The Book of Second kings

Chapter 25

 

 

[1] And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about.
[2] And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
[3] And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.

 

 

The Book of Second Kings began with Elijah being carried into heaven, the destination for those who follow the LORD

The Book closes with Judah being carried away into captivity, the destination for those who fail to follow the LORD

 

1) The Confinement of the City                     Vs 1-3

 

The Jews are under Babylonian oppression and King Zedekiah has promised to live peaceably in these conditions

These conditions were the result of the righteous judgment of God against the sin of Judah.

BUT King Zedekiah broke his word and led the Jews in rebellion against Babylon

The Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar, built a siege wall all the way around the city of Jerusalem

Completely surrounded, the city has no way to go in or out to bring in food for its citizens.

Babylon would wait and starve the city of Jerusalem into surrender.

1 ½ years later, the famine prevailed and Babylon is at the verge of ultimate victory.


[4] And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain.
[5] And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.
[6] So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him.
[7] And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.

 

 

2) The Capture of the Crown             Vs 4-7

 

Nearing the point of surrender and death, the Jews and King Zedekiah decide for a last chance escape

As the city wall was broken up, they would run thru and attack one point of the siege line and run for their lives.

The king and all the men of war commit to this strategy and broke thru the siege line.

Many people seemingly escaped far away to the safety of the plains of Jericho.

BUT the Babylonians pursued and captured the defenseless king and many others

 

·         At Jericho, where Israel first came into the promised land as unarmed men who trusted God and experienced Gods victory; now in that same place, are captured because of sin and idolatry

·          

The Babylonians slew the kings sons in his sight and put out the kings eyes making certain that was his last sight.

King Zedekiah would spend the rest of his life in darkness of captivity as a blind man.

 

Pr29:18

            [18] where there is no vision the people perish

 

            Jer 39:4-7

[4] And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain.
[5] But the Chaldeans' army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.
[6] Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.
[7] Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.

 

Ezekiel 12:13

[13] My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

 

 Remember, if Zedekiah would have heeded the warnings of Jeremiah, he would have saved Judah & himself

 

            Jeremiah 38:17,18

[17] Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:
[18] But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.


[8] And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:
[9] And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burnt he with fire.
[10] And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.
[11] Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carry away.
[12] But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.
[13] And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.
[14] And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.
[15] And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.
[16] The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
[17] The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.
[18] And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
[19] And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king's presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city:
[20] And Nebuzar-adan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah:
[21] And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.

 

3) The Conquering and Captivity                  Vs 8-21

 

King Nebuchadnezzars captain of the guard, Nebuzaradan, came to Jerusalem

The captain burnt the House of the LORD

            This destruction came 424 years after Solomon had led the Jews to build the House of the LORD

The captain burnt the kings palace. The captain demolished and burnt all others houses of the city

The walls of the city were broken down into ruins and signified the destruction of peace & safety in Jerusalem 

 

Vs 11,12

The Babylonians carried away the remnant of the people to Babylon. Leaving only the extreme poor

This is the 3rd wave of captives. (1st wave was Daniel, 2nd wave was Ezekiel and this is the 3rd wave).

 

Vs 13-17

The Babylonians took all the remaining valuables

Jerusalem is left desolate and plundered by the judgment of God upon their sin.

Vs 18-21 The chief priest, Seraiah and Zephaniah the second priest along with 3 doorkeepers were taken

The captain of the guard took an officer, 5 associates of the king, the chief recruiting officer and 60 other men

These were all probably hiding and now arrested and brought to King Nebuchadnezzar and he put them to death.

 

Israel had possessed the land for 860 years, They claimed it by faith and lost it by the foolishness of sin.


[22] And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler.
[23] And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethahiah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.
[24] And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you.
[25] But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah.
[26] And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.

 

 

4) The Challenge of Commission      Vs 22-26

 

            Gedaliah was made governor of the impoverished people that remained

            Gedaliah and his family were friends of Jeremiah

 

Jer 26:23,24

[23] And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
[24] Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

 

Jer 39:11-14

11] Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard, saying,
[12] Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.
[13] So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rab-saris, and Nergal-sharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon's princes;
[14] Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people.

 

            Jeremiah was released from prison & the Book of Lamentations records his sorrow at the destruction of Jerusalem 

 

            Gedaliah is advised to serve the Babylonians and accept the judgment of God

·         Habakkuk the prophet had troubled understanding this too. Hab 1:5-2:8.

·         His question, Judah does deserve the judgment of God but why at the hands of a kingdom more wicked than Judah.

 

Gedaliah tried to lead the people to submit BUT a resistance was still present in the land.

The rebels rose up and assassinated Gedaliah as a traitor to his people and then they fled to Egypt, in fear.

Jer 42:15,16 God said those who flee to Egypt will die by the sword. It’s better to submit to Babylon & Gods judgment


[27] And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison;
[28] And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon;
[29] And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life.
[30] And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.

 

 

5) Comforting Considerations           Vs 27-30

 

            King Nebuchadnezzar was lifted up in pride and power and God humbled him to become a wild beast for 7 yrs.

            After this 7 years, Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself and knew God as the LORD of the nations

 

                        Dan 4:37

[37] Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

 

Finally, King Nebuchadnezzar died and his son Evil-Merodach ruled in his stead

In his first year, he released the former king of Judah, Jehoiachin who had served in captivity for 37 years.

 

            2Kings 24:12,15

[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.
[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.

 

                The new king of Babylon showed special favor to the former king who was now 55 years old

·         He allowed the former king special words and conversation with the rulership

·         He allowed the former king special privileges

·         He allowed the former king specific change garments

·         He allowed the former king special provisions to eat at his table continually

·         He allowed the former king special allowances

The former king has gone from exile in the prison to the palace. This breathed hope into a hopeless situation.

We see, in the midst of captivity and judgment; the kindness, blessings and mercies of God.

 

For 70 long years Judah would stay in captivity before God allows their release

The Persians conquered the Babylonians. King Cyrus (2 Chr 36:22,23 Is 44:28) was led of God to build the Temple

 

Babylon may have burnt the building BUT could not destroy the foundation which is the LORD

Judah may be destroyed BUT not the promise of the LORD…. The Messiah will come!