II Chronicles 36: The Fall of Judah and a Glimmer of Hope
Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father’s stead in Jerusalem.
Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.
Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God.
Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.
Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.
And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.
Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord.
And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel.
Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.
And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:
But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.
Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.
And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.
And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.
And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:
To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.
II Chronicles 36 recounts the tragic final years of the Kingdom of Judah, marked by a succession of weak and wicked kings, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people to Babylon. However, even amidst this devastation, the chapter concludes with a promise of restoration, showcasing God's enduring mercy and faithfulness. This chapter serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the unwavering hope found in God's promises. The narrative underscores the importance of heeding God's warnings and the enduring nature of His covenant.
The Reign of Puppet Kings (II Chronicles 36:1-14)
Following the death of the righteous King Josiah, Judah was plunged into a period of political instability and spiritual decline. II Chronicles 36:1-3 details how Jehoahaz succeeded his father but was quickly deposed by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt after a mere three months. The text doesn't fully explain Neco's actions in Jerusalem, but his dominance is clear as he imposed taxes and installed another of Josiah's sons, Eliakim, as king.
Neco then changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim (II Chronicles 36:4-8), a symbolic act demonstrating Egypt's control over Judah. Jehoahaz was taken to Egypt, likely as a display of Neco's power, facing imprisonment or worse. Jehoiakim's reign, like those of his successors, was characterized by wickedness and oppression. Like many corrupt kings before him, Jehoiakim learned nothing from God's judgment on his people, doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD (II Chronicles 36:5). He became the first of four puppet kings, manipulated by foreign powers, who ultimately led Judah to its ruin. First Egypt, and then Babylon when Nebuchadnezzar drove out the Egyptians in 605 BC and took control of Judah. Jehoiakim eventually rebelled against Babylon (2 Kings 24:1), leading to Nebuchadnezzar's intervention, his capture, and the looting of temple articles (II Chronicles 36:6-7).
Jehoiachin, Jehoiakim's son, continued the pattern of wickedness (II Chronicles 36:9-10). His short reign ended with Nebuchadnezzar carrying him off to Babylon and installing his uncle, Zedekiah, as the final king.
Zedekiah's reign (II Chronicles 36:11-14) was a prolonged act in Judah's tragic royal drama. He was the last of the puppet kings who contributed to Judah's downfall (II Chronicles 36:11-12). Zedekiah refused to humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke the LORD’s commands, and ultimately rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar (II Chronicles 36:12-13).
The Unheeded Warnings and Inevitable Judgment (II Chronicles 36:15-21)
II Chronicles 36:15-20 highlights God's incredible patience and persistent grace. Despite centuries of disobedience, God repeatedly sent prophets to warn the kings and the people to repent. The chronicler emphasizes God's compassion for His people and His dwelling place as the motivation behind these warnings (II Chronicles 36:15). God’s love for his people is unfathomable.
Tragically, the people persistently rejected God's messengers and mocked His words (II Chronicles 36:16). When God's kings and people continued to reject his word, there was no remedy. Consequently, God's judgment fell upon Judah. The Babylonians, or Chaldeans, conquered Jerusalem, killed many, burned the temple, tore down the city walls, and deported the remaining population to Babylon (II Chronicles 36:17-20).
The chronicler adds a crucial detail regarding the reason for the exile (II Chronicles 36:21). The people had failed to observe the Sabbath rest for the land, as commanded in the Law (Leviticus 25:1-7). Therefore, God imposed a seventy-year exile, allowing the land to recover the missed Sabbath years. This emphasizes the importance of obedience to God's commands and the consequences of neglecting them.
A Promise of Restoration (II Chronicles 36:22-23)
The narrative would have concluded on a devastating note were it not for the pivotal promise of hope and future restoration (II Chronicles 36:22-23). II Chronicles 36:22-23 recounts how, in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, the Lord stirred up his spirit, and Cyrus issued a proclamation allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. This was a direct fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy (Jeremiah 29:10) and demonstrated God's faithfulness to His promises.
Cyrus's decree (II Chronicles 36:23), issued in 539 BC, acknowledged that the Lord had appointed him to build a temple in Jerusalem. This act of grace and restoration provided a glimmer of hope amidst the ruins of Judah and foreshadowed the eventual return of the exiles and the rebuilding of the temple. The chronicler's readers had already witnessed the fulfillment of the promise that God would raise up King Cyrus of Persia—the Persians eventually defeated the Babylonians. Cyrus would have mercy on his people and be the human instrument of their restoration to the land of Israel (II Chronicles 36:22).
This concluding note of hope reminds us that even in the darkest of times, God's mercy endures, and His promises remain steadfast. The story of II Chronicles 36 serves as both a warning and an encouragement: a warning against disobedience and a powerful testament to God's enduring love and faithfulness.
Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father’s stead in Jerusalem.
Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.
Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God.
Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.
Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.
And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.
Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord.
And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel.
Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.
And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:
But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.
Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.
And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.
And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.
And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:
To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.
II Chronicles 36 recounts the tragic final years of the Kingdom of Judah, marked by a succession of weak and wicked kings, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people to Babylon. However, even amidst this devastation, the chapter concludes with a promise of restoration, showcasing God's enduring mercy and faithfulness. This chapter serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the unwavering hope found in God's promises. The narrative underscores the importance of heeding God's warnings and the enduring nature of His covenant.
The Reign of Puppet Kings (II Chronicles 36:1-14)
Following the death of the righteous King Josiah, Judah was plunged into a period of political instability and spiritual decline. II Chronicles 36:1-3 details how Jehoahaz succeeded his father but was quickly deposed by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt after a mere three months. The text doesn't fully explain Neco's actions in Jerusalem, but his dominance is clear as he imposed taxes and installed another of Josiah's sons, Eliakim, as king.
Neco then changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim (II Chronicles 36:4-8), a symbolic act demonstrating Egypt's control over Judah. Jehoahaz was taken to Egypt, likely as a display of Neco's power, facing imprisonment or worse. Jehoiakim's reign, like those of his successors, was characterized by wickedness and oppression. Like many corrupt kings before him, Jehoiakim learned nothing from God's judgment on his people, doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD (II Chronicles 36:5). He became the first of four puppet kings, manipulated by foreign powers, who ultimately led Judah to its ruin. First Egypt, and then Babylon when Nebuchadnezzar drove out the Egyptians in 605 BC and took control of Judah. Jehoiakim eventually rebelled against Babylon (2 Kings 24:1), leading to Nebuchadnezzar's intervention, his capture, and the looting of temple articles (II Chronicles 36:6-7).
Jehoiachin, Jehoiakim's son, continued the pattern of wickedness (II Chronicles 36:9-10). His short reign ended with Nebuchadnezzar carrying him off to Babylon and installing his uncle, Zedekiah, as the final king.
Zedekiah's reign (II Chronicles 36:11-14) was a prolonged act in Judah's tragic royal drama. He was the last of the puppet kings who contributed to Judah's downfall (II Chronicles 36:11-12). Zedekiah refused to humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke the LORD’s commands, and ultimately rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar (II Chronicles 36:12-13).
The Unheeded Warnings and Inevitable Judgment (II Chronicles 36:15-21)
II Chronicles 36:15-20 highlights God's incredible patience and persistent grace. Despite centuries of disobedience, God repeatedly sent prophets to warn the kings and the people to repent. The chronicler emphasizes God's compassion for His people and His dwelling place as the motivation behind these warnings (II Chronicles 36:15). God’s love for his people is unfathomable.
Tragically, the people persistently rejected God's messengers and mocked His words (II Chronicles 36:16). When God's kings and people continued to reject his word, there was no remedy. Consequently, God's judgment fell upon Judah. The Babylonians, or Chaldeans, conquered Jerusalem, killed many, burned the temple, tore down the city walls, and deported the remaining population to Babylon (II Chronicles 36:17-20).
The chronicler adds a crucial detail regarding the reason for the exile (II Chronicles 36:21). The people had failed to observe the Sabbath rest for the land, as commanded in the Law (Leviticus 25:1-7). Therefore, God imposed a seventy-year exile, allowing the land to recover the missed Sabbath years. This emphasizes the importance of obedience to God's commands and the consequences of neglecting them.
A Promise of Restoration (II Chronicles 36:22-23)
The narrative would have concluded on a devastating note were it not for the pivotal promise of hope and future restoration (II Chronicles 36:22-23). II Chronicles 36:22-23 recounts how, in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, the Lord stirred up his spirit, and Cyrus issued a proclamation allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. This was a direct fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy (Jeremiah 29:10) and demonstrated God's faithfulness to His promises.
Cyrus's decree (II Chronicles 36:23), issued in 539 BC, acknowledged that the Lord had appointed him to build a temple in Jerusalem. This act of grace and restoration provided a glimmer of hope amidst the ruins of Judah and foreshadowed the eventual return of the exiles and the rebuilding of the temple. The chronicler's readers had already witnessed the fulfillment of the promise that God would raise up King Cyrus of Persia—the Persians eventually defeated the Babylonians. Cyrus would have mercy on his people and be the human instrument of their restoration to the land of Israel (II Chronicles 36:22).
This concluding note of hope reminds us that even in the darkest of times, God's mercy endures, and His promises remain steadfast. The story of II Chronicles 36 serves as both a warning and an encouragement: a warning against disobedience and a powerful testament to God's enduring love and faithfulness.