Lesson 43: Judah's End Approaches

2 Kings 23:31-24:7; 2 Chronicles 36.

This is an important part of the series and I hope to give you something that I did not understand or at least did grasp for a long time. That is the end of Judah. Where did the nation exactly end, who was king, what was the relationship to the lineage of Christ. It gets quite discombobulated as we come to the end of the kingdom.

That is not to say that God is confused. Please know what the Bible says about that:

1 Corinthians 14:33 KJV

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

So God isn’t confusing, but I will tell you where the confusion stems from - it stems from sin.

What a simple lesson that is.

A NOTE ON CONFUSION

Consider the references to confusion in the Bible:

Lev 18:23; 20:12; Ezra 9:7; Psa 44:15, 71:1; Isa 24:10; Dan 9:8; James 3:16; 1 Co 14:33

Leviticus 18:23 KJV

Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.

Leviticus 20:12 KJV

And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.

Ezra 9:7 KJV

Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.

Psalm 44:15 KJV

My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

Psalm 71:1 KJV

In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.

Isaiah 24:10 KJV

The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.

Over and over again confusion is paired with fornication, drunkeness and riotous living; and very often, shame and sin in general!

Daniel 9:8 KJV

O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.

James 3:16 KJV

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

This passage is confusing because of the rebellion and wickedness of the kings of Judah as well as most of the people of Judah.

I won’t say they were beyond help. I don’t think anyone is beyond help, but to be helped people must repent.

I. JEHOAHAZ — 16TH KING — JEHOVAH HAS GRASPED

Another way of saying this is the the Lord sustaineth us or the Lord holds us.

His name is a variation of the name Ahaziah. Ahaziah was the 6th king of Judah, and Jehoahaz was also the name of the 11th king of Israel.

So it was the most popular name of all the names of the kings of Judah and Israel.

A. His lineage

Other than Josiah being his father - which we have studied that line of kings, here is a little we learn about him:

1. His mother was Hamutal — kinsman of the dew

Or refreshing like the dew.

2. Hamutal was the daughter of Jeremiah — Jehovah hath appointed

Or exalted by God.

He was of the city of Libna - which meant transparent or whiteness and it was a stopping point between Egypt and Israel on the Sinai peninsula and is mentioned several times in the BIble because of that.

B. His reign

1. It was one of the shortest - 3 months

v.31

2. It was evil

v.32

C. Pharaohnechoh’s occupation

Remember in our last study we saw that it was Pharaohnechoh’s was coming through to fight against Edom, but Josiah went out to fight against him and now Pharoah has occupied Jerusalem.

1. He removes Johoahaz to Egypt where he later dies

While it doesn’t say what happened to him exactly in this passage we read this:

2 Chronicles 36:2–3 KJV

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.

2. Eliakim is installed as king — his name means raised up by God

II. Jehoiakim — 17th King of Judah — Jehovah has established

Please note sub point 2 where we saw the Eliakim is mentioned. Well this is Jehoiakim,

2 Chronicles 36:4 KJV

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.

A. His vassal kingdom

1. Reigned for 11 years

2. He did that was evil

2 Kings 23:37.

While there is not a lot written specifically naming Jehoiakim and his reign, it is seen in the book of Jerimiah how he rebuked the king and prophesied against him and warned him over and over again - this was the king that was mainly being spoken to.

Jeremiah 1:1–3 KJV

The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

B. His family

1. His mother was Zebudah - a bestowed gift

2. Grandfather was Pedaiah — redemption of the Lord

He was of Rumah - a city also called Arumah in the book of Judges - it is town near Shechem; otherwise there is no significance in the Bible.

C. Nebuchadnezzar comes up

2 Kings 24:1.

Now the fact the Bible says he came up does not mean he came up literally - but it could simply mean he came into power.

He defeated Egypt and Pharaohnechoh and therefore took over his territories and Judah came under his tribute now - and thus the Babylonians were now the occupier.

D. Jehoiakim’s rebellion

One might wander from this passage what could be the problem with rebelling as God’s chosen people. Why not fight against the tyranny of the invader and an occupying force.

Simply this - they were a shadow of what they once were - they had sinned against God over and over again.

V.4 reminds us of that, but lets continue reading in 2 Kings 24:2-4 and see what is going on.

1. God sends other nations against Judah

v.2

2. He has warned them by the prophets v.2

Jeremiah 27:9–11 KJV

Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.

3. It was of the Lord v.3

I think it is important to mention this. That is was of the Lord that he was displacing his people for their sin - but also remember that in their midst there were godly people. God says so in Romans 11:5. We know that He can be trusted - and that there is a godly remnant here today in our generation, but we can trust in God.

4. Manasseh was the last straw vv.3-4

E. Jehoiakim’s departure

We read in 2 Kings 24:6

2 Kings 24:6 KJV

So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

2 Chronicles 36:6–7 KJV

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.

Jeremiah 22:18–19 KJV

Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory! He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

Oh, how wise we are to heed God’s warnings. Listen to what He is saying and doing in your life. When the Holy Spirit convicts you - when the preaching impacts you, don’t rebel, listen and heed what the Lord is trying to teach you. Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim as well as we will see next, week the next two kings will also hear from Jeremiah - let’s respond to God while we may.