2 Chronicles 36
-The brutal ending of the Kingdom of Judah is depicted in
this final chapter of the book, which focuses on the Temple worship of the
LORD. This ushered in the time of the Gentiles and their domination over the
land, which has survived in many respects up until this present time. However,
Israel was miraculously given the award of a sovereign nation by 1948, and has
the promises of Messiah’s reign one day. God is not finished with His people
and His covenant with them remains.
-Josiah’s son, Joahaz (or Jehoahaz), reigned only three
months at the age of 23 in Jerusalem before he was taken by Neco the king back
to Egypt. Neco imposed a fine on the land of Israel for their interference with
them, and made Eliakim, Joahaz’s brother, king over Judah changing his name to
Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem doing evil in the
sight of the LORD. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, then came up against him,
bound him with bronze chains, and took him to Babylon. This began the deportation
and exile of the Jews. Jehoiachin, Jehoiakim’s son, took the title of king at
the age of eight (2 Kings 24:8 lists him at age 18) for three short months
doing evil before being exiled to Babylon along with the valuable articles of
the house of the LORD (2 Chronicles 36:1-10).
-Zedekiah, his kinsman, was anointed king by Nebuchadnezzar
at the age of 21. He also reigned eleven years, like Jehoiakim, and did evil in
the sight of the LORD by rebelling against the Gentile king and not humbling
himself before the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke for the LORD. He would not turn
his heart toward the LORD God of Israel. Also and furthermore, all the
officials of the priests and the people were very unfaithful going the way of
all the heathen nations around them. They defiled the House of the LORD, which
He had sanctified in Jerusalem. “The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word
to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His
people and on His dwelling place; but they continually mocked the messengers of
God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the
LORD arose against His people, until there was no remedy (2 Chronicles
36:11-16). The Chaldeans were brought up against them to utterly destroy the
region, dismantling the walls of Jerusalem, burning the House of God and all
the fortified buildings, and taking all the valuable treasures of the kings,
his officers, and the LORD (2 Chronicles 36:17-19). Those who escaped the sword
were carried away to Babylon and served in exile for seventy years until the
Persians came to power. This fulfilled the Word of the LORD by the mouth of
Jeremiah that the land would now enjoy its Sabbath for 70 years (2 Chronicles
36:20-21). When Cyrus, king of Persia, arose, the LORD stirred his spirit up to
send back and rebuild in Jerusalem. He was now the one appointed to build the
House of the LORD in Judah. This remarkable sequence in history is related
primarily in the book of Ezra.
-*Application* Think not that America will fare any better
than God’s chosen people in Judah if we continue to mock the messengers of God,
despise His Words, and scoff at His prophets. Prophets always have unique and
often strange ways of showing up. Weather it by a Billy Graham, Bono, or Phil
Robertson, I pray we as a people pay attention and turn to the LORD before
there is left no remedy but destruction and exile.
Verses to Memorize: 2
Chronicles 36:15-16, 21
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