2 Crônicas 36
Thomas Constable · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Crônicas 36
Constable: In these few verses, the will of the king of Egypt contrasts with the will of Judah's people. Whereas the people still held out hope that a descendant of David would lead them to the great glories predicted for David's greatest Son (e.g., Ps. 2:1-8), such was not to be the case any time soon. Other superpowers now dominated Judah's affairs. God had given His people over into their hands for discipline (cf. Deut. 28:32-57). Jehoahaz (Joahaz), rather than lifting the Davidic dynasty to its greatest glories, ended his life as a prisoner in Egypt, the original prison-house of Israel. Jehoahaz reigned only three months. Then Pharaoh Neco replaced him, fined the Judahites, and set up Jehoahaz's brother on Judah's throne Raymond Dillard: In the latter half of 609 B.C. Judah underwent great political turmoil and experienced three successive changes of monarch. Josiah’s death was followed by the three month rule of Jehoahaz who was in turn succeeded by Jehoiakim. Jehoahaz, also known as Shallum, was not Josiah’s firstborn; he had at least two older brothers (1 Chr 3:15). Nothing is known of the fate of Josiah’s firstborn Johanan; he may have died before Josiah’s own death. Jehoahaz came to the throne at age twentythree and was succeeded three months later by Jehoiakim, who was twenty-five. The people of the land made Jehoahaz king, setting aside the right of primogeniture (21:3) probably in an effort to continue the anti-Egyptian or pro-Babylonian policies of Josiah. The same anti-Egyptian posture may explain Nebuchadnezzar’s later choice of Zedekiah, Jehoahaz’s younger brother by the same mother, Hamutal (2 Kgs 23:31; 24:18). The Chronicler makes no overt moral judgment on Jehoahaz’s reign, content to present the themes of exile and tribute that characterize his treatment of the last four kings of Judah. The deuteronomic historian does provide a brief, formulaic moral judgment (2 Kgs 23:32). Jeremiah provides more information regarding the actual character of his reign; it is an indictment for self-aggrandizement and injustice (Jer 22:11–17). (See 2 Chronicles, Volume 15) Summary of the lineage of the last 4 kings of Judah: 1. Jehoahaz (also called Shallum - Jer 22:11) Son of Josiah Reigned 3 months Taken captive by Pharaoh Necho to Egypt (2 Kings 23:31–34) 2. Jehoiakim (original name: Eliakim) Son of Josiah (brother of Jehoahaz) Installed by Pharaoh Necho (2 Kings 23:34) Reigned 11 years Did evil; opposed Jeremiah (Jeremiah 22:13–19) 3. Jehoiachin Son of Jehoiakim (Josiah’s grandson) Reigned 3 months Taken captive to Babylon (2 Kings 24:8–15) 4. Zedekiah (original name: Mattaniah) Son of Josiah (youngest son; uncle of Jehoiachin) Appointed by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:17) Reigned 11 years Last king of Judah before Jerusalem fell (586 BC) 2 Chronicles 36:3 Then the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem, and imposed on the land a fine of one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold. deposed him at Jerusalem, 2Ki 23:33 Related Passages: 2 Kings 23:33+ Pharaoh Neco imprisoned him at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and he imposed on the land a fine of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. King Jehoahaz first taken to Riblah and then to Egypt to die JOAHAZ DEPOSED TO EGYPT Then - Marks progression in narrative and in this case shows the consequence of Judah’s disobedience to God. The king of Egypt (Neco) deposed (sur) him (Jehoahaz/Shallum) at Jerusalem, and imposed on the land (of Judah) a fine (tribute, levy) of one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold. NET - "The king of Egypt prevented him from ruling in Jerusalem and imposed on the land a special tax of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold." Judah was now a vassal state to Egypt. The tribue of silver amounted to approximately 120,000 oz (3.75 tons) and the gold to 1,200 oz (75 lb). See also ANE WEIGHTS AND VOLUMES. The silver and gold was not merely a financial figure but a symbol of Judah’s spiritual debt, a reminder that turning away from God leads to loss. Proverbs 22:7 reminds us that “the borrower is the slave of the lender,” illustrating how sin and rebellion often lead to bondage both spiritually and materially. TECHNICAL NOTE ON TALENT - NET NOTE - The Hebrew word (for "talent" is) kikar ("circle") which refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the "talent" weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the "light" standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the silver was 6,730 lbs. (3,060 kg). Andrew Hill: Curiously, the Chronicler fails to report the death formulas for the last kings of Judah as recorded in the kings account (e.g., “and there he [Jehoahaz] died,” 2 Kings 23:34; and “Jehoiakim rested with his fathers,” 2Ki 24:6; etc.). Kingship just fades into oblivion, as if the Chronicler seeks to represent the stories of the four kings as simply “different manifestations of the same phenomenon.” In so doing, the Chronicler offers his audience hope because he leaves open the possibility for the restoration of Israelite kingship as predicted by Jeremiah (Jer. 33:15-16) and Ezekiel (Ezek. 34:23). (See First and Second Chronicles - Page 228) 2 Chronicles 36:4 The king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Joahaz his brother and brought him to Egypt. made Eliakim: 2Ki 23:34,35 1Ch 3:15 Necho: Jer 22:10-12 Eze 19:3,4 NECO CHOOSES JUDAH'S NEXT KING The king of Egypt made Eliakim ("God will establish") his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem - Note the contrast with 2Ch 36:1 where is was the people of the land who selected their king. Judah's sovereignty as a nation has vanished, which is what would soon happen to the people of Judah! Changed his name to Jehoiakim - This king failed to live up to the meaning of either of his names. Not only did God fail to establish him, but He began to bring destruction upon the nation during the reign of the final four evil kings. The renaming itself signified that Pharaoh Neco had assumed authority over him. (See Name Change, Exchange of Names and Change of Names) Thus, although Jehoiakim reigned, he did so under Neco’s control. His new name meant “Yahweh will establish,” yet his life stood in direct contradiction to that name, as he lived in rebellion against Yahweh. The upshot of this verse is that divine judgment is already in process of falling on Judah, first from Egypt and later from Babylon. The clear implication is that divine judgment had already begun to fall on Judah—first through Egypt, and later more fully through Babylon. But - Term of contrast. What is constrasted? The fate of Judah's kings. One king on the throne, the other king thrown in jail. Neco took Joahaz his brother and brought him to Egypt - Neco swaps kings illustrating he is in full control of Judah's politics! In the ancient Near East the act of changing a name reflects a change of destiny Frederick Mabie: In the ancient Near East the act of changing a name reflects a change of destiny – a destiny now being shaped by the one powerful enough to effect the name change – and carries with it the expectation of loyalty. This idea of a change of destiny enabled by the name changer and symbolized by the new name may shed light on passages such as Isaiah 62:2 and Revelation 2:17. The names given to Judean rulers by Pharaoh Neco and Nebuchadnezzar retain theophoric (note) elements consistent with Israelite faith rather than incorporating foreign religious elements (cf. Da 1:6-7+ ED: Daniel's name to Belteshazzar under Babylonian control). For example, Eliakim and Jehoiakim are largely the same name, with a substitution of one theophoric element (“El[i],” God) with another (“Jeho,” Yahweh). (See The Expositor's Bible Commentary: 1 Chronicles-Job - Page 326) A theophoric word or name is one that includes or invokes the name of a deity (god) as part of its meaning. The term comes from Greek: theos (“god”) + phorein (“to bear or carry”)—so it literally means “bearing a god’s name.” QUESTION - Who was King Jehoiakim in the Bible? ANSWER - Jehoiakim (named Eliakim at birth, 2 Chronicles 36:4) was one of the last kings of Judah before the Babylonian Captivity. Jehoiakim was a son of good King Josiah (Jeremiah 26:1) of Judah. His mother’s name was Zebidah (2 Kings 23:36). Jehoiakim’s father, King Josiah, had returned Judah to the Lord by tearing down idol shrines and restoring obedience to God’s Law (2 Kings 23:19–25). After Josiah’s death, his son Jehoahaz was chosen king by the people. But, as often happened in those days, Jehoahaz did not follow in the footsteps of his father but “did evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 23:32). Jehoahaz only reigned three months before he was taken into captivity by the king of Egypt, who replaced Jehoahaz with his brother Eliakim (2 Kings 23:26; 2 Chronicles 36:5). The Egyptian king renamed the 25-year-old Eliakim “Jehoiakim.” Jehoiakim also did evil in the Lord’s sight (2 Kings 23:37). Because of the ongoing, unrepentant sin of the nation of Judah, God sent invading armies to capture and enslave them. Jehoiakim was taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar, who put him in chains and carted him off to Babylon (2 Kings 24:1; 2 Chronicles 36:6;). It was at this time that Daniel and his three friends were also taken to Babylon (Daniel 1:1–2). Jehoiakim was later returned to Jerusalem, although he had to act as Nebuchadnezzar’s servant for three years and pay tribute to him. During the time King Jehoiakim reigned as a vassal of Babylon, the prophet Jeremiah preached in Jerusalem. God’s message was that the Babylonian invasion was God’s punishment for Judah’s sin and that the Hebrews should repent. Jehoiakim called for Jeremiah’s scroll to be read in his court. But, as every three or four columns of the scroll were read, “the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes” (Jeremiah 36:23–24). Rather than heed God’s warning, Jehoiakim hardened his heart and tried to destroy God’s Word (see Jeremiah 25:1–4). Earlier, Jehoiakim had murdered the godly prophet Uriah (Jeremiah 26:20–23). Jehoiakim reigned eleven years (2 Kings 23:36; 2 Chronicles 36:5). Jeremiah rewrote the scroll that Jehoiakim had burned, and God pronounced judgment on the king: “Therefore this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out and exposed to the heat by day and the frost by night” (Jeremiah 36:30). “He will be buried like a dead donkey—dragged out of Jerusalem and dumped outside the gates!” (Jeremiah 22:19, NLT). This prophecy was fulfilled when, in the eleventh year of Jehoiakim’s reign, he stopped paying tribute to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar responded by besieging Jerusalem. According to Josephus, Jehoiakim was killed during the siege, and his body was thrown over the city wall. After Jehoiakim’s ignoble death, his son Jehoiachin succeeded him as the new king in Judah. Jehoiachin reigned only three months and ten days (2 Chronicles 36:9) before he, too, was taken to Babylon while the foreign king appointed his successor (2 Chronicles 36:10). This appointment of kings by the people or by invading armies was a far cry from the holy anointing of God’s chosen ones by His prophets in days gone by. The removal of God from Judah’s political process was another indication of just how far the Jewish people had fallen away from their God. From King Jehoiakim’s life, we can learn that godly parentage does not necessarily guarantee godly children. Many times in Israel’s and Judah’s history, the Bible records that the children of good kings and prophets “did evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 21:1–2; 1 Samuel 8:3) and did not follow the paths of their fathers. God holds each individual responsible for his or her obedience to His direction (Deuteronomy 24:16). King Jehoiakim’s willful rejection of God’s Word and his subsequent fate are a perfect illustration of the folly of disobedience. “Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy” (Proverbs 29:1) GotQuestions.org Manners & customs of the Bible (BORROW) - Changing Name The king of Egypt made Eliakim, a brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. It was long a custom among ancient Middle East people to change their names on the occurrence of some great event in life. It was in accordance with the divine command at the time of the renewal of the covenant that the name of Abram was changed to Abraham (Genesis 17:5 and Nehemiah 9:7) and that of Sarai to Sarah (Genesis 17:15). Jacob’s name was changed to Israel in commemoration of his prevailing prayer (Genesis 32:28 and 35:10). The king of Egypt changed the name of Joseph to Zaphnath-Paaneah because of his ability to reveal secrets (Genesis 41:45). Another king of Egypt subsequently changed the name of Eliakim, the son of Josiah, to Jehoiakim when he made him king of Judah, as told in our text-verse and 2 Kings 23:34. When the king of Babylon made Mattaniah king he changed his name to Zedekiah (Esther 2:7). When Nebuchadnezzar wished to have a few of the young Israelite prisoners taught in the Chaldean language and customs, he changed their names from Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, to Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 1:6–7). This was done to make them more Babylonian. Daniel means “God is judge,” and Belteshazzar means “May Bel protect his life.” Hananiah means “Yahweh is gracious,” and Shadrach possibly means “command of Aku” (the moon god). Mishael means “Who is what God is?” and Meshach may mean “Who is what Aku is?” Azariah means “Whom Yahweh helps,” and Abednego means “servant of Nebo.” In each case the Hebrew name contained a name for the true God (either el or iah, an abbreviation for Yahweh), and the Babylonian name contained the name of a heathen god. The effect it can have when a ruler changes his name is well illustrated in Sir John Chardin’s Travels in Persia. He states that the first years of King Sefi’s reign were unhappy because of wars and famine in many of the Persian provinces. So he was persuaded by his counselors to change his name as a means of changing the tide of fortune. They argued that there must be some hidden power of evil in the name Sefi. He was, therefore, crowned anew in 1666 under the name of Solyman III. All seals, coins, and other public symbols that had on them the name of Sefi were destroyed. It was as if the king had died and a successor had taken his place on the throne. Whether changing the king’s name had any positive effect or not on the country is not said. 2 Chronicles 36:5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God. Jehoiakim: 2Ki 23:36-37 Jer 22:13-19 Jer 26:21-23 36:1,27-32 JEHOIAKIM'S ELEVEN YEAR REIGN OF EVIL (609-597/598 BC) Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God. - Jehoiakim was a mature adult and had the advantage of the pattern of a godly father (Josiah) as well as exposure to a time of major reformation in Judah, but it was like water off a duck's back. Ultimately Jehoiakim's failure was not due to ignorance, but willful disobedience. His reign of 11 years was a relatively long reign compared to Jehoahaz (3 months) and Jehoiachin (3 months). Did evil in the sight of the LORD is a key evaluative phrase used throughout the reigns of the kings of both the northern and southern kingdoms, occurring 36 times in the Old Testament and most frequently in Kings and Chronicles. As applied to King Jehoiakim it means he lived in presumptive rebellion against Yahweh, fully exposed before Him, and fully accountable to God's perfect judgment. The picture is of the a life that was continually morally corrupt and in direct violation of God’s revealed will. The idea is not merely that he did what people considered wrong, but that he acted in direct defiance of God’s authority and did so "in His face," so to speak! Scripture emphasizes that nothing is hidden from God for Pr 15:3+ says "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, watching the evil and the good." In sum, in the sight of the LORD means before God’s face, under His perfect knowledge and righteous judgment, "For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:14+). 🙏 THOUGHT - Beloved of God, try this little test. The next time your rotten fallen flesh begins to shout (or whisper) at you with some temptation that it knows is your "Achilles heel," pause and ponder the thought that if you capitulate to the ensnaring seduction, you will sin, lose fellowship with your Father, dampen your love for Jesus your Bridgroom and diminish the power the Holy Spirit provides for you to live a supernatural joy filled life. And then remind yourself that if you do this evil, be it in thought, word or deed, you are making a conscious, willful choice to carry it out presumptively in the full view of your Holy Father in Heaven Woe! You are now acting like many of the kings of Israel and remind yourself where that got most of them! As a refresher, below are representative passages from King Jehoiakim's life... King Jehoiakim had the brazenness to do all the following evil deeds before God's face, in view of His perfect knowledge which would reap His righteous judgment... 2 Kings 23:36-37+ Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done (NOT ACCORDING TO ALL THE GOOD HIS FATHER JOSIAH HAD DONE!). Jeremiah 22:13-19 (JEHOIAKIM'S HEART WAS INTENT ONLY UPON DISHONEST GAIN IN CONTRAST TO HIS FATHER JOSIAH) “Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness And his upper rooms without justice, Who uses his neighbor’s services without pay And does not give him his wages, 14 Who says, ‘I will build myself a roomy house With spacious upper rooms, And cut out its windows, Paneling it with cedar and painting it bright red.’ 15 “Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink And do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. 16 “He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy; Then it was well. Is not that what it means to know Me?” Declares the LORD. 17 “But your eyes and your heart Are intent only upon your own dishonest gain, And on shedding innocent blood And on practicing oppression and extortion.” 18 (THE TEMPORAL CONSEQUENCES OF HIS SIN, A PRELUDE TO HIS ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD) Therefore thus says the LORD in regard to Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, “They will not lament for him: ‘Alas, my brother!’ or, ‘Alas, sister!’ They will not lament for him: ‘Alas for the master!’ or, ‘Alas for his splendor!’ 19 “He will be buried with a donkey’s burial, Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem. Jeremiah 26:21-23 (KILLED THE PROPHET URIAH) When King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and all the officials heard his words, then the king sought to put him to death; but Uriah heard it, and he was afraid and fled and went to Egypt. 22Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor and certain men with him went into Egypt. 23And they brought Uriah from Egypt and led him to King Jehoiakim, who slew him with a sword and cast his dead body into the burial place of the common people. Jeremiah 36:15 (CUT AND BURNED THE SCROLL OF GOD'S WORDS OF WARNING!) They said to him, “Sit down, please, and read it to us.” So Baruch read it to them. 16 When they had heard all the words, they turned in fear one to another and said to Baruch, “We will surely report all these words to the king.” 17And they asked Baruch, saying, “Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?” 18 Then Baruch said to them, “He dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink on the book.” 19 Then the officials said to Baruch, “Go, hide yourself, you and Jeremiah, and do not let anyone know where you are.” 20 So they went to the king in the court, but they had deposited the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and they reported all the words to the king. 21 Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it to the king as well as to all the officials who stood beside the king. 22 Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire burning in the brazier before him. 23 When Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king cut it with a scribe’s knife and threw it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier. 24 Yet the king and all his servants who heard all these words were not afraid, nor did they rend their garments. 25 Even though Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah pleaded with the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. 26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the LORD hid them. 27 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah after the king had burned the scroll and the words which Baruch had written at the dictation of Jeremiah, saying, 28 “Take again another scroll and write on it all the former words that were on the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah burned. 29 “And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, ‘Thus says the LORD, “You have burned this scroll, saying, ‘Why have you written on it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will make man and beast to cease from it?’” 30 ‘Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah, “He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night. 31 “I will also punish him and his descendants and his servants for their iniquity, and I will bring on them and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the men of Judah all the calamity that I have declared to them–but they did not listen.”’” Bob Utley on did evil in the sight of the LORD - This is a recurrent phrase which implies disobedience to the Mosaic covenant (cf. 2 Kgs. 23:32). In Jer. 26:20-24 we see his treatment of YHWH's prophets. He imprisoned Jeremiah and Baruch (Jer. 36:26). Also notice how his actions affected the people in 2 Chr. 36:16. Did evil in the sight of the LORD - 36X/36V - Jdg. 2:11; Jdg. 3:12; Jdg. 4:1; Jdg. 10:6; Jdg. 13:1; 1 Ki. 14:22; 1 Ki. 15:26; 1 Ki. 15:34; 1 Ki. 16:25; 1 Ki. 16:30; 1 Ki. 22:52; 2 Ki. 3:2; 2 Ki. 8:18; 2 Ki. 8:27; 2 Ki. 13:2; 2 Ki. 13:11; 2 Ki. 14:24; 2 Ki. 15:9; 2 Ki. 15:18; 2 Ki. 15:24; 2 Ki. 15:28; 2 Ki. 17:2; 2 Ki. 21:2; 2 Ki. 21:20; 2 Ki. 23:32; 2 Ki. 23:37; 2 Ki. 24:9; 2 Ki. 24:19; 2 Chr. 21:6; 2 Chr. 22:4; 2 Chr. 33:2; 2 Chr. 33:22; 2 Chr. 36:5; 2 Chr. 36:9; 2 Chr. 36:12; Jer. 52:2 Thomas Constable: Jehoiakim's conduct did nothing to retard the inevitable conquest of Jerusalem. Judah's captivity was one step closer when Babylon replaced Egypt as the controller of God's people. Jehoiakim was not able to establish a dynasty of kings to follow him, as Jeremiah had prophesied (Jer. 22:30) 2 Chronicles 36:6 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon. came up against him: 2Ki 24:1-6,13-20 Eze 19:5-9 Da 1:1,2 Hab 1:5-10 Related Passages: Jeremiah 25:9 (THE SOVEREIGN GOD CALLS NEBUCHADNEZZAR HIS SERVANT! SEE ALSO Jer 27:6, 43:10) behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these nations round about; and I will utterly destroy them and make them a horror and a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. 2 Kings 24:1+ In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. THE SOVEREIGN GOD RAISES UP AN ADVERSARY AGAINST JUDAH This verse and the parallel 2Ki 24:1+ describes Nebuchadnezzar’s military campaign against Judah which occurred in several stages beginning around 605 BC (see summary below). After defeating Egypt at Carchemish (Jeremiah 46:2), Nebuchadnezzar moved south toward Judah. 1. First Attack – 605 BC (Initial Subjugation & First Deportation) Daniel 1:1–3; 2 Kings 24:1 Occurred in the 3rd year of Jehoiakim (Dan 1:1) Nebuchadnezzar came against Jerusalem and made it a vassal state Some temple vessels taken Select captives deported (including Daniel and other nobles) This was not a full destruction, but the beginning of Babylonian control. It marks the start of the “70 years” (Jeremiah 25:1–11). 2. Second Attack – 597 BC (Major Deportation) - 2 Kings 24:10–16; 2 Chronicles 36:9–10 King: Jehoiachin Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem again King Jehoiachin surrendered - Large deportation (~10,000 people) including officials, craftsmen, warriors and Ezekiel (Ezek 1:1–3) Jerusalem still stood, but was weakened and stripped. Zedekiah was installed as a puppet king. 3. Third Attack – 588–586 BC (Final Destruction) - 2 Kings 25:1–10; Jeremiah 39; 52 Long siege → severe famine (2 Kings 25:3) City walls breached, Temple burned, Jerusalem destroyed Zedekiah captured, sons killed, eyes put out (2 Kings 25:7) Final large deportation This marked the complete collapse of Judah Fulfilled warnings like: “I will send… sword, famine, and pestilence” (Jeremiah 24:10) Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him (Jehoiakim) and bound him with bronze chains (fetters) to take him to Babylon - Nebuchadnezzar trumps Neco, exerting his and Babylon's initial control over Judah. In 2 Ki 24:2 the LORD sent several invaders into Judah because of Jehoiakim's faithlessness (and Manasseh's, 2Ch 36:3) - bands of Chaldeans, of Syrians, of Moabites and of Ammonites. Notice the text says Jehoiakim was bound but it does not say he was actually taken to Babylon. Authorities disgree on the interpretation of whether he was just bound or was bound and taken to Babylon. See more detailed discussion below. This could have been Jehoiakim's moment to turn to the LORD and repent, for the last king bound in fetters (Manasseh) came to his senses (cf 2Ti 2:24-26+) and repented of his evil ways. It was not to be for Jehoiakim, whose heart was resolutely hard and whose neck was stiff. Gleason Archer - New International Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties - What was the correct age for Jehoiachin when he came to the throne, eight or eighteen? 2 Kings 24:8 tells us that Jehoiachin “was eighteen years old when he became king.” But the parallel passage in 2 Chronicles 36:9 states that he was “eight” years old when be began to reign. Obviously there has been a textual error committed by the copyist either in 2 Kings or in 2 Chronicles. This type of error occurs now and then because of blurring or surface damage in the earlier manuscript from which the copy is made. A numerical system generally in use during the fifth century (when Chronicles was probably composed—very likely under Ezra’s supervision) features a horizontal stroke ending in a hook at its right end as the sign for “ten”; two of them would make the number “twenty.” (See article on 2 Kings 8:26.) The digits under ten would be indicated by rows of little vertical strokes, generally in groups of three. Thus what was originally written as a horizontal hooked stroke over one or more of these groups of short vertical strokes (in this case, eight strokes) would appear as a mere “eight” instead of “eighteen.” The probabilities are that 2 Chronicles 36:9 is incorrect, both because the age eight is unusually young to assume governmental leadership—though Joash ben Ahaziah was only seven when be began to reign (2 Kings 11:21) and Josiah was was only eight (2 Kings 22:1)—and because the Chaldeans treated him as a responsible adult and condemned him to permanent imprisonment in Babylon after he surrendered to them in 597 B.C. Moreover, it is far less likely that the copyist would have mistakenly seen an extra ten stroke that was not present in his original than that he would have failed to observe one that had been smudged out. While it is true that Jehoiachin’s father, Jehoiakim, must have been unusually young to have begotten him (sixteen or seventeen), nevertheless some of the Judean royalty seem to have married at an early age (in other words, if Jehoiakim was twenty-five at his accession in 608 [2 Kings 23:36], and if Jehoiachin was eighteen in 598 when his father died [2 Kings 24:8], then there must have been only a difference of seventeen or eighteen years between them). Note that Ahaz appears to have fathered Hezekiah at the age of thirteen or fourteen, judging from the fact that Ahaz was twenty on his vice-regency in 743 and that Hezekiah was twenty-five at his father’s death in 725 (hardly at his first appointment as vice-regent in 728!) (cf. 2 Kings 16:2 [2 Chron. 28:1] and 2 Kings 18:2 [2 Chron. 29:1]). QUESTION - Who was Nebuchadnezzar? ANSWER - Nebuchadnezzar II, sometimes alternately spelled Nebuchadrezzar, was king of Babylonia from approximately 605 BC until approximately 562 BC. He is considered the greatest king of the Babylonian Empire and is credited with the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar is mentioned by name around 90 times in the Bible, in both the historical and prophetic literature of the Hebrew Scriptures. Nebuchadnezzar receives the most attention in the book of Daniel, appearing as the main character, beside Daniel, in chapters 1–4. In biblical history, Nebuchadnezzar is most famous for the conquering of Judah and the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem in 586 BC. Judah had become a tribute state to Babylon in 605 BC but rebelled in 597 BC during the reign of Jehoiachin and then again in 588 BC during the reign of Zedekiah. Tired of the rebellions, and seeing that Judah had not learned its lesson when he invaded, conquered, and deported Judah in 597, Nebuchadnezzar and his general, Nebuzaradan, proceeded to completely destroy the temple and most of Jerusalem, deporting most of the remaining residents to Babylon. In this, Nebuchadnezzar served as God’s instrument of judgment on Judah for its idolatry, unfaithfulness, and disobedience (Jeremiah 25:9). Secular history records Nebuchadnezzar as a brutal, powerful, and ambitious king, and the Bible, for the most part, agrees. However, the book of Daniel gives additional insight into his character. Daniel chapter 2 records God giving Nebuchadnezzar a dream about what kingdoms would arise after his own. In the dream, Nebuchadnezzar was a “head of gold” on a statue, with the descending parts of the body, comprised of silver, bronze, iron, and iron mixed with clay, representing the less powerful kingdoms that would come after him. Nebuchadnezzar demanded the astrologers and wise men to interpret his dream without him telling it to them and, when they were unable to, Nebuchadnezzar ordered all of the astrologers and wise men to be killed. Daniel spoke up and, through a miracle from God, interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The king then promoted Daniel to be one of his most influential advisers. Interestingly, when Daniel interpreted his dream, Nebuchadnezzar declared, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery” (Daniel 2:47). In Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar created a gold statue of himself and required all the people to bow down to it whenever the music played. Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused, and the king had them thrown into a blazing furnace. Miraculously, God protected them, and when they came out of the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar proclaimed, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way” (Daniel 3:28–29). In Daniel chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar is given another dream by God. Daniel interpreted the dream for Nebuchadnezzar and informed him that the dream was a warning to the king to humble himself and recognize that his power, wealth, and influence were from God, not of his own making. Nebuchadnezzar did not heed the warning of the dream, so God judged him as the dream had declared. Nebuchadnezzar was driven insane for seven years. When the king’s sanity was restored, he finally humbled himself before God. In Daniel 4:3, Nebuchadnezzar declares, “How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.” Nebuchadnezzar continued in Daniel 4:34–37, “For his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’ … “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” The exclamations of Nebuchadnezzar recorded in the book of Daniel have led some to consider the possibility that Nebuchadnezzar became a believer in the one true God. History records Nebuchadnezzar being a follower of the Babylonian gods Nabu and Marduk. Is it possible that Nebuchadnezzar renounced these false gods and instead only worshiped the one true God? Yes, it is possible. If nothing else, Nebuchadnezzar became a henotheist, believing in many gods but worshiping only one God as supreme. Based on his words recorded in Daniel, it definitely seems like Nebuchadnezzar submitted himself to the one true God. Further evidence is the fact that God refers to Nebuchadnezzar as “my servant” three times in the book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:9; 27:6; 43:10). Was Nebuchadnezzar saved? Ultimately, this is not a question that can be answered dogmatically. Whatever the case, the story of Nebuchadnezzar is an example of God’s sovereignty over all men and the truth that “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will” (Proverbs 21:1).GotQuestions.org Norman Geisler - When Critics Ask - 2 CHRONICLES 36:6—Was Jehoiakim carried to Babylon or did he die in Jerusalem? PROBLEM: The Chronicler declares that Nebuchadnezzar “came up against him [Jehoiakim], and bound him in bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon.” But elsewhere “Jehoiakim rested with his fathers” (2 Kings 24:6) and was “buried with the burial of a donkey, dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem” (Jer. 22:19; cf. 36:30). SOLUTION: Apparently, Jehoiakim was bound and fettered with the intention “to carry him off to Babylon” (2 Chron. 36:6), but he was slain instead, and his body ignominiously treated “and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem” (Jer. 22:19). The phrase “rested with his fathers” (2 Kings 24:6) refers to death, not necessarily to a burial in the same place. Of all the kings of Judah, Jehoiakim is the only one whose official burial is not mentioned. JEHOIAKIM EXILED OR NOT EXILED TO BABYLON? 2Ch 36:6 says Nebuchadnezzare "bound him (JEHOIAKIM) with bronze chains to take him to Babylon" but the text never specifically says he was transported to Babylon. Other texts indicate he would die in Jerusalem (cf Jer 22:19). To was Johoiakim exiled or not exiled? Personally I think one cannot be dogmatic but I favor that he would bound but not transported to Babylon. Below are several comments from other sources. One point that is important to make is that some Bible translations essentially paraphrase the passage to fit their interpretation that he was transported to Babylon. Even good translations can fail to let the text speak for itself! Be a Berean (Acts 17:11+)! Some translation variations - NET = "and carried him away to Babylon" NLT = "led him away to Babylon" NJB = "and took him to Babylon" GotQuestions.org - Jehoiakim also did evil in the Lord’s sight (2 Kings 23:37). Because of the ongoing, unrepentant sin of the nation of Judah, God sent invading armies to capture and enslave them. Jehoiakim was taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar, who put him in chains and carted him off to Babylon (2 Kings 24:1; 2 Chronicles 36:6;). It was at this time that Daniel and his three friends were also taken to Babylon (Daniel 1:1–2). Jehoiakim was later returned to Jerusalem, although he had to act as Nebuchadnezzar’s servant for three years and pay tribute to him. Eugene Merrill - Jehoiakim had at first been loyal to Nebuchadnezzar but after three years (in 602) he rebelled (cf. 2 Kings 24:1). The chronicler (but not the author of 2 Kings) reported that Jehoiakim was then bound…with bronze shackles and taken to Babylon along with sacred objects from the temple. This was Nebuchadnezzar’s first of three attacks on Jerusalem—in 605, 597, and 586 B.C. Apparently Jehoiakim was released or escaped from Babylon because he was given a dishonorable burial outside the gates of Jerusalem (Jer. 22:18–19). His wicked reign was also recorded in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. (See Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament - Page 648) John A Thompson - Nebuchadnezzar visited Jerusalem more than once. Here he is reported as having attacked Jehoiakim and having bound him with bronze shackles “to take him to Babylon.” There is no extrabiblical evidence of an exile for Jehoiakim, and some biblical passages suggest that he in fact died in Jerusalem (Jer 22:18–19). (On the fate of Jehoiakim, see F. B. Huey’s discussion on Jer 22:18–19 (Jeremiah, Lamentations, NAC [Nashville: Broadman, 1993] 207). Also, cf. Jer 22:20–23; 25:1–26:24; 36:1–32.) (See 1, 2 Chronicles: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition) F B Huey on Jeremiah 22:18-19 - These verses announce the judgment that the Lord decreed for Jehoiakim. There would be no mourning for him when he died like there had been for Josiah. He would be denied the ceremony of burial (not to be buried was considered a curse, Dt 28:26). Rather, his corpse would be unceremoniously dragged outside the city gates like a donkey (considered an unclean animal; Lev 11:1–8; Dt 14:3–8). This description of Jehoiakim’s fate appears to differ from 2Ki 24:6, which says he “rested with his fathers,” a statement that suggests a peaceful burial, and 2Ch 36:5–8, which says Nebuchadnezzar “bound him … to take him to Babylon.” One explanation of the seeming inconsistency is that Jeremiah’s prophecy was not fulfilled; it was only intended to frighten the king so that perhaps he would repent. A better explanation is that Jehoiakim was given a peaceful burial, but when the Babylonians took the city, they disinterred the remains and scattered them on the ground. This would have been the ultimate humiliation of a defeated enemy (Ezek 6:5; Pss 53:5; 141:7; cf. Jer 36:30).12 The text of 2 Chr 36:5–8 says nothing about Jehoiakim’s death, nor does it say he necessarily went to Babylon. R. B. Dillard explains that for thematic reasons “instead of reporting Jehoiakim’s death, the Chronicler chooses to report an incident from earlier in his reign in which Jehoiakim was either taken into temporary exile or at least prepared for it.” R B Dillard leaves the question open-ended - The Chronicler omits much of the detail contained in the earlier account of Jehoiakim’s reign (2 Kgs 23:36–24:7). While Kings reports his death (2 Kgs 24:6), the Chronicler does not report the death of any of the last four kings of Judah. Instead of reporting Jehoiakim’s death, the Chronicler chooses to report an incident from earlier in his reign in which Jehoiakim was either taken into temporary exile or at least prepared for it....No extant evidence corroborates an exile for Jehoiakim at some earlier point in his reign, and scholarly opinion is divided on whether such an exile took place or was only provided for or intended; the language of the Chronicler (36:6, “bound him to take him”) makes allowance for the latter approach. It is conceivable that the binding of Jehoiakim was a symbolic demonstration of his status (McConville, 266); the threat alone may have made actual deportment unnecessary. If a literal deportation is intended, it should be associated with the deportation of Daniel and his friends along with articles from the temple (36:7; Dan 1:1–3; Jer 46:2) in Jehoiakim’s third year (605 B.C.) after Nebuchadnezzar defeated Neco at Carchemish. J Gordon McConville - It is only in Chr., however, that we are told that Nebuchadnezzar “bound him in fetters to take him to Babylon” (2Ch 36:6). Whether he was actually taken there is not obvious from this phrase. The action of binding him as a prisoner may have been no more than a symbolic demonstration of his status, which may or may not have required an actual trip to the new seat of empire. (See on Manasseh and Assyria, 2 Chr. 33.) What is clear is that Nebuchadnezzar began to despoil the Temple in Jehoiakim’s reign. This aspect of the Babylonian devastation is stressed by the Chronicler, because the cessation of worship there has at least as much theological significance for him as the removal of the people. (I and II Chronicles) Roger Ornanson - To take him to Babylon: In this clause Babylon refers to Babylonia’s capital city, so CEV says “the capital city of Babylon.” The Hebrew text does not actually say that Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiakim to Babylon, only that he bound him to take him to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar may have taken Jehoiakim to Babylon, but some scholars think that Jehoiakim actually died in Jerusalem (see 2 Kgs 24:1–6). The first-century A. D. Jewish historian Josephus says that Jehoiakim was killed in Jerusalem at Nebuchadnezzar’s command. Even though a number of versions say that Nebuchadnezzar actually “took him to Babylonia/Babylon” (GNT, REB, NJB), translators should follow RSV here and not say more than the Hebrew text says. Of course, it is possible that the Chronicler did intend to say that Nebuchadnezzar actually took Jehoiakim to Babylon. (USB Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles) Mark Boda - Jehoiakim was bound in chains and exiled to Babylon along with the treasures of the Temple. The Hebrew text does not actually say that Jehoiakim went into exile but rather that Nebuchadnezzar “bound him with bronze chains to transport him to Babylon.” It may be that he died before even leaving Jerusalem, as the text in 2 Kings may indicate. (See 1-2 Chronicles - Page 423) Allen Leslie - The account of Jehoiakim’s reign in verses 5–8 is an abbreviated version of 2 Kings 23:36–24:7, with the insertion of an independent tradition about his exile to Babylon, the new mistress of Palestine and Syria (vv. 6b–7). This exile was evidently temporary, like Manasseh’s, because 2 Kings 24:6 implies that he died in his homeland. (See The Preacher's Commentary - Vol. 10: 1 and 2 Chronicles) Martin Selman - All that is said of Jehoiakim (vv. 5–8; 609–598 BC) is that Nebuchadnezzar probably took him into exile (NOTE "PROBABLY" IS IN MY OPINION NEVER A GOOD ADVERB TO USE IN A COMMENTARY!) and removed some articles from the temple (vv. 6–7). Though both events are typical of the exilic pattern of the chapter, Jehoiakim’s exile has caused difficulty since it is not mentioned elsewhere. A further problem is that it is not immediately clear whether Jehoiakim actually went to Babylon or was merely threatened with deportation. Since, however, the phrase ‘bound him in fetters to take him to Babylon’ (RSV) is used elsewhere only of the exile of Manasseh and Zedekiah (note the almost identical expression in Jer. 39:7; cf. 2 Kgs 25:7 = Jer. 52:11; 2 Chr. 33:11), it seems that he did make the journey eastwards (ED: AGAIN NOTE THE SELMAN'S SPECULATION!). Further, the background to verses 6–7 is greatly enhanced if the Babylonians’ theft of the temple vessels is the same as that described in Daniel 1:1–2. The latter took place in the same year (605 BC) as a series of warnings by Jeremiah to Jehoiakim about an impending Babylonian attack (Jer. 25:1; 36:1; 45:1; 46:2; especially Jer. 25:1–11) after Nebuchadnezzar’s decisive victory at Carchemish.144 The Babylonian Chronicle also states that after Carchemish, ‘Nebuchadnezzar conquered the whole area of Hatti’, that is, the whole of Syria-Palestine. Jehoiakim would certainly have had to accept Babylonian sovereignty at once, and also in the following year when Nebuchadnezzar captured Ashkelon and ‘all the kings of Hatti came before him and he received their heavy tribute’.145 Jehoiakim could have been taken to Babylon on either occasion, though he obviously found it no easier to accept Babylonian sovereignty than he did God’s authority! (See 2 Chronicles: An Introduction and Commentary - Page 567) Richard Pratt - First, the theme of exile appears. As the Chronicler put it, Nebuchadnezzar … attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon (36:6). It is unclear whether or not Jehoiakim was actually taken to Babylon. The Chronicler merely noted that he had been bound in order to be taken. Perhaps the threat of exile sufficed to subdue Jehoiakim. If the king was actually taken away, he left in 605 BC when Daniel and his companions were exiled (36:7; see Dan. 1:1–3; Jer. 46:2).....It is not clear how Jehoiakim died, but Jer. 22:18–19 suggests that he did not die by natural causes. (1 and 2 Chronicles: A Mentor Commentary) Omanson - To take him to Babylon: In this clause Babylon refers to Babylonia’s capital city, so cev says “the capital city of Babylon.” The Hebrew text does not actually say that Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiakim to Babylon, only that he bound him to take him to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar may have taken Jehoiakim to Babylon, but some scholars think that Jehoiakim actually died in Jerusalem (see 2 Kgs 24:1–6). The first-century A. D. Jewish historian Josephus says that Jehoiakim was killed in Jerusalem at Nebuchadnezzar’s command. Even though a number of versions say that Nebuchadnezzar actually “took him to Babylonia/Babylon” (gnt, reb, njb), translators should follow rsv here and not say more than the Hebrew text says! (UBS Handbook - Chronicles) John W Olley - The Chronicler moves quickly over Jehoaikim’s eleven-year reign. After the opening evaluation that Jehoiakim “did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God,” the Chronicler mentions without elaboration only his being taken in chains to Babylon (ED: NOTE THE TEXT DOES NOT STATE EXPLICITLY HE WAS "TAKEN IN CHAINS TO BABYLON" - ALWAYS BE DISCERNING WHEN READING ANY COMMENTARY!); being “bound in chains” flows from “doing evil.” This was probably in the middle of Jehoiakim’s reign, after Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt and then besieged Jerusalem (605 BC; cf. 2 Kings 24:1; Dan. 1:1).476 Not mentioned by the Chronicler is Jehoiakim’s later rebellion, leading to another siege in 597. (See ESV Expository Commentary (Volume 3): 1 Samuel–2 Chronicles) Keil and Delitzsch (respected older OT commentary) - Nebuchadnezzar did not carry out his purpose of deporting the captured king Jehoiakim to Babylon, but allowed him to continue to reign at Jerusalem as his servant (vassal). To alter the infin. לְהֹולִיכֹו into the perf., or to translate as the perf., is quite arbitrary, as is also the supplying of the words, “and he carried him away to Babylon.” That the author of the Chronicle does not mention the actual carrying away, but rather assumes the contrary, namely, that Jehoiakim continued to reign in Jerusalem until his death, as well known, is manifest from the way in which, in v. 8, he records his son’s accession to the throne. He uses the same formula which he has used in the case of all the kings whom at their death their sons succeeded, according to established custom. Had Nebuchadnezzar dethroned Jehoiakim, as Necho deposed Jehoahaz, the author of the Chronicle would not have left the installation of Jehoiachin by the Chaldean king unmentioned. For the defence of this view against opposing opinions, see the commentary on 2 Kings 24:1 and Dan. 1:1; and in regard to v. 7, see on Dan. 1:2. Pulpit Commentary - Though we are here told he bound Jehoiakim in chains, to take him to Babylon, for some reason or other he did not carry out this intention, and Jehoiakim was put to death at Jerusalem (Jeremiah 12:18, 19; 36:30; Ezekiel 19:8, 9). The expedition of Nebuchadnezzar was B.C. 605-4 (Daniel 1:1; Jeremiah 25:1), John
2 Crônicas 36
Constable - Not only did the Babylonians take Jehoiakim captive to Babylon, but they also took some of the glory of the temple and of the God it represented with him.
2 Crônicas 36
Constable: These two verses reflect the whole mood of Chronicles. Rather than ending with the failure of people, the writer concluded by focusing attention on the faithfulness of God (cf. Lam. 3:22-23). God was in control of the Persian king as He had controlled the kings of Babylon, Egypt, and Israel. God had promised Israel a future as a nation. His people would experience this future under the rule of a perfect Davidic Son. Yahweh was moving now—after 70 years of captivity—to bring that future to pass (cf. Isa. 9:7). Even though the Babylonian army had burned Yahweh's temple to the ground (2Ch 36:19), it would rise again (2Ch 36:23). Raymond Dillard: Concluding the narrative with these two verses highlights the hopefulness already intimated in 36:20–21 and directs the reader to the continuation of the narrative in Ezra. The book ends with a new exodus at hand: not because God forced the hand of a reluctant Pharaoh, but because he moved the heart of a Persian king. The people of God will again go free and build a sanctuary. (2 Chronicles) J.A. Thompson: The Lord had appointed Cyrus to build a temple for him in Jerusalem. In fact, the tabernacle and the first and second temples were all built in part with funds provided by Gentile nations. Cyrus’ authorization for the rebuilding of the temple included not only the building but also the return of the implements taken from the first temple by Nebuchadnezzar and the funding of the project from the Persian treasury (Ezra 6:4-5). The book thus ends with the possibility of a new exodus. As God had once forced the hand of a reluctant pharaoh, now he moved the heart of a Persian king. The Book of Chronicles thus ends with the promise that the people of God would again go free to build a sanctuary where they could worship him in the land he had promised to their ancestors. (See 1, 2 Chronicles: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition) Matthew Henry Notes: 2Ch 36:22-23 These last two verses of this book have a double aspect. 1. They look back to the prophecy of Jeremiah, and show how that was accomplished, 2Ch 36:22. God had, by him, promised the restoring of the captives and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, at the end of seventy years; and that time to favour Sion, that set time, came at last. After a long and dark night the day-spring from on high visited them. God will be found true to every word he has spoken. 2. They look forward to the history of Ezra, which begins with the repetition of these last two verses. They are there the introduction to a pleasant story; here they are the conclusion of a very melancholy one; and so we learn from them that, though God's church be cast down, it is not cast off, though his people be corrected, they are not abandoned, though thrown into the furnace, yet not lost there, nor left there any longer than till the dross be separated. Though God contend long, he will not contend always. The Israel of God shall be fetched out of Babylon in due time, and even the dry bones made to live. It may be long first; but the vision is for an appointed time, and at the end it shall speak and not lie; therefore, though it tarry, wait for it. Walter Kaiser - 2Ch 36:22–23 Did the Pagan King Cyrus Believe in the God of Israel? - Hard Sayings of the Bible Does the text of Ezra 1:1 (2Ch 36:22–23) imply that Cyrus was using these titles for Yahweh, engaging in the task of building the temple in Jerusalem and releasing those who wished to return from their exile to Israel, because he was a convert to the Lord God of Israel? The oral proclamation (which was also recorded in writing) referred to here is the famous “Edict of Cyrus.” A similar inscription from the same king was found by Hormuzd Rassam’s excavations of Babylon in 1879–82, called the “Cyrus Cylinder.” This clay, barrel-shaped artifact demonstrates that Cyrus made similar proclamations concerning other people’s gods, so very little can be gained from his use of such terms as “Yahweh” (here translated “LORD”), “the God [or god] of heaven,” or even that God “moved on his heart,” other than the fact that this king had a knack for being politically correct long before this term ever came into vogue. From the writer’s point of view, it was Yahweh who had moved the heart of Cyrus to adopt a policy of repatriating and erecting the houses of worship of those peoples whom he helped to repatriate. The heart of the king, regardless of his own religious proclivities, is in the hand of the Lord (Prov 21:1). Jeremiah had predicted that Judah would be seventy years in Babylonian captivity (Jer 25:1–12; 29:10). Some two hundred years prior to Cyrus’s day, Isaiah had foretold that a man named Cyrus would both enact the policy of repatriation and aid in the reconstruction of the temple; indeed, Cyrus would be the Lord’s “shepherd” (Is 44:28; 45:1). Judah was not the only nation to benefit from Cyrus’s enlightened policies; his generosity went to all his subjects alike, to judge from those archaeological records that are left to us. Cyrus probably, like the other Achaemenidian kings, was influenced by Zoroastrianism. No evidence exists that he ever became a believer in the Lord God who revealed himself in Israel and Judah. 2 Chronicles 36:23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!’” All the kingdoms: Ps 75:5-7 Da 2:21,37 4:35 5:18,23 He has appointed me: Isa 44:26-28 Whoever there is among you: 1Ch 22:16 29:5 Ezr 7:13 Zec 2:6,7 Ro 8:31 Related Passages: Isaiah 44:28 “It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.’ And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’ And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’” Ezra 1:5 Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. Jeremiah 29:11 (THIS WAS THE PROMISE TO ISRAEL) ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. THE ROYAL PROCLAMATION OF CYRUS THE GREAT Thus says Cyrus king of Persia (reigned 539–530 BC), ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth - Isaiah 44:24-45:13 had prophesied of this act by Cyrus approximately 150 years before this event! This is an amazing confession by a Gentile of the sovereignty of Yahweh! Cyrus acknowledges that his authority is not self-made, but granted by Yahweh. And note that even the title Cyrus uses God of heaven serves to emphasize God’s universal rule over all nations, not just Israel. One is reminded of Nebuchadnezzar's proclamation in Da 4:17+ “This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And bestows it on whom He wishes And sets over it the lowliest of men.” So here we see two Gentile emperors give testimony that all power ultimately belongs to the Most High God of heaven. And He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem which is in Judah - Cyrus is unknowingly carrying out a divine commission. God not only predicted the restoration—He named the man who would accomplish it. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!’ - Cyrus issues an invitation to the Jews to experience restoration to their land. Go up (Hebrew alah) is often used for returning to Jerusalem, both physically and spiritually. In short, the exile is ending and a remnant was graciously being called back. However as events unfolded, not all the Jews returned but only those whose hearts God stirred (Ezra 1:5). Restoration requires both divine initiative and human response. Cyrus' blessing may the LORD his God be with him, echoes of God’s presence with His people (cf. Josh 1:9). Cyrus recognizes that success depends on God being with them, not merely political permission. Martin Selman: “To build him a house” is a deliberate echo of the central promise of the Davidic covenant (cf. 1 Chronicles 17:11-12; 22:10; 28:6; 2 Chronicles 6:9-10). Cyrus of course is thinking only of the house in Jerusalem, but in the Chronicler’s thought this phrase is inevitably connected with both houses of the Davidic covenant, the dynasty as well as the temple. (2 Chronicles: A Commentary - Page 551) J. Sidlow Baxter: Most of all, may that central message of the Chronicles grip our minds, namely, that response to God is the really decisive factor. It is true both nationally and individually. It was true of old: it is true today. The first duty and the only true safety of the throne lies in its relation toward the temple. Our national leaders of today might well ponder that fact. When God is honoured, government is good and the nation prospers. But when God is dishonoured, the cleverest statesmanship cannot avert eventual disaster. The call to our nation today, as clearly as in the Edict of Cyrus quoted at the end of 2 Chronicles, is to “go up” and REBUILD THE TEMPLE. (Judges to Esther) PAUL APPLE - DEVOTIONAL QUESTIONS: 1) Why did the Chronicler dispatch these four kings with such abbreviated reporting? 2) How does the persistent stubborn rebellion of God’s elect nation highlight God’s longsuffering patience and faithfulness to His covenant promises? 3) How has God demonstrated His patience and compassion in your life? 4) How would this account of God’s justification for the seventy year Babylonian Captivity impact the current generation of exiles as they return to rebuild the temple? 5) Are we confident that God is sovereignly directing current world leaders to fulfil His kingdom agenda today? 6) How should we use fulfilled prophecy today as a strong Christian apologetic? 7) Why is the temple so central in God’s kingdom agenda? 8) How is it possible for such a gloomy book of the decline and fall of the kingdom of Judah (with the repeated rebellion and failure of king after king) to end on such a positive note of hope? QUOTES FOR REFLECTION: Raymond Dillard: After his account of the reign of Josiah the Chronicler moves quickly through the reigns of the last four kings. Each king anticipates the fate of the nation through his own experience of exile; the temple too is successively plundered, anticipating its ultimate destruction. But this is not the end of the story: as nation and temple were inextricably bound in destruction, so they are also linked in restoration and renewal. A prepared and purged people return to a prepared land to build again the temple of God. (2 Chronicles) Andrew Hill: Zedekiah was a weak king, unable to control the resurgent nationalism in Judah and apparently easily manipulated by the nobles and advisers around him. After a series of political missteps, Zedekiah finally rebelled against the king of Babylon in 589 B.C. The Babylonian response was swift and thorough. King Nebuchadnezzar lay siege to Jerusalem early in 588 B.C. The end came in July of 587 B.C., with the carnage so appalling and the devastation so sweeping that survivors could only sit aghast in silence as they mourned “the Daughter of Zion” (see the book of Lamentations). Iain Duguid: In addressing his audience, the Chronicler reminds them that disobedience was widespread, involving “all the officers of the priests and the people.” He piles up strong words, with everything coming to an explosive climax. He speaks of worship and the temple (2 Chron. 36:14) and of the rejection of prophets (2Ch 36:15–16). Sins and attitudes that may have been individual or short-term are now systemic and persistent; what was previously described as “unfaithful(ness)” is now described as “exceedingly unfaithful” (an emphatic phrase using the verb “make many” and maʻal twice. The people were following the “abominations of the nations” whom the Lord had driven out of the land (28:3; 33:2; 34:33), and they had “polluted” (“made unclean”; contrast 2Ch 23:19) the house that God had “made holy” (2Ch 7:16, 20; “I consecrated”). This language is common throughout Ezekiel in condemning the extent of the pollution of the temple (e.g., Ezek. 5:9, 11; 8:6–18; 20:30; 22:26). The description and depth of feeling evident in 2 Chronicles 36:15–16 is probably influenced by (and so alluding to) Jeremiah and Ezekiel. God had been earnest and persistent in sending warnings. . .Chronicles began with all-embracing genealogies and has told of kings and people and their various involvements (or non-involvement) in faithful worship centered in the temple. Following the genealogies and the account of Saul’s death due to his “breach of faith” (maʻal; 1 Chron. 10:13), which set the scene for the following history, the anointing of David as king was “according to the word of the Lord by Samuel” (1 Chron. 11:3), and the story continued to be accompanied by the Lord’s “word” (e.g., 1 Chron. 17:3; 22:8; 2 Chron. 6:17; 10:15; 11:2; 12:7; 18:18; 30:12). Now the storytelling ends, not with destruction and exile due to the people’s being “exceedingly unfaithful” (2 Chron. 36:14), but in an open-ended manner as God fulfills his word through another prophet, Jeremiah (2 Chron. 36:22). There is hope for the future because God keeps his word concerning “all his people.” On that solid basis, the book ends with an open call for “you” to “go up.” (See ESV Expository Commentary (Volume 3): 1 Samuel–2 Chronicles) August Konkel: The Chronicler’s goal involves the greatest contrast with the previous history. In the conclusion of Kings, the restoration of the exiled king Jehoiachin leaves the people in a kind of exile and lacks any mention of the promise of restoration found in the prophets (2 Kings 25:27-30). In Chronicles, exile is countered by a new era, introduced as the fulfillment of a prophecy of Jeremiah (2 Chron 36:21) and the actions of Cyrus. In Isaiah 45:1, Cyrus the Great is identified as one whom the Lord anointed. In Hebrew, he is masiah, the same term sued for the ruler in Zion in Psalm 2:2, the biblical basis for Jesus being called “the Messiah” (as in Matt 1:1). The conclusion of Chronicles shows that humility and repentance will bring healing from exile. Manasseh is a compelling example of restoration rather than being the villain causing exile. However severe his sins, his legacy is presented as a king of restoration. Manasseh prayed, his prayer was heard, and he returned to Jerusalem. The same hope is extended to all who feel that they live with the burden of exile. (See 1 & 2 Chronicles) Frederick Mabie: In addition to allowing exiled people groups to return to their homeland, Cyrus also sought to placate the gods of the conquered nations by allowing freedom of worship, as reflected in his respect of Marduk and his reverential words acknowledging Yahweh’s sovereignty (v. 23). Regardless of the sincerity of Cyrus, Yahweh is clearly using him to advance the divine plan (2Ch 36:22; cf. Isa 44:28; 45:13), which included not only the return of the Judean people from exile, but also the return of the consecrated items from the temple from exile, and even the Persian funding of the rebuilding of Yahweh’s temple (cf. Ezr 1:2-8; 6:1-2). (See 1 and 2 Chronicles) Peter Wallace: The Eschatology of Jerusalem – the End as Beginning The Chronicler has been concerned with kings and priests – with the temple and the throne – both are now destroyed. Dillard points out that the Chronicler weaves together the language of throne and temple in such a way that you might begin to think that even as they fall together, so also will they rise together. The events of 2 Chronicles 36:1-21 take 23 years – from the death of Josiah in 609 to the destruction of the temple in 586. Josiah was only 39 years old when he died – cut down in the prime of his manhood. No doubt the people of Judah had hoped that he would reign for decades more – but in the span of 23 years, Jerusalem went from the pinnacle of hope to utter obliteration. . . The Babylonian invasion is the last war – the war to end all wars! It is an eschatological war. It brings an end to the temple of Solomon, the house of David, and the city of Jerusalem. It also removes the people of God from the Promised Land. Those who escaped the sword became exiles – servants to Nebuchadnezzar and his sons. . . The Chronicler says that the land rested for 70 years – until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. Moses had said that Israel was supposed to take a sabbatical year every 7th year. They were to leave the land fallow, and eat whatever the land produced. Apparently Israel didn’t do this. Because there were 70 years of sabbaticals backed up (which would mean that Israel had failed to practice the sabbatical year for around 490 years – since 1077 BC, right around the birth of king Saul). The “70 years” of the exile have at least two different fulfillments. In Chronicles like in Jeremiah 25 or Daniel 9 – the decree to rebuild is taken to be the end of the 70 years. The decree took place in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia – in 539 BC, which would mean that the beginning of the exile is reckoned from the first deportation in the days of Jehoiakim (605) [the year of Jeremiah’s prophecy of the 70 years in Jeremiah 25]. Of course, in Zechariah 1, it appears that the 70 years run from the destruction of the temple in 586 to the dedication of the second temple in 516. . . But, with the 70 years of sabbaticals repaid, and with the judgment of God against Jerusalem fulfilled, the Chronicler reminds his hearers that God is still faithful to his promises. Because in spite of the judgment upon Jerusalem, there are three things that remain: - First, the word of the LORD endures. God had spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah (2Ch 36:20) and God’s word came to pass. The people were enslaved and the land was left desolate. As Willcock puts it, “nothing of what has happened is outside the plan of God. Indeed, none of it is outside his declared plan.” (286) The people of God may rest secure in knowing that God’s word continues to govern all things. - Second (in 2Ch 36: 20), “those who had escaped from the sword” – there is a remnant that will always survive. After all, if God has promised – and God is faithful to his word – then you may be sure that he will triumph in the end. While David’s throne and Solomon’s temple may no longer stand, the things that they stood for will always endure. - Third, the land is still there. Yes, it lay desolate for 70 years – one year for every seven since the beginning of the monarchy. But this is still the place where God spoke – the land that he promised to Abraham, the land that Moses saw, the land that Joshua caused Israel to possess – and where David reigned, and Solomon built the temple. J. Barton Payne: Unlike the Book of Kings, with its central message of stern moral judgments … Chronicles exists essentially as a book of hope, grounded on the grace of our sovereign Lord. (See The Expositor's Bible Commentary - Abridged Edition - Page 50) Geoffrey Kirkland: The Return – All by God’s Grace The MAN God used (Cyrus king of Persia) The MOMENT God appointed (in the first year...to fulfill) The MOUTHPIECE God equipped (Jeremiah) The MESSAGE God gave (let the Jews return and go up to Jerusalem) The MAJESTY God has (the Lord of heaven & earth) The MERCY God offers (let him go up; still waiting for more; a new ‘ending’) SOME CONCLUDING LESSONS from the book of 2 CHRONICLES: God has a plan [and it can surprise us at times!] God’s is immutable (his character doesn’t change) God isn’t swayed by evil; he uses it God has the victory (he’s guaranteed it) God’s people will triumph STEVEN COLE - When God’s Axe Falls (2 Chronicles 36) C. S. Lewis once heard a young British pastor, fresh out of seminary, who ended his sermon by telling people of the need to receive Jesus Christ. He said, “If you receive Jesus Christ you will have eternal life, but if you do not it will drastically alter your eschatalogical destiny.” Lewis pulled the preacher aside afterwards and said, “Young man, do you mean that they will go to hell?” “Well, yes,” he said hesitantly. “Then tell them that that is what will happen. Say it!” The hesitancy of that young preacher to speak plainly about hell is probably shared by many American evangelical Christians. With the exception of a few “hellfire and damnation” preachers from the Bible belt, the subject of God’s judgment is strangely missing from Bible-believing churches in our day. I say strangely because God’s judgment is a prominent theme from Genesis to Revelation. Jesus Himself spoke often about hell and judgment, so much so that we cannot rightly call ourselves Christians if we deny the topic. Yet if the truth were known, the theme of God’s judgment embarrasses many of us. It’s too out of step with our tolerant culture. But the Bible is clear: Although God is patient and compassionate, when people continue to reject His Word, judgment is certain. Our text makes this point as it narrates the end of the line for the kingdom of Judah. The godly king Josiah was killed in battle by Pharaoh Neco. His son Joahaz took the throne and lasted three months before Pharaoh deposed him and took him captive to Egypt. Pharaoh then installed Joahaz’s older brother Jehoiakim on the throne. He lasted for eleven years, first subject to Pharaoh and then to Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He did evil (2Ch 36:5) and committed “abominations” (36:8). After his death, his 18 year-old son Jehoiachin took over for three months and ten days before Nebuchadnezzar took him to Babylon, where he spent the next 37 years in prison. Even so he managed, in three months, to do evil in the sight of the Lord (2Ch 36:9). Nebuchadnezzar replaced Jehoiachin with his uncle Zedekiah (son of Josiah), who also did evil (2Ch 36:12). Finally he rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, who in turn besieged Jerusalem, which fell and was sacked in the summer of 586 B.C. (2Ch 36:19). Those who escaped the sword were taken captive to Babylon. The 70 years (2Ch 36:21) probably refers to the time from the first deportation (605 B.C.; 2Ch 36:6-7) to the return of the exiles (536 B.C.). All this happened, not by chance, but “to fulfill the word of the Lord” (2Ch 36:21). It’s a dreadful thing when God’s axe falls upon a nation! But before we look at God’s judgment, note that: 1. God is patient and compassionate toward sinful people. There had been a number of high and low points during the almost 400 years since Solomon had begun his idolatry. Some of the lows were so bad that you would think that God’s judgment would have fallen, but He stayed His hand. Over those years, He patiently waited and entreated. Note 36:15: “And 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.” Instead of “again and again,” the Kings James Version reads, “He rose up early,” a graphic picture of God’s earnestness in seeking to bring the rebellious nation to repentance. God is more patient and compassionate toward sinners than we are (see the story of Jonah). Because of modern news media, we see and hear more horrible things going on all over the world than any previous generation--murders, wars, child abuse, sexual perversity, and other atrocities. It disgusts us and we cry out, “Lord, how long before You judge the world?” But remember, God sees every evil deed, even those committed in secret; and not only that but He knows all the evil thoughts that never are carried out in deed (Gen. 6:5). But we forget that if He were as swift in judging sinners as we desire, we ourselves might never have come to repentance! After delivering one his defiant speeches the nineteenth century atheist, Robert Ingersoll, pulled his watch from his pocket and said, “According to the Bible, God has struck men dead for blasphemy. I will blaspheme Him and give Him five minutes to strike me dead and damn my soul.” The crowd was silent while one minute ticked by; two minutes passed, and you could feel the nervousness in the audience; three minutes, and a woman fainted; four minutes and Ingersoll curled his lip. At five minutes, he snapped shut his watch, put it in his pocket, and said: “You see, there is no God, or He would have taken me at my word.” The story was told later to British preacher Joseph Parker, who said, “And did the American gentleman think he could exhaust the patience of God in five minutes?” God is patient toward sinners. But in spite of His great patience, ... 2. People continue to reject God’s Word. In spite of God’s repeated appeals, the people of Israel continued to reject His word through the prophets (2Ch 36:15-16). Why would people reject God’s gracious offer of forgiveness? Our text reveals four reasons: A. PEOPLE REJECT GOD’S WORD BECAUSE OF PRIDE (2Ch 36:12). Zedekiah “did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet who spoke for the Lord.” God’s word requires sinners to respond with humility, because it confronts our wicked ways and brings us to the cross, where no one can boast. Because of our pride, three of the most difficult words to say are, “I was wrong.” But no one can come to God who will not humble himself and admit his sin. B. PEOPLE REJECT GOD’S WORD BECAUSE OF HARD HEARTS (2Ch 36:13). George Orwell wryly observed, “On the whole, human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time.” The problem is human depravity. In our day of positive Christianity we minimize the doctrine of depravity. We don’t like to think about it or to use the term, unless it is to describe the worst of criminals: “Terrorists and murderers are depraved; but me? I’m not such a bad guy!” But the Bible teaches that every human heart is depraved. This does not mean that every person is as bad as he possibly could be. If that were so, the human race would have self-destructed centuries ago! Through common grace and the restraining ministry of the Holy Spirit there are a number of decent, law-abiding, “good” people in the world who do not know Christ. But depravity means that because of the fall, every person has an inborn bent toward sin, a rebellious nature that says, “I do not want to submit to God.” God’s Word is clear: “There is none righteous, not even one” (Rom. 3:10). Even the British infidel playwright George Bernard Shaw reluctantly concluded (in response to the German concentration camps), “There is only one empirically verifiable doctrine of theology--original sin.” Pride, hard hearts ... C. PEOPLE REJECT GOD’S WORD BECAUSE OF WORLDLY INFLUENCE (2Ch 36:14). “Following all the abominations of the nations...” Because all have sinned and we ourselves have a bent toward sin, we are prone to the influence of other sinners. We see people engaging in sin who seem to be enjoying life. So we’re drawn to try it for ourselves. This generation is bombarded with more solicitations to sin than any other in history. Even when I was growing up, as the first generation with TV, about the most racy thing on the tube was “77 Sunset Strip”! Today you can bring the worst filth into your living room. Even many commercials are lewd. Pornography is readily available at the local video store or over on-line computer networks. Worldly influence combined with our self-gratifying sinful nature is a powerful force! Thus, people reject God’s Word because of pride, hard hearts, and worldly influence. D. PEOPLE REJECT GOD’S WORD BECAUSE THEY DON’T TAKE GOD’S WARNINGS SERIOUSLY (2Ch 36:16). “They mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, ...” People have always mocked the idea of God’s judgment because they mistake God’s delay to mean that it won’t ever happen. Or, they compare themselves with those who are more flagrantly sinful and surmise that if and when judgment ever does come (which they doubt, but if it does), they will fare well. But they flatter themselves! We neglect God’s warnings to our own destruction! There used to be a sign on the river above Niagara Falls that read, “POINT OF NO RETURN.” If a boat drifted beyond that point, there was no escape from the strong current that would suck the boat and its passengers to certain doom. God’s warnings are like that. Although He is patient, ... 3. If people ignore God’s Word, judgment is certain. “Until there was no remedy” (2Ch 36:16)--frightening words! Both nations and individuals can reach the point of being so hardened in sin that there is no remedy! Just because God is patient and hesitant to judge is no reason to doubt that He will judge. We need to understand two things about God’s certain judgment: How is it expressed? and, How do we know it is certain? How is God’s judgment expressed? A. GOD’S JUDGMENT IS EXPRESSED TEMPORALLY AND ETERNALLY. (1) Temporal judgment. This is what we see in 2 Chronicles 36: God’s judgment upon a particular person or group at a particular point in history. It can be lifted, as we see at the end of the chapter when Cyrus issued an edict for the Jews to return to their land. When God’s temporal judgment falls on a nation, it’s a frightening thing, as we have recently witnessed in Rwanda! The society is ripped apart. In Judah, families were uprooted from their homes and deported to Babylon. Many were killed by the sword. The survivors became slaves in Babylon. There was political oppression and the loss of religious freedom. The Temple was destroyed. In Babylon (as we read in Daniel), the king tried to force them to bow down to his image. Israel was no longer a testimony for the Lord to the nations. We need to understand that when God’s temporal judgment falls on a nation, the godly suffer along with the ungodly. Children suffer for their parents’ sins. While God had compassion before judgment (2Ch 36:15), the Babylonians (the instrument of His judgment) had no compassion (36:17). Girls were raped; the elderly and sick were slaughtered; pregnant mothers were ripped open with the sword; babies were dashed against the rocks. It was an awful thing not only for those who had thumbed their noses at God, but also for those who had sought to obey Him. The good and wicked alike are afflicted when God’s axe falls. This means that we cannot be complacent against the sins of our nation. We’re sadly mistaken if we think that because we know Christ and obey God we’re immune from God’s judgment on our land. God could remove the lampstand of American Christianity as He has done in other cultures. It’s sobering to think of Turkey, which was the cradle for Gentile Christianity. Many of Paul’s letters were written to churches there. Today there are more believers in our small city than in all of Turkey! You ask, “What can I do about national sin?” In the first place we must make sure that we walk uprightly. We would be hypocrites to call others to repentance if we live with secret sin. We must pray, even as Abraham pled with the Lord about judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah. We must do all we can to call others to repentance. We dare not be complacent about the violence or moral degradation in our land. The life you save may be your own! Temporal judgment is a real danger; if America comes under judgment, we will not escape just because we know the Lord. (2) Eternal judgment. Whereas temporal judgment may be lifted, eternal judgment is fixed, final and ultimate. Hebrews 9:27 declares, “... it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes judgment.” All sin will be judged. God will not shrug it off. You may not like the idea of God judging sin. You may think that the notion of God punishing “good” people in the flames of hell for all eternity is sadistic and cruel. You may think, “I don’t believe in a God like that. I believe in a God of love, who forgives everyone.” But your believing it doesn’t make it true! The question you have to come to grips with is, “Was Jesus Christ a liar and charlatan, or is He the living Word who revealed the Father to us as He claimed?” If you shrug Him off, you’ll still have to face Him someday, when He comes “from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:7-9). If you believe the witness that Christ is Savior and Lord, then you must believe and submit to His witness about the terrors of hell. Jesus used the most frightening word pictures to describe it: a place where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:48); a place of outer darkness, of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 25:30); a place of eternal fire (Matt. 25:41). It’s not a user-friendly sort of place! Perhaps you’re thinking, But I thought that God is a God of love. Won’t He forgive everyone’s sin? How do we know that God’s judgment is certain? B. GOD’S JUDGMENT IS CERTAIN BECAUSE OF HIS CHARACTER. If you think about it for a moment, for God to be God, He must be holy. An unrighteous supreme being would not be God, but a devil. To be righteous and to resolve the problem of evil, He must judge all sin. If any sin goes unpunished, God is not just. God’s love and grace never negate His holiness and justice. While His patience is great, it never negates His righteousness. And God always keeps His Word. God had told Moses that every seventh year was to be a year of rest for the land of Israel (Lev. 25:1-7). That year the people were to let the ground lie fallow; God promised to make it up to them with a bountiful crop. But that took some faith to obey! What if God didn’t come through? God also said (Lev. 26:33-35) that if the people did not obey, He would scatter them from the land until the land enjoyed its sabbaths. Would God expect His people to abide by some obscure passage in Leviticus? Note Lev 26:21. God’s Word is true! “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Gal. 6:7). God’s Word is like the law of gravity: if you break it, it turns around and breaks you! As a God of justice, holiness, and truth, He will judge sin. He will judge it temporally when people continue to reject His Word. And He will judge it eternally if a person rejects Christ in this lifetime. Just because His judgment isn’t quick does not mean that it isn’t certain. Conclusion Neither you nor I can guarantee that God’s judgment will not fall on our nation. We can live, pray, and work toward the end that He will spare us. But we can’t be certain. But every person here can be certain about escaping God’s eternal judgment on a personal level. Scripture says that “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18). God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). That righteousness comes to us not by our good deeds, but only through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:22, 26). If you will trust in Him, your sins will be charged to His account and you will escape God’s coming wrath. Jesus Himself promised, “He who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24). You have up to the point of death, but no later, to put your trust in Christ and escape God’s eternal judgment. Maybe you’re thinking, “I’m young; I want to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a while. I’ll wait.” That’s foolish! You may be hardened beyond remedy! You could die today! Christ could return at any moment and you’d be lost. You’re gambling against eternity! ILLUSTRATION - In 1982, “ABC Evening News” reported on an unusual work of modern art--a chair affixed to a shotgun. It was to be viewed by sitting in the chair and looking directly into the gun barrel. The gun was loaded and set on a timer to fire at an undetermined moment within the next one hundred years. The amazing thing was that people waited in line to sit and stare into that gun barrel! They all knew it could go off at point-blank range at any moment, but they were gambling that the fatal blast wouldn’t happen during their minute in the chair. I wonder, could you be sitting in that chair today, betting that the gun will not go off in your face? Unless you have put your trust in Christ, you’re playing with your eternal destiny. God is patient, but if you continue to reject His Word, judgment is certain! Flee to Christ now! Discussion Questions Should we bring up the subject of hell when we witness? If so, when and how? We often hear that God’s love is unconditional. Is it? What does that mean? How would you answer the charge that God is unfair if good people suffer along with the wicked in His temporal judgment? What would you say to a person who said, “I believe in a God of love, not a God of vengeance and punishment”? BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR 1-2 CHRONICLES NOTE: SOME CAN BE BORROWED FROM ARCHIVE.ORG Archer, Gleason L. Jr. A survey of Old Testament introduction (BORROW). Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1964. Baxter, J. Sidlow. Explore the Book Vol. 2 Judges to Esther . Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1960. Boda, Mark J. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary – 1-2 Chronicles. (Digital version) Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2010. Braun, Roddy. Word Biblical Commentary – Volume 14 –1 Chronicles (BORROW). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018. Cooper, Derek. Reformation Commentary on Scripture – Old Testament V – 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles. (Digital version) Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2016. Constable, Thomas - 1&2 Chronicles (ONLINE) Daniel, Ron - Teaching Notes - 1 Chronicles; 2 Chronicles (ONLINE) Dillard, Raymond B. Word Biblical Commentary – Volume 15 – 2 Chronicles (BORROW) Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018. Ellison, H. L. The New Bible commentary, revised – 1 & 2 Chronicles (BORROW). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970. Guzik, David. Enduring Word Bible Commentary 1 Chronicles; 2 Chronicles (ONLINE) Hill, Andrew E. The NIV Application Commentary – 1 & 2 Chronicles. (Digital version) Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Keil, C. F. and Delitzsch, F. Commentary on the Old Testament – 1 Chronicles & 2 Chronicles. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1975. Konkel, August H. Believers Church Bible Commentary – 1 & 2 Chronicles. (Multipart video series also available) Harrisonburg, VA: Herald Press, 2016. Mabie, Frederick J. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Revised Edition – 1 & 2 Chronicles. (Digital Version) Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010. MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Study Bible (BORROW). Nelson Bibles, 2006. Olley, John W. (ED: IAIN DUGUID) ESV Expository Commentary, Vol. III – 1 Samuel – 2 Chronicles. (Digital Version) Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019. Payne, J. Barton. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary – 1 & 2 Chronicles. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1988. Schultz, John. - 1 Chronicles (177 pages), 2 Chronicles (239 pages) (ONLINE) Selman, Martin J. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries – 1 Chronicles. (BORROW)Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994. Selman, Martin J. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries – 2 Chronicles. (BORROW) Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994. Sherwin, Simon & Mabie, Frederick J. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary -- 1 & 2 Chronicles. (Digital Version) Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009. Thompson, J.A. The New American Commentary – Volume 9 – 1, 2 Chronicles. (Digital Version) Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 1994. Utley, Bob. 1 Chronicles Table of Contents; 2 Chronicles Table of Contents http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/old_testament_studies/VOL07BOT/VOL07BOT.html Walton, John, et al - The IVP Bible Background Commentary Old Testament IVP - InterVarsity Press 2000. Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Restored – Trusting God to See Us Through – OT Commentary – 2 Samuel & 1 Chronicles. (BORROW) Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2010. Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Distinct – Standing Firmly Against the World’s Tides – OT Commentary – 2 Kings & 2 Chronicles. (BORROW) Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2010. Williamson, H.G.M. New Century Bible Commentary – 1 and 2 Chronicles. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers 1982. Wood, Leon. A Survey of Israel’s History. (BORROW) Grand Rapids: MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970. Cyril