Judah’s exile. The good news of the Gospel is that you do not have to be “forsaken” (cf., 2 Kings 21:14) because Christ became the forsaken one for us. Jesus cried out on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46). Either God’s judgment will fall on you, and you will be removed from his blessing, and face only his wrath, or you can look to Christ as your substitute. You can be forgiven, and redeemed through faith in Him. You can live every day with this promise, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Heb 13:5).

Next, we read in verse 8 that Jehoiachin reigned for three months in 597BC. During this time, the second deportation happens. (See also :1-3). The writer reports the awful time, notice the phrases, “carried off,” “carried away,” “captives,” “carried away,” “took into captivity” and “brought captive.”

At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it, and Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself and his mother and his servants and his officials and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign and carried off all the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the LORD, which Solomon king of Israel had made, as the LORD had foretold. He carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land. And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. The king's mother, the king's wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and fit for war. And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah. (2 Kings 24:10-17 ESV, my emphasis)

Jehoiachin basically reigns long enough to hand the kingdom over the Babylon. He is no . Remember how Hezekiah turned to God in desperate prayer when oppressed by the Syrians? Instead of that response, Jehoiachin “gave himself up to the king of Babylon” (12). As a result, thousands are carried away (22:14-16).

From that 597 scene, the writer takes us to 587, with Zedekiah. Once again a foreign king selects Judah’s king, changing the king’s name from Mattaniah to Zedekiah (24:17). He reigns for eleven years, and he is the fourth consecutive king who “does evil in the sight of the LORD” (18-19). Then the writer adds, “For because of the anger of the LORD it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out of his presence” (20, ESV). God’s patience had run out. God’s wrath comes upon him and the people with full force during his reign. Before the destruction of Jerusalem, the writer reports the Babylonian siege:

And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it. So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. (:1-2 ESV)

This was just the beginning of the suffering for Judah during Zedekiah’s reign (read more about him in Jer 37-39).

More is said about Zedekiah elsewhere. The chronicler adds, "He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of God" (2 Chron 36:12). He "hardened his heart against turning to God" (36:13), refusing to repent. The priests were also unfaithful, as they followed "the abominations of the nations" (36:14). Then he says that God in amazing compassion, continued to send messengers but they mocked them, and despised their words, bringing God's wrath (36:15; cf.m Jer 25:4).

Four Applications

All four kings in the final chapters “did what was evil in the sight of the LORD” (23:32, 37; 24:9; 24:19). A Hezekiah or Josiah does not appear again. They are faithless, unreceptive to Scrioture to What can we glean from their lives in light of the rest of Kings?

First, notice the need for godly leadership. Why does Judah fall? They fell because God is vindicating his holy name. He would not tolerate their rebellion (24:3-4; 24:20; Jer 22:8-9). And poor leadership led to this rebellion and consequent judgement. We read of the shedding of blood, no concern for the poor, oppression, greedy for gain, lack of trust in God, and rebellion against the Word of God. The results are disastrous.

Nations and churches and families need good leadership. The book of kings closes with four terrible leaders, which illustrates this basic point. Judah suffers from four godless kings. The good news is that follows . The messianic King, the righteous branch is promised. He will "execute justice and righteousness" (Jer 23:1-8).

Second, realize that rebellion in boring. One of the results of a fallen world is that nothing can satisfy our hearts outside of the Gospel. If you struggle through these remaining chapters of 2 Kings, then just recognize that it is not the author’s fault! There is nothing exciting about doing evil. Kings shows us that an ungodly life is a boring life.

Davis says regarding these final chapters:

“{D]rip … drip: four times we read, ‘He did evil in ’s eyes.’ Nothing bracing or refreshing here, just the same stale stuff. None of the trembling of Hezekiah or enthusiastic obedience of a Josiah that gives spice and flavor and drama to kingdom life…. Actually, only holiness stirs and only godliness fascinates” (Davis, 336-337).

I agree. A life chasing after evil will never satisfy. Oh, it might provide some “fleeting pleasure” (Heb 11:25), but it is nothing in comparison to riches of knowing Christ, and being on mission with Him. Contrast these four kings with the prayer life of , or the faith and compassion of . Which is more exciting?

Only in pursuing Christ and his kingdom will you find the ultimate excitement and joy. Read the book of Acts and you find statements about great joy experienced by those fulfilling Christ’s mission (cf., Acts 13:52). There is nothing dull about Paul’s journeys! (cf., 2 Cor 6:3-10). J. Campbell White said it well:

Most men are not satisfied with the permanent output of their lives. Nothing can wholly satisfy the life of Christ within His followers except the adoption of Christ's purpose toward the world He came to redeem. Fame, pleasure and riches are but husks and ashes in contrast with the boundless and abiding joy of working with God for the fulfillment of His eternal plans. The men who are putting everything into Christ's undertaking are getting out of life its sweetest and most priceless rewards.

A constant warning in the book of Kings is: Do not waste your life. Make it count by surrendering your life to the mission of God. There you find meaning, and there you find joy. There is great joy in waking up every morning saying, “What do you have for me today, LORD?”

We need a better King, for apart from Jesus our hearts are restless and dissatisfied. Only in Christ can we find “the life that is truly life,” which Paul speaks of here:

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19 ESV)

Even if you have wealth, and toys, these things still will not bring ultimate delight. Set your hope in the glory of Christ, and you will take hold of life. You do not need stuff to make you happy, as Paul writes, believers can experience “having nothing, yet possessing everything” (2 Cor 6:10) because of Christ.

The simple reason we do not read of any excitement from these kings is found in 22. When Jeremiah delivers to Jehoiakim, he compares him to Josiah and says, that Josiah demonstrated that he knew God (16). Do you know him? That is where real joy comes from.

Third, give attention to your heart. Notice the writer’s focus on the heart throughout Kings. Even though Kings is a historical document, the writer does not focus on every historical detail. We noted that several kings went down in history as accomplishing great military or economic achievements, but the author of Kings reports few of these acts (eg., Jeroboam II, ). Why? His purpose is to highlight something more important about a man or woman: What is their heart focused on? Did they please God? For example, he is quick to report that Abijam’s “heart was wholly true” (:3) but “Asa was wholly true to the LORD” (15:14). The line of was to walk before Yahweh with “all their heart and with all their soul” (1 Kings 2:4; 2 Kings 23:25). They were to trust in God, and to worship God alone (Deut 17:14-20). David gave Solomon such a charge (1 Kings 2:3-4). Josiah was commended because his “heart was penitent” (:19).

Because of this focus, we read of whether not the kings did “right in the eyes of the LORD” up to the very last king. Why? We live out of overflow of the heart. Personal godliness is what matters. All of the kings in the northern kingdom fail to receive a positive evaluation, while the evaluation of Judah’s kings are mixed. Two of them are exemplary, Hezekiah and Josiah. Six of them received qualified commendation. They did what was “right in the eyes of the Lord” but “they did not remove the high places.”

As we read through Kings, we should be asking, “Am I taking care of my heart?” Am I dealing with pride? It was pride that affected so many kings. Am I dealing with anger, lust, or some other besetting sin?

In these final four kings, we read about sins of greed (Jer 22:17); fear (2 Kings 24:12), pride (2 Chron 36:12), coldness toward the needs of others (cf, Jer 22:3, 15). All sins that can also creep into our hearts.

If you have not turned to Christ in repentance of faith, then begin there. You need a new heart. You need new affections. You need a heart of stone turned into a heart of flesh. If you are a believer, you need in the words of Luther to live a constant life of repentance. Are you dealing with fear, pride, coldness of heart, and greed?

Allow me to illustrate with one of my heroes, Tim Keller. He confesses his personal practices of dealing with his heart. In an interview (transcribed below by Steve McKoy, “Tim Keller on Preaching to Himself”), he explains how he watches his heart that I am personally implementing. Here was his response:

I try to do petition in the morning. I try to do repentance in the evening. So I try to pray in the morning and in the evening. In the evening I look back on what I did wrong and repent. But in the middle of the day I try to catch myself and I look for four kinds of emotions. I always pray in the morning, "Lord make me happy enough in the grace of Jesus to avoid being proud, cold, scared, and hooked." Now, by proud I mean what you think, too self-congratulatory. And maybe disdainful of people who I don't think have it together. Cold means I'm just too absorbed in my concerns to really be compassionate and gracious and warm and joyful to the people around me. Scared means I'm just obviously too anxious and worried. Hooked means...when you're overworked, it means for me ... eating. Eating things I shouldn't eat just because it's a way of keeping my energy up, and also because it's a way of rewarding myself. Or looking at women more than once. So: proud, cold, scared, hooked.

Now, in the middle of the day I get it out and say, "Have I been proud, scared, cold, or hooked in the last 3-4 hours. And the answer usually is "Yeah." And then I say, "How do I bring the Gospel to bear on that? How does the grace of God deal with it?" And you try to catch yourself in those feelings. So basically finding problem feelings and inordinate desires, catch them when they're happening, try to deal with them with the Gospel right there.

I call that "Quick Strike" on my idols around noon, if I can remember it. And repentance at night and petition in the morning. So I try to get into God's presence three times a day.

I am not necessarily recommending Keller’s approach. I just want to show you how he realizes the importance of dealing with his own soul daily, through prayer and repentance. He does what many ministers fail to do, namely, sit under their own preaching. Our hearts are prone to be cold, scared, hooked, or proud. We must cultivate a life of repentance, and preach the gospel to ourselves to combat this problem.

Fourth, remember that idolatry leads to destruction. If Christ is not at the center of our hearts, something else will be. And the result of substitute gods is destruction. You never win when you prefer idolatry.

Idolatry is a dominant theme in Kings. The idolatry of Manassah brings the judgment of God, as mentioned in these final chapters. Jeremiah says that the devastation would be so great that people from other lands would ask, why has this happened? He says:

8 “‘And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, “Why has the Lord dealt thus with this great city?” 9 And they will answer, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and worshiped other gods and served them.”’” (Jer 22:8-9)

The only explanation would be that they had forsaken the covenant and worshipped other gods. (cf, Jer 25).

We have read about all sorts of idols that the kings and the people have embraced, replacing the true and living God who brought them out of the land of Egypt. The writer reports the false worship of and Asherah because whom you worship is the big question. The book of kings reminds us of the critical need of answering this worship question rightly, like the people at Mt Carmel did after Elijah prayed the fire down. They said, “The LORD, he is God; the LORD he is God” (17:39). Unfortunately, none of these final four kings make any effort to direct the nation to God.

An idol is anything you look to give you what only Christ can give you – hope, joy, security, meaning. It may be be drugs, peer approval, success idolatry, or sexual perversion. Sin problems are ultimately worship problems. As one young man said in our small groups, “Addiction is a worship disorder.”

Within an idolatrous culture, no one thinks idolatry is a problem. The writer of Kings begs to differ. It most definitely matters. And in the final evaluation of your life, your god is the most important matter. You can live like Omri, accomplishing many great things in this life, but if you are not a worshiper of the Redeemer, then you have wasted your life, and forfeited your soul.

You were made to worship the living God of the Bible. If He is not at the center of your life, then something else is. Everything other than Christ is a cheap substitute.

The Fallen City

In chapter 25, we read the sad account of the holy city, Jerusalem, the place where God chose “to put his name” (21:5), getting destroyed. The fall of Jerusalem takes place in 587BC. During this time, Zedekiah’s sons are slaughtered in front of him, and then his eyes are pulled out (25:7), making this episode the last event that he sees. We also read of the third and final deportation, and the execution some. Here is the writer’s report:

On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king's garden, and the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the Arabah. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at , and they passed sentence on him. They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon.

In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. And he burned the house of the LORD and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. (2 Kings 25:3-10 ESV)

And the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile. But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen. (2 Kings 25:11-12 ESV)

And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon. And they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service, the fire pans also and the bowls. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver. As for the two pillars, the one sea, and the stands that Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and on it was a capital of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits. A latticework and pomegranates, all of bronze, were all around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with the latticework. (2 Kings 25:13-17 ESV)

And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the threshold; and from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of war, and five men of the king's council who were found in the city; and the secretary of the commander of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the city. And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of its land. (2 Kings 25:18-21 ESV)

In verses 22-26, we read of , grandson of Shephan. He becomes governor of Judah under the authority of Babylon. But he does not survive because one among the royal family, Ishmael, kills him (25:25).

The city of Jerusalem and the temple are destroyed. We are reminded of the words of Hebrews, “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (13:14, ESV). The people of God await a better city. We await the new heavens and the new earth (cf., Rev 21:1-8).

We need a better King because we are not home yet. Kings reveals reality of suffering in a fallen world. We read about all types of problems in Kings: dying children, droughts, wars, cannibalism, conspiracies, alliances, corrupt governments, injustice, violence, and oppression. This is not how it should be. The Christian story involves a God who knows about suffering, and enters into it. Jesus suffered on the cross, and promised to make all things new.

The Bible is an honest book. It is not a fairy tale. It does not hide the fact that we will toil and struggle (Gen 3) all the days of our life. Jesus told us, “In this world, you will have trouble” (16:33). Do not mistake this life for heaven. We are not home yet. Instead, look to God in trials with desperate prayer, and set your hope on the glory that will be revealed to believers (Rom 8:18), when the crucified and reigning King returns.

#2: WE NEED A BETTER KING…. AND WE HAVE ONE! (2 Kings 25:27-30; Matt 1:1-17, 22-23)

Kings does not have a happy ending, but it does have a hopeful ending. Yahweh has not forgotten his people, who are in exile. The scene takes place twenty-six years after the fall of Jerusalem. Jehoichin, the last surviving successor of David (as far as we know), is now fifty-five years old and sits amply provided for in Babylon (Provan, 280). His story is contrasted with Zedekiah, the “mutilated man deprived of heirs” (25:7) (Provan, 280). Here is the interesting epilogue, the final words in the Kings:

And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. And he 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 he dined regularly at the king's table, and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived. (2 Kings 25:27-30 ESV)

Nebuchadnezzar died, and his son, Evil-merodach reigned in his place in Babylon. The former pronounced judgment to Zedekiah (25:6); the latter “spoke kindly” to Jehoichin (25:28a) (Olley, 371). He receives a seat of honor (25:8b). Like Joseph, he put off his prison clothes (cf., Gen 41:14). He dines every day at Evil-merodach’s table.

God Fulfills His Word

Why is this epilogue important? It shows that the line of David is continuing in exile. The writer calls Jehoiachin the king of “Judah” twice in verse 27 (Davis, 350). Provan notes that his reappearance is reminiscent of after that earlier destruction of the royal family (280). Jehoichin survives miraculously in the midst of the wreckage.

The phrase “according to the word of the Lord” appears throughout the chapters. We continually say that God’s Word proves true. Solomon’s benediction says it all, “Not one word has failed” (:56). Prophets have appeared throughout announcing God’s Word. Olley provides the following summary, demonstrating the trustworthiness of God’s Word, with the prediction on the left, and the fulfillment on the right (Olley, 31):

1 2:21-36 1 Kings 2:27 2 Sam 7:12-13 1 Kings 8:20, 24 1 Kings 11:29-39 1 Kings 12:15 :1-3 2 Kings 23:16-18 1 Kings 13:20-22 1 Kings 13:26 :6-16 1 Kings 14:18; 15:29 1 Kings 16:1-4 1 Kings 16:12 Joshua 6:26 1 Kings 16:34 1 Kings 17:14 1 Kings 17:16 1 Kings 21:21-24, 27-29; :4-10 2 Kings 9:30-37; 10:17 1 Kings 22:17 2 Kings 22:35-38 :6, 16 2 Kings 1:17 2 Kings 21:10-15 2 Kings 24:2

Does this list not amaze you? You should go back and read these examples of how God sovereignly fulfills His Word. He promises to raise up Solomon and for David’s throne to endure forever; to split the kingdom; to raise up Josiah to crush Jeroboam’s altar at ; to sweep way of the houses of Jeroboam and Baasha. He promises that the widow’s oil and flour would not run out. He promises to execute Abab, his family, and for their evil with particular detail. These are some of the examples of Yahweh fulfilling His Word. All of this is utterly amazing.

A few implications should be considered related to God’s Word. First of all, God’s Word is trustworthy. What he says, he will do. Do you believe the promises of Scripture? Build your life on His Word. Second, God’s Word’s is powerful. God was controlling the events through his Word, not human leaders. God’s Word cannot be thwarted. Third, God’s messengers will face opposition. In the New Testament, the prophets are referred to as examples of persecution, with Jesus being the ultimate example of the righteous man suffering (cf., Matt 5:10-12; James 5:10). The life of a prophet was not easy, just ask those who were hidden away during Jezebel’s day, or Elijah and Elisha. Be prepared to suffer as you go forward in culture, speaking God’s Word. Fourth, God’s Word must be obeyed, or judgment will be the result.

We have already noted how God promised to keep “a lamp burning in Judah” (cf. 1 Kings 11:36; 15:4; 2 Kings 11:2). Now, we see that not even the Babylonians could stop God’s purpose of bringing the ultimate King. Even a king named “Evil” could not stop it! This Messianic hope is not based on the goodness of Jehoiachin, for nothing seems to change in terms of his heart. This hope is simply rooted in the mercy and faithfulness of God. (cf., Jer 22:24-23:9)

Skipping ahead several hundred years, we find in Matthew picks up the story, demonstrating God’s breathtaking mercy and faithfulness, by describing the years before and after this exiled king. He writes:

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of , and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of , and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of , and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of , and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of , and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of , and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of , and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of , and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. So all the generations from to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. (:6b-17 ESV, my emphasis)

Matthew reminds us in this famous Christmas sermon that Jesus is the ultimate Son of David (Matt 1:1), descended through the line of “Jechoniah [that is, Jehoiachin] and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon” (11, see also Matt 1:12). Matthew goes on to write that over against “the Lord thrust them out of his presence,” Jesus is “Immanuel: God with us” (Matt 1:23) (Olley, 373). This ultimate King would go to the cross and be crucified where the sign is placed “King of the Jews” (Matt 27:37). And in his death, Jesus was reconciling not only Jews, but all the nations would believe to himself.

A Living Hope

You might call 2 Kings 25:27-30 by itself a whisper of hope, but we know the rest of the story. The first readers did not know how Gods’ purposes would work out, as the chronicler reports Cyrus’ edict to return and rebuild the temple (36:22-23). Further, they did not know what would happen beyond that, when Jesus would embody the final words of the chronicler, going “up to Jerusalem” himself (2 Chron 36:23; cf., Matt 20:17- 18), in order to bring salvation.

We have a “living hope” because a lamp in Judah continued to burn through the years. God kept his promise to sit David’s Son on the throne, and Jesus kept the covenant perfectly that none of the kings could keep.

How should we respond to this hope? You should trust in this crucified, risen and reigning King. Jesus is the King to end all kings. Put your trust in him. He alone can lead us out the exile of the tomb, and bring us to his heavenly kingdom. We have seen a few good kings in our study, but the point is clear: we need a better king. You have what you need in Jesus. Trust in Him. Adore Him.

Second, you should live with hope in this difficult life. Centuries after the Babylonian’s, Christians faced persecution under mighty Rome (Olley, 372). How might you encourage a church facing terrible persecution? John gives them a vision of the New Jerusalem:

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. (Revelation 21:22-23 ESV, my emphasis)

John’s words present no faint whisper of hope. He gives a sure, unshakable word of hope. Our King has come, living the life we could not live; dying the death we should have died; rising from the dead, defeating our ultimate enemies. And our King is coming again, and we will be with Him forever. Right now, we are in between the times. Let us not lose heart, as we wait for the day in which King Jesus returns to establish his eternal, shalom-filled kingdom. We need a better King, and praise God, we have One! “To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Tim 1:17)