Jehoiakim was now the leader and captain of the kingdom of Judah. He was not a ruler built upon the foundations of the Sovereign Lord of Israel. In his days a mighty king from Babylon came and invaded the land of Judah. Jehoiakim became this king’s servant for three years.

The king of Babylon was by name was Nebuchadnezzar. Jehoiakim played the servants role for three years then he had had enough. He rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar after three years. The Lord then sent bands of the Chaldees against Jehoiakim and Judah, as well as bands of the Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites.

They all came to destroy Judah. This was all according to the Lord’s word that He spoke through His stewards the prophets. It was all coming to fruition; the kingdom of Judah was in the process of being wiped out, cleaned like a man cleans a dish.

2 Kings 24 Babylon and Judah

Judah was in the beginning stages of being removed out of the Lord’s sight. This is mainly because of the sins of king Manasseh and all he did. Manasseh shed so much innocent blood, he’d filled Jerusalem with it; insomuch the Lord would not pardon their sin.

The remaining acts of Jehoiakim are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah. Jehoiakim slept with his fathers and his son, Jehoiachin, ruled in his place. Meanwhile, the king of Egypt no longer bothered the land of Judah.

This was because the king of Babylon had taken control of lands from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates. Jehoiachin was eighteen years of age when he began to rule in Jerusalem and he ruled for three months only. His mother was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

As Isaiah Promised and Prophesied

Jehoiachin also did evil in the Lord’s sight as his unrighteous ancestors did before him. Constantly they disobeyed the Lord to His face. Nebuchadnezzar sent his military against Jerusalem to take the city. They surrounded the city and took it.

The king of Babylon came to the city with his camp and officially took the great city, Jerusalem. Jehoiachin, king of Judah, his mother, wives, children, and servants, were captured. He and all with him were brought to Babylon during the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s dominion of the throne of Babylon.

As Isaiah prophesied to Hezekiah through the word of the Lord, so it was done. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon carried out all the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house. He cut into pieces all the vessels of gold that Solomon, king of Israel made in the temple of the Lord.

Everything was carried out!

Nebuchadnezzar translated all things in Jerusalem to Babylon. He took all the princes, the mighty men of valor, military officials, ten thousand captives, craftsman, and smiths. No one of importance remained; only the poorest of people remained in the land.

Jehoiachin was taken, as well as his mother, wives, officials, thinkers, and leaders in the land. They were all taken captive to Babylon. The men of might, as well as seven thousand soldiers, a thousand skilled laborers and smiths; Jerusalem was emptied of its strength.

All people that were strong and apt for war, were stripped and taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. Then the king of Babylon selected Mattaniah, who was Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place. He also changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah.

…the city of the Dead

Zedekiah began to rule at the age of twenty-one. He was appointed by the king of Babylon and he ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah.

Just as the two previous kings before him, and as his unrighteous ancestors, Zedekiah disobeyed the Lord and did evil in the Lord’s sight. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon, and Judah and Jerusalem finally crossed the line of no return from the Sovereign Lord.

The Lord finally turned from them and allowed all the horrible things written against them to take place. Jerusalem was now the city of the dead.

Selah (this article is based on 2 Kings 24)

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