Brenda Speaks

                                                                                   Brendaonline.com

2 Kings 24 (King James Version)

1 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.

Nebuchadnezzar, a rising king, made Jehoiakim, king of Judah his servant.

When we choose to be lead, God allows our choices to become our reality.

2 And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets.

God sent these attackers to judge the king and to judge Israel.

3 Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did;

The sentencing from God has begun. God judges Judah.

4 And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.

We often think we can do wrong and cry out to God, and he will forgive us. A pardon relinquishes you of the penalty.  This time God is saying you will pay the price of the crime you committed.  

5 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

We will study in the book of Chronicles to get more details about Jehoiakim.

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

Jehoiakim died. He was the second king since Josiah.

7 And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt.

The king of Egypt did not march out of his land again because Babylon's rulers took over.

8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem for three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.

Jehoiachin was 18 years old, reign as king of Jerusalem for three months, and he was evil.

10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.

Nebuchadnezzar's servants, king of Babylon, besieged Jerusalem.

He besieged Jerusalem in order to cause them to starve.  NO food coming in or out. He made them so weak, they were not able to put up a fight.

11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.

Nebuchadnezzar was an evil man sieging evil people.  The sad part about this was Nebuchadnezzar never knew our good God.  Judah knew God and left God and submitted to nothing.

12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.

When Jehoiachin was 26 years old, the king of Babylon took his mother, his servants, princes, and officers:  He  arrested the family and friends.

13 And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.

He took the treasures from God's house and made other use of all he took. He did not have any regard for the things of God. These things were consecrated to God. Even though he did not care for the things of God, they still were God's property. God will exact payment on what he is allowing when the time is right.  All evil done will have payment due.  But at this time God allowed his people to learn from their enemies.

14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.

Little by little, he removed the people he wanted and the poor people he left in Jerusalem.

15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.

Women were related to evil men and they received the consequences of the evil men in their lives (husband, brother, friend, or boss).  Not only the women but all who were connected also receive like punishement.

16 And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.

The king of Babylon was selective in who he allowed to be his slave. If you were not smart or strong enough, at this time, he overlooked you.

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

Zedekiah is made king instead of Jehoiachin.

18 Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

Zedekiah was the last king of Judah.

Zedekiah was 21 and reign 11 years. He was 32 years over before someone else took his place.

19 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

His father did not tell him to be as he was. He chose to do as his father did.

Sin is pleasurable. Corruption is also deadly. It looks good to the eye, but once you bite into it, it takes over the entire body.

20 For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

Judah refused to obey God. God turns them into the hand of mean men.

When we do not want God to lead us, we will be lead by God's enemy.

We will also get the results of the enemies' plan.