Lesson 44: Judah's End

2 Kings 24:8-25:30; 2 Chronicles 36.

We are coming to the close of an era in history and division of the Word of God. Is the last of the kings of Judah. Remember, the northern kingdom has been gone for close to 100 years at this point.

Judah had a couple of revivals in those last 100 years in the life of Hezekiah and Josiah under the leadership. But they have rebelled in general to God’s law and God’s rule in their lives.

Now, they are paying the price. As we look at Judahs end.

I. JEHOIACHIN -19th KING — JEHOVAH HAS ESTABLISHED

A. His reign

1. How old? 8 or 18

2 Kings 24:8 (KJV)

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign...

2 Chronicles 36:9 (KJV)

Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign,

We will answer this decisively in a few minutes.

Remember, God’s Word is perfect. The naysayers are always attack, always trying to find a way to justify their unbelief, but God’s Word is always right .

We must always be comparing Scripture with Scripture. Become a student of the Word, find out what it says, never read it in a critical spirit, but a believing spirit - trusting that God will teach you. Reading God’s Word should not produce doubt but faith.

2. How long? 3 months

He served only 3 months just like Jehoahaz.

2 Kings 24:8 (KJV)

...he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

3. How good? Evil

2 Kings 24:9 teaches us that he did it according to his father, Jehoiakim sin, who did evil according to his fathers. I think the significant difference is that Jehoiachin’s was after his father singular and Jehoiakim’s (as well as Jehoahaz’s) was after his fathers plural. Meaning, Jehoiakim didn’t follow Josiah’s good example, but did follow the example of many evil kings that were before him. And Jeho

B. His kin

2 Kings 24:8 (KJV)

...he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

1. His mother was Nehushta — copper

Her name was perhaps a description of her complexion, but she is only mentioned by name here though she is referred to in 2 Kings 24:12 and would end up going into captivity with her son.

This would make sense with him being so young, at the age of 18 he was still barely a man.

2. His maternal grandfather was Elnathan — God hath given

v.12 states this and that he was of Jerusalem.

There a couple of Elnathans that were contemporaries at this time.

Jeremiah mentions two most likely and Ezra mentions three, which were not likely to be this one we are looking at.

Jeremiah 36:25 KJV

Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them.

Either way, on that side of the family there was possibly a goodly heritage. If any of could choose, you would be wise to have goodly heritage.

Psalm 16:6 KJV

The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

Proverbs 22:1 KJV

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

Psalm 127:3 KJV

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

C. The occupation worsens

Remember, Pharaoahnecho had already made Judah a vassal to them even back form Josiahs reign, his son, Jehoahaz was exiled in Egypt where he died, and Jehoiakim reigned in Jerusalem.

During his reign, Nebuchadnezzar beat Pharaohnecho back into Egypt and took over the lands between Persia and Egypt which included Judah and they became a vassal of Babylon.

Jehoiakim rebelled against him and against the Word of the Lord,,

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.

N‌ow it worsens because with this new king as he got older - Nebuchadnezzar has had enough of them and he comes up and besieges it.

So rather than fight Jehoiachin, his mother, the princes dignitaries come out to submit to Nebuchadnezzar.

2 Kings 24:12 KJV

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.

2 Kings 24:14–15 KJV

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. 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.

II. Zedekiah — 20th king of Judah

A. His name

1. Zedekiah — Jehovah is my righteousness

2 Kings 24:17 KJV

And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father’s brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

2. Mattaniah — Justice of God

B. His relationships

He had the same mother and father as did Jehoiakim, his brother.

His mother was Hamutal — kinsman of the dew or refreshing like the dew.

Hamutal was the daughter of Jeremiah — Jehovah hath appointed or exalted by God.

C. His rebellion

2 Kings 25:1-21

It mentions in 2 Kings 24:16 “Zedekiah rebelled agains the king of Babylon.”

III. JEREMIAH’S MINISTRY

IV. UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIPS OF THE LAST KINGS OF JUDAH

It is important here to realize that this is not a simple king begetting the next king and then the next. That is not what happened at the end of Judah. Rather it is a patchy end, but certainly understandable.

IV. A MESSAGE OF HOPE

2 Kings 25:27-30.

God is a God of Hope.

No matter what you have gone through , endured, or even sin you have committed, or wrong decision - there is hope for us in God and His plan.

Jeremiah 17:7 KJV

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

Lamentations 3:26 KJV

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

The key is to be a part of His plan - to be willing to follow and to serve, and to share the message that we have from the Lord.

For all of us and anyone we meet - there is hope.

I love this verse, because at the end of it all - it says there is hope for us.

Ecclesiastes 9:4 (KJV)

For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope...