If I actually did this properly, it would take four weeks to get through these three chapters. I am going to spare myself, and you, that agony, and just go ahead and get it over with.
This is the end of the history of the kingdom of Judah.
Backing up a little: There was a really great king, Hezekiah. Under him the Temple was restored, Passover was reinstated, life was good. His son Manasseh, and Manasseh’s son Amon, were evil. False gods, Asherah poles, all the things that Hezekiah had worked so hard to UNDO.
Then Amon’s son Josiah became king and he followed the Lord and life was good again. Josiah hosted the Passover, found the Lost Book of the Law, repaired the temple, and basically did all the things that a king was supposed to do. Sadly, it did not last. His sons Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim were both evil kings. Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin becomes king, and I am left wondering why all the names had to start with J.
Jehoiachin is only king for three months anyway, because Nebuchadnezzar invades and takes the king away to Babylon, along with a great many other people. Nebuchadnezzar leaves someone else on the throne--someone named Zedekiah (whew!) It should come as no surprise to anyone that Zedekiah does evil in the sight of the Lord. The Babylonian army returns, invades Jerusalem again, killes Zedekiah’s sons, and blinds him before taking him away to Babylon as well.
After this, the city of Jerusalem is burned, plundered, and destroyed. The Babylonians tore down the walls, stole everything of value from the Temple, tore down the Temple, and set fire to the whole city. Everything was destroyed. Everyone was gone.
And yet...
Second Chronicles 36:15-16 reads: “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...despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, until there was no remedy.” It goes on to say “Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon...to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were complete.” It seems to say, “To be continued!” does it not? Actually, 2 Chronicles ends with Cyrus king of Persia giving the Jews permission to come back and rebuild Jerusalem...but we have 70 years of prophets to wade through until we get there!
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