20140629 Sunday, June 29 2014
2 Kings 24: The Last Three Kings Of The Kingdom Of Judah

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until He had cast them out from His presence"

Josiah was the last righteous king of Judah (see Josiah's Restoration Of The Covenant). After Josiah, the Kingdom of Judah had three more kings, all of whom did "that which was evil in the sight of the LORD" as they reigned over then-liberal Judah's self-destruction.

Jehoiakim was the first to face Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon that the LORD permitted to destroy the corrupt kingdom of Judah. Jehoiakim "became his servant three years," but rebelled, not in defense of what was right, but in an attempt to defend his corrupt regime. If he had repented and attempted to fight for what was righteous, the LORD (Who was and is Jesus Christ - see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God) would have helped him - not further-empowered the Babylonians that He sent as the agents of His wrath.

"23:36 Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 23:37 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done." (2 Kings 23:36-37 KJV)

"24:1 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. 24:2 And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. 24:3 Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; 24:4 And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.

24:5 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 24:6 So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

24:7 And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt." (2 Kings 24:1-7 KJV)

Jehoiachin was the second-last king of Judah. In his time, the siege of Jerusalem began - during which Jehoiachin attempted to buy off the Babylonians with the national treasures of Judah. Notice that he sold "the treasures of the house of the LORD," but not his golden idols. Jehoiachin was nevertheless taken away to Babylon, after which the Babylonians installed their choice for a vassal ("a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord") king, Jehoiachin's uncle Mattaniah, who the Babylonians renamed as Zedekiah.

"24:8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 24:9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.

24:10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 24:11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it. 24:12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. 24:13 And he carried out thence 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 which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. 24:14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.

24:15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 24:16 And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon. 24:17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah." (2 Kings 24:8-17 KJV)

Zedekiah's puppet reign lasted for eleven years before he made a limp attempt to rebel. The Kingdom of Judah had squandered itself.

"24:18 Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 24:19 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 24:20 For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon." (2 Kings 24:18-20 KJV)

Fact Finder: Where is the Kingdom of Judah today?
See Israel In History and Prophecy: Israel Of Judah