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So after Zedekiah comes this 
man Jehoiachin, I'm sorry, after Jehoiachin comes Jehoiachin, 
and then comes Zedekiah. So Zedekiah rebels against the 
king of Babylon as well, and it costs them seriously. So I want to look at this chapter 
under four considerations. First, the conquest of Jerusalem 
in verses 1 to 7. Secondly, the destruction of 
Jerusalem in verses 8 to 21. Thirdly, the provisional government 
of Judah. When it says in verse 11 that 
they led away captive the rest of the people, it doesn't mean 
every single man, woman, boy, and girl. It's rather speaking 
of a large number, but there were still several within the 
land, and so the king of Babylon appoints a provisional government 
by specifically Getaliah. And then finally, the status 
of Jehoiachin. The chapter ends, I will argue, 
on a high note, or at least if not a high note, there is a glimmer 
of hope in the fact that the son of David, or a son of David, 
is nevertheless brought to a place of prominence even there in Babylon. 
But let's look first at this conquest of Jerusalem. We noted 
at the end of chapter 24 in verse 20, it says, then Zedekiah rebelled 
against the king of Babylon. Now, it's very important that 
if you want to do some further study in this particular section, 
that you review the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah spends a lot of time 
on this particular situation because Jeremiah lived at this 
particular time. In fact, if you take Jeremiah 
the prophet and you compare or you insert, you will see that 
it fleshes out or fills out more details here. So when it says, 
then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon, this was 
against the word of the prophet Jeremiah. He asked counsel specifically 
from Jeremiah concerning the situation with reference to the 
Babylonians, and Jeremiah told him not to rebel. Jeremiah told 
him to submit. Not because the Babylonians were 
their new gods, or they were going to bow down and swear fealty 
to them, but because Babylon was unsurpassable at this particular 
time. They were the world power. they 
were going to gobble up Judah. There is no doubt about that. 
The letter to the exiles in Jeremiah chapter 29, God promised that 
the people of Judah would be in captivity for a period of 
70 years. Jeremiah knew that, Jeremiah 
prophesied that, so Jeremiah tells Zedekiah not to rebel, 
but rather submit to the king of Babylon. He does the exact 
opposite. So if Jehoiakim is a man that 
is engaged in abject wickedness, this man Zedekiah is spineless. His wickedness is still real, 
it's still a present thing, but it's due to his inactivity, or 
rather his indecisiveness. He's sort of a flip-flopper, 
and at crunch time, when the prophet of God tells him not 
to submit, or rather to submit to the king of Babylon, he rebels. Now he rebels and Nebuchadnezzar 
then retaliates. Notice in verses 1 to 7. They 
first of all see, they capture the city in verses 1 to 3. They build a siege wall. So as 
I said, this is the third invasion by Babylon, the other two in 
chapter 24. And after they build this siege 
wall, they basically starve the people out. There is a famine 
in the city because no supplies are able to get in. What was 
in the city of Jerusalem had been used up. And so they get 
to this particular point where by the ninth day of the fourth 
month, in verse three, the famine had become so severe in the city 
that there was no food for the people of the land. Again, Jeremiah 
gets into this as well in his prophecy. This was a very common 
means or a common way to engage in warfare in the ancient world, 
certainly battle and armies and cavalry and all those sorts of 
things, but as well if you could starve out the people or stop 
their water supply. Remember the ingenuity of Hezekiah 
building that water supply system so that if the city had, in fact, 
been surrounded by armies, they would 
nevertheless have a water system that would provide for the people 
there. But here, with reference to the siege by Babylon, there 
is famine in the land. And then notice the disposition 
of Zedekiah in verses 4 to 7. The Babylonians are basically, 
there's a breach in the wall in verse 4. It says, then the 
city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled at 
night by way of the gate between two walls, which was by the king's 
garden, even though the Chaldeans were still encamped all around 
against the city. And the king went by way of the 
plain. You see, when crunch time comes, 
the army flees, and so does the king. The famine has come, the 
wall is eventually breached, and so the king and his armies 
flee the city. This is an act of cowardice, 
it's an act of wickedness, but again, it is retaliated upon 
by Nebuchadnezzar. When you see Chaldeans there, 
That's just another name for the Babylonians. So in verse 
5, the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and they overtook 
him in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from 
him. So they took the king and brought 
him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah. So Nebuchadnezzar 
leads this particular invasion, but then he pulls back. He goes 
up north to a city in Amath called Riblah. And so they capture King 
Zedekiah. They take him up to Nebuchadnezzar, 
and then they try him there. It's probably not a great trial. 
It's rather a summary execution. Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon. Specifically, they were supposed 
to pay tribute, they were to engage in vassal status, they 
were to bring those things always to the king of Babylon. He doesn't 
do that. So the king of Babylon doesn't 
say, well, you know, I guess I'll recognize your attempt at 
sovereignty. That's not how they operated in the ancient world. Notice in verse 6, so they took 
the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, 
and they pronounced judgment on him. Then they killed the 
sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. This is a pretty brutal way of 
doing things. When you killed the sons, you 
were telling Zedekiah that there would no longer be an heir from 
his own loins that would occupy the throne in Judah. As well, 
the filial attraction. I mean, I would think that Zedekiah, 
as beastly a man he was, nevertheless had an affection for his sons. But the last thing this man ever 
sees is his sons brutally murdered right before his eyes. So Nebuchadnezzar 
is no joke. He is not playing games. When 
it comes down to world domination, Nebuchadnezzar is the man at 
this particular time. They take no prisoners. Rather, 
they are making sure that there will be no successor from Zadokiah 
to occupy the throne. So verse 7, they killed the sons 
of Zedekiah before his eyes, put out the eyes of Zedekiah, 
gouged them out, bound him with bronze fetters and took him to 
Babylon, where presumably he died. We hear nothing else about 
Zedekiah. We will meet Jehoiachin again, 
but not Zedekiah. So there are no successors to 
the throne from Zedekiah at this particular time. Now, that then 
brings us to the destruction of Jerusalem. So they've captured, 
they have surrounded, they have conquered the actual city, and 
now they're going to go in and destroy it, and utterly decimate 
everything, except for the valuables that they do take back to excuse 
me, to Babylon. Note the destruction in verses 
8 to 21. And it's systematic. They go 
piece by piece throughout the city to destroy and ruin the 
holy city of God. In the first place, they burn 
the temple and other important buildings, according to verses 
8 and 9. Notice in verse 9, he burned 
the house of the Lord and the king's house, all the houses 
of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned 
with fire. Now, we can read through such 
things and not stop to ponder, but this is a very significant 
thing, not just in terms of one nation losing a battle to another 
nation and being conquered, but it's the burning of the house 
of the Lord. It is the decimation of the house of God. We know 
that God doesn't live there, and we know that he's not locally 
present there, but that temple of Yahweh was the visible representation 
of God with his people. So now that this temple is destroyed, 
this leaves the people of Judah in a very desperate situation 
or desperate position. Paul House makes this observation. He says, for covenant-minded 
readers, the loss of the temple means much more than the destruction 
of a significant public building. To them, the temple symbolizes 
God's presence in the midst of the chosen people. ongoing worship 
of Yahweh, the possibility of receiving forgiveness by the 
offering of sacrifice, and the opportunity to gather as a unified 
nation at festival time. Of course, the temple was rarely 
used properly, yet as long as it stood, the hope for the ideal 
existed. Now what will happen to God's 
people? So this is a very significant theological shift in terms of 
the people of Judah. Remember that this book, 1 and 
2 Kings, were written most likely to the exiles to explain why 
it was the case that they are now in Babylon. 1 and 2 Chronicles 
were written to the post-exiles, and that is why it's somewhat 
more encouraging. But here, 1 and 2 Kings portrays 
very vividly why they're in the particular position they are 
in. And for those who are covenantally minded, those who are faithful, 
that perhaps were still a part of the remnant, even though they 
were exiled in Babylon, this whole account would have been 
a tearjerker. This whole situation would have 
been deeply disheartening and saddening. I mean, their holy 
city destroyed by these Babylonians that were now their captors, 
and not only the city itself, but the actual temple of God. It was desecrated, it was destroyed, 
it was ruined. So the destruction, or rather 
the burning of the temple and other important buildings in 
verses 8 and 9, notice then the destruction of the perimeter 
walls in verse 10. And all the army of the Chaldeans, 
who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls 
of Jerusalem all around. So the wall was broken through, 
according to verse 4, that led to the armies and the king fleeing 
and ultimately dying there at Jericho, the armies being captured 
and the king being captured there at Jericho, and then the king 
being taken off to Riblah. But here the actual walls of 
the city are broken down. Not a good thing. in the ancient 
world. When your city was without walls, 
you had no protection, no fortification, nothing to withstand your enemies. You were open prey at that particular 
time, and that is essentially what happens in the remainder 
of the chapter. Notice then, thirdly, the deportation of remaining 
inhabitants. Verse 11, then Nebuchadnezzar, 
the captain of the guard, carried away captive the rest of the 
people. And again, rest of the people doesn't mean every single 
one, because there's people later on in Judah or in Jerusalem that 
we'll see in this particular section. They were carried away 
captive, the rest of the people who remained in the city, and 
the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon. These 
would have been turncoats. These would have been those within 
Judah that before this situation had defected to Babylon. But 
they are gathered up with the rest of them, and they are deported. They are taken off into Babylon. So we'll see that other leaders 
are executed later. Gedaliah is made governor, and 
Jeremiah, actually, according to Jeremiah chapter 40, verses 
one to six, is spared at this particular time as well. He is 
not taken to Babylon in this particular deportation. He remains 
behind as one to continue to prophesy to the people in this 
situation. And then notice, after the deportation, 
you have the removal of precious metals. See what I'm saying? 
The whole section here should lead the reader or the hearer 
to a heartfelt anguish and sorrow over the situation that has happened. 
This once great nation. this nation that had God's blessing, 
this nation that had been covenanted this land and promised to Abraham, 
this great nation that had been led out of Exodus or led out 
of Egypt at the Exodus and brought to this land of Canaan is now 
blessed beyond measure and yet they continue to rebel against 
God and they are losing everything systematically by God's servant 
Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. Now notice the removal of precious 
metals in verses 13 to 17. Remember that Isaiah had told 
that this was going to happen. If you go back to 2 Kings chapter 
20. You see it certainly in the prophet 
Isaiah, but here specifically in 2 Kings 20, with reference 
to Hezekiah. Remember that Hezekiah entertained 
the Babylonians. Hezekiah welcomed the Babylonians. This was before they were the 
arch-nemesis of Judah. This was at a time when he thought, 
perhaps, that a deal could be made with Babylon to sort of 
team up and stop Egypt and the other nations. And so Hezekiah 
invites them over and he invites the rebuke of the prophet Isaiah. 
Notice in chapter 20 at verse 16, then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, 
hear the word of the Lord. Behold, the days are coming when 
all that is in your house and what your fathers have accumulated 
until this day shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be 
left, says the Lord. And they shall take away some 
of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget, 
and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. You see, this is come to fruition. But one of the things that I 
think we ought to appreciate in this description of the removal 
of precious metals in verses 13 to 17 is it's a reversal of 
what Solomon does in 1 Kings chapter 7. Remember when Solomon 
amasses the wealth necessary to build the temple? It is a 
play-by-play detailed description of not only the exterior, but 
the interior, all of the utensils that would be utilized in the 
service of Yahweh in his house. So what we see under Solomon 
as a blessed and glorious reign. Remember Solomon reigned over 
a united monarchy. Both kingdoms or both North and 
South were united. One monarchy, he had an expansive 
boundary in terms of his own reign. He increased his boundary. 
Those were the glory days to be sure of Israel. The author 
is telling us that things have come full circle. And not only 
do we not have a Solomon on the throne, building the house of 
Yahweh, but we have invaders in our city that are ripping 
off the house of Yahweh. This is the judgment of God Almighty. Robert Alter says this catalog 
of precious sacred vessels seized by the Babylonians reverses everything 
reported in 1 Kings 6 and 7 about the splendid furnishings for 
the temple and the palace that Solomon caused to be fashioned. 
Everything that the grand first king, after David built or made, 
is either reduced to rubble or taken off by the enemy. So again, 
when we read this account, it's not just history. It is history. And we ought to appreciate that. 
This actually occurred. This is not only in the scriptures, 
it's in the records of other nations. around at that particular 
time. But it's not only history, it's 
theology. The author is saying lament and 
mourn and weep. Look at what has become of the 
holy city and the temple of God Most High. All that Solomon, 
David before him, and all that Solomon had done to build this 
city for God, to build this temple for God, and to furnish it with 
the most glorious, most precious stones to reflect the most glorious 
God, has now become fodder for the Babylonian army. It is a 
theological comment. House says, everything David 
and Solomon built collapses in a final flurry of brutality. So read it as history, but read 
it as theology, because the author is communicating to us by way 
of a new covenant application, don't be unfaithful to your God. You know, I think that one of 
the things or one of the lessons that we ought to appreciate with 
reference to this old covenant situation as we sort of transcend 
into or transfer into the new covenant is Christ's dealings 
with the churches in Asia Minor in Revelation chapters 2 and 
3. Now, brethren, we cannot lose our salvation. Paul said, I am 
confident that he who began a good work in you will complete it 
unto the day of Jesus Christ. There is no loss of salvation. 
for those who are saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus 
Christ. There are instances, however, 
when churches become faithless or churches become unfaithful, 
and Christ threatens, as He does with Ephesus in Revelation 2, 
to withdraw their lampstand. In other words, to close them 
down. In Revelation chapter 3, when he's dealing with Laodicea, 
he says, because you're neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you 
out of my mouth. But he does counsel them to repent. As many as I love, I chasten. And then he tells them to zealously 
repent. So we see that with reference 
to the church, the church that continues in patterns of unfaithfulness, 
the church that continues to break God's covenant, the church 
that continues to ape the Northern Kingdom or the Southern Kingdom 
and continues in unfaithfulness to the Lord, there will ultimately 
be a withdrawal of the lampstand or Christ will vomit us out of 
His mouth. Again, we are saved by grace 
through faith in Christ Jesus. That will never be stripped from 
us or never be taken from us. But when we stop doing what God 
calls us to do as the church, as I sought to define it in Matthew 
28 in terms of the Great Commission, as I'm seeking to define it as 
we move through the epistle of James and show that within the 
context of the church, those who have faith in Jesus We'll 
love one another. We won't show partiality toward 
one another. We won't use our tongues to abuse 
one another. Those are all real practical 
applications of this principle that we, by God's grace, need 
to be faithful to God as a church. We learn from the Northern Kingdom 
and the Southern Kingdom when the professing people of God 
or the covenant people of God are unfaithful to God, he in 
his covenant faithfulness will strip them of the benefits and 
the blessings that they had previously enjoyed. So we see that transpiring 
here with reference to the destruction of Jerusalem. And then notice 
finally in this destruction the execution of remaining leaders 
in verses 18 to 21. 18 to 21, and essentially what 
you have are the priests, officers of the army, king's associates, 
and others. Essentially what the Babylonians 
are forbidding at this particular time is the reinstitution of 
Yahweh worship with priests, authorized priesthood. We'll 
kill the priests so that they cannot convene the cult again 
and start worshiping Yahweh. And then anybody associated with 
the army or with the king, they're going to destroy them also because 
they don't want them to regather or muster an army to launch any 
resistance against Babylon. I don't want to commend the Babylonians, 
but they certainly knew how to do business. I mean, systematically, 
they go in and they utterly decimate the city. They take the exiles 
away. transport them back to Babylon, 
and there, basically, they are enslaved. And that's how verse 
21 ends. So with reference to the destruction 
of Jerusalem, you have the destruction in verses 8 to 21a, and then 
you have the exile in verse 21b. Notice, thus Judah was carried 
away captive from its own land. That, in and of itself, is the 
most powerful theological statement. Remember the land. It was promised 
by God to Abraham. It was given by God to the descendants 
of Abraham vis-à-vis Israel as they come out of Egypt through 
the Exodus. It's an intriguing thing. After 
the assassination of Gedoliah, where do people flee to? They 
go back to Egypt. There's quite the role reversal 
going on in 2 Kings chapter 25. There's a reversal of roles with 
reference to Solomon. The Solomonic Empire is done. It's finished. It's over. Forget 
those glory days. Well, so is the Exodus because 
many from Judah go back to Egypt. They go back to pre-Exodus times. It's quite a literary masterpiece 
in terms of the theology that is woven in here with reference 
to the historical reporting of the events. But in terms of this 
exile, this exile will last until 538 BC. It's going to be 70 years. This was prophesied, again, by 
Jeremiah. It's foretold specifically. There's 
a letter written to the exiles telling them how to behave when 
they get into captivity. In fact, turn there for just 
a moment to Jeremiah chapter 29. This is as good a time as 
any to end the whole nonsense what Jeremiah 29.11 means. Jeremiah 29.11 has become a bumper 
sticker or fridge magnet sort of motto for Christians. Jeremiah 
29.11, for I know the thoughts that I think towards you says 
the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you a future 
and a hope. That's a true sentiment for the 
New Covenant believer, but we really ought not to co-opt it 
from Jeremiah chapter 29. It's a misuse of the text. It becomes a motto text in Christian 
schools to preach vision to young children. It becomes a motto 
text for Christian businessmen to expand their businesses and 
borrow more money or whatever it is. I know the thoughts that 
I think towards you, says Yahweh. Thoughts of peace and not of 
evil to give you a future and a hope. This is a letter to the 
exiles in Babylon. What God is saying here, with 
reference to verse 11, is that there will be a post-exilic people. The exile will end, there will 
be many that return to Judah, and from the ranks of Judah, 
Messiah will rise. This is the emphasis in Jeremiah 
29, 11. It is not a text to be taken 
out of its context and co-opted for any kind of a vision-promoting 
thing for the Christian who needs that sort of emphasis. But notice 
in verse 10, for thus says the Lord, after 70 years are completed 
at Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word towards 
you and cause you to return to this place. Notice as well what 
they are told to do when they're in Babylon. Look at verse 5. 
Build houses and dwell in them. Plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and 
daughters. And take wives for your sons 
and give your daughters to husbands. so that they may bear sons and 
daughters, that you may be increased there and not diminished. And 
seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried 
away captive, and pray to the Lord for it, for in its peace 
you will have peace." This is Paul in 1 Timothy 2. First of 
all, I urge that prayers, supplications, intercessions, and givings of 
thanks be made for all men, for kings, and all who are in authority, 
that we may lead peaceable and quiet lives. The people of God 
are an exile people. They're to pray for their own 
city, for its leaders, in 1 Timothy 2, I'll argue that it's primarily 
for their salvation, but pray for their peace, for in their 
peace we have peace. That's what God tells the exiles 
in Babylon. So you see, they were supposed 
to comply. Now, unfortunately, what happens 
is when the people leave Babylon, it's not a mass exodus. You would 
think every Judean that was in Babylon would hightail it back 
to Judah when that 70 years was lifted. It wasn't the case. It 
was about 55,000 to 59,000 people that left Babylon to go back 
to Judah? What does that indicate? That 
indicates that Judeans liked it in Babylon. It indicates that 
they had set down roots there and they had began to like it 
there, and so they stayed there. Now, you also need to understand 
that the Judaism that came out of Babylon was very tainted. There's something called the 
Babylonian Talmud. And that is an anti-Christian 
and very ungodly approach to religion. Now, it's not the case 
that anything Jews wrote was necessarily good. There were 
some that wrote good commentary, but not all of it is good. So 
the Babylonian Talmud came out after this, and this is most 
likely what Jesus and Paul and those others are having to deal 
with in what was New Covenant or, you know, not New Covenant 
Judaism, but the Judaism at the time of the New Testament. So 
you see, Babylon was a particular experience for Judah. And it 
wasn't all good, but it wasn't all bad because God tells them 
to have peace in the city that they find themselves in. So go 
back now to 2 Kings 25. Just had to get that 29.11 dealt 
with in the context. You can't just take verses out 
and make them slogans. Philippians 4, I can do all things 
through Christ who strengthens me. That doesn't mean you can 
squat 900 pounds if you've never tried it before. Please don't 
ever make that application. It doesn't mean you can jump 
over a building. It doesn't mean that you can 
take a bullet. You cannot cite verses out of their context and 
think that they're magic. I can do all things through Christ 
who strengthens me. You can't squat 800 pounds. There was a powerlifting contest 
one time at the Coast Hotel. This was many years ago. And 
some big dude was squatting a lot of weight. And I'll never forget, 
he went down, he came up, and he had blood running right down 
his nose. I thought, man, I don't know 
that you should have done that much weight. Just didn't look 
like a wise thing to me. But one thing he didn't say, 
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Brethren, 
do not take texts out of context and somehow universalize them 
and apply them to situations that they don't really have any 
bearings on. So back to 2 Kings, we looked 
at the conquest of Jerusalem, the destruction of Jerusalem. 
Let's look thirdly at the provisional government of Judah. So as I 
said, there were those who remained in the land, and so the Nebuchadnezzar 
made a provisional governor, and that man was Gedaliah. Now, 
Gedaliah was from a prominent family in Jerusalem, and I don't 
think he was a bad guy. He was pro-Babylon, but not because 
he wanted to bow to Babylon, not because he confessed Babylon, 
but because he listened to Jeremiah. He listened to the reality that 
it was over for Judah. They were going to go to Babylon. 
We need to just submit. We need to do what we're supposed 
to and not make any waves or cause any trouble so that we 
don't invoke or bring down the wrath of Nebuchadnezzar. Again, 
this isn't capitulation. It's divine instruction. God 
says, listen, obey, and do what you're told. So Gedoliah, I think, 
was that kind of a fellow. His grandfather was a scribe 
during the reign of Josiah, and his father was a member of the 
mission sent to Huldah in 2 Kings 22. His father also helped protect 
Jeremiah from death in Jeremiah 26-24. So, Gedaliah hails from 
a decent family. If you're going to appoint a 
provisional governor, Gedoliah is probably the best thing you 
can do. Now, we have some semblance of stability at the appointment 
of Gedoliah. That's something that Judah has 
seriously lacked. I mean, if you just trace back 
to chapter 23, and that's one of the reasons why I started 
there, with Jehoahaz, or the man also known as Shalom, and 
then you have Jehoiakim, and then you have Jehoiachin, and 
then you have Zedekiah. The last thing you see there 
is stability and any sort of degree of security among the 
people. All of them are fools to a man 
and they basically help plunge the nation further into depravity 
and darkness. So Gedoliah is a good get at 
this particular time for Judah or for what remains of Judah. So he is appointed, and then 
he gives this instruction to those who come to see him. And 
no, I'm not going to try that name again there in verse 23. 
It's not fair. None of you ever have to read 
Hebrew names out loud. We should have that some Wednesday 
night. Everybody gets a section of 1 Chronicles, and they have 
to read it. 1 Chronicles 1 to 9. We'll just 
go around the table. Maokathite, that's it. Anyways, 
we have the instructions from Galiah in verse 24. He took an 
oath before them and their men and said to them, do not be afraid 
of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the 
king of Babylon and it shall be well with you. Again, this 
isn't just Gadaliah, this is Jeremiah. Jeremiah is the true 
prophet of God. There are false prophets at this 
particular time as well, basically saying, do this, do this, do 
this, go to Egypt, don't submit, don't listen to Jeremiah. Jeremiah 
is the faithful prophet of God, speaking the truth, and ultimately 
tells Zedekiah, submit to Babylon. So Gadaliah knows this, and so 
he gives that same instruction, dwell in the land, serve the 
king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. As we might 
expect, there's not a long period of stability. There is now the 
assassination of Galileo. It's just insanity. I mean, I 
think that if we learn anything, we ought to learn to pray for 
men that have some degree of wisdom and smarts who will ever 
be in government. I know that's a stretch. I know 
it's a tough one. But these are all fools. Each 
and every one of them is a fool, this Ishmael that comes to assassinate 
Gedoliah. We don't know why specifically, 
but there's a couple of hints that may tip us in the right 
direction. He is of the royal family. Perhaps he's upset that 
he's not been made the provisional governor. Maybe it's just a basic 
matter of jealousy and envy. He wants to get rid of Gedoliah, 
and perhaps he'll be the one that gets to sit on the governor's 
throne or governor's chair. As well, we notice that what 
he does in terms of basically instigate or provoke the people 
to go to Egypt may indicate he's just an anti-Babylonian. Again, 
it's not bad to be an anti-Babylonian. you know, adopt the Babylonian 
ways. But at this particular time, those who were still milling 
about, thinking of going to Egypt, it was a false, bad move. Jeremiah was saying, don't do 
it. In fact, in Jeremiah 42, he specifically tells them not 
to go to Egypt. And that's right about where 
we're at in this section. At the end of verse 26, when 
it says that they went to Egypt, Jeremiah 42, he spends the time 
saying, don't go to Egypt. Jeremiah 43, they force him to 
go to Egypt with that. So that's the particular situation 
that is facing them at this time. Davis says, one other thing before 
Davis says, the king of Ammon was a guy by the name of Belus. 
And he was urging Ishmael to do the same thing to get Eliah. So he's got these pressures from 
without, perhaps this greed or envy from within, and just a 
head full of folly as well. So Davis says, no one in his 
right mind would imagine that a revolt against Babylon could 
be successful at this time. Remember, Gedaliah is not alone. There are Chaldeans there in 
the land. It's not like they said, okay, 
Gedaliah, you and the rest of the folk there in Judah, go ahead 
and rebuild, restart, do everything you can. That's why the text 
says that when Ishmael comes, he not only kills Gedaliah, he 
kills the Jews and he kills the Chaldeans. So the Chaldeans are 
there, as probably the way the Nazis occupied the various countries 
that they took over. You had the people of the land 
that were still there, but you happen to have Nazis at every 
corner as well. So the Chaldeans are present. 
And so what Ishmael does is absolute folly. So he says, no one in 
his right mind would imagine that a revolt against Babylon 
could be successful at this time. Hence, I agree with Kogan and 
Tadmor, a couple other commentators, that Ishmael simply had a vendetta 
against those he viewed as collaborators and thought his trail of blood 
would make a statement. Well, it certainly did not make 
a statement other than Ishmael was a real fool. So then those 
remaining flee to Egypt, verse 26, and all the people, small 
and great, and the captains of the armies, arose and went to 
Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. So thus ends that 
section in terms of the capture and destruction of Jerusalem. 
With reference to this last statement about them going to Egypt, I 
love what House Paul House says. He says, obviously, their tendency 
to ignore the prophet and make poor political decisions does 
not end with the city's destruction. City's gone, Babylon's come in, 
they've ruined everything. They appoint this provisional 
governor and what do they do? They murder him and then run 
to Egypt. He says, now Jerusalem has no 
one to tend to its future. Babylon's grip on the city and 
region has only been strengthened by this episode. So Ishmael wants 
to rid the nation of any collaborators with Babylon and what he's essentially 
done is brought the iron fist of Babylon even more severely 
upon Judah. So Ishmael is another fool in 
a long line of fools that ran Judah. And Proven made the observation 
concerning this Exodus theme. He says, the epic saga that began 
with the Exodus from that land has turned into a horror story 
of sin and judgment, and Israel now returns whence it came. When 
you see that, I mean, did they just go back to Egypt? This was 
the whole point of the exodus, to come out of Egypt, to get 
the land that God had promised to Abraham, to dwell in that 
land and maintain faithfulness and be a witness to the nations 
around, mediating the blessings of Yahweh to the pagans around 
them. But they fail, they sin, they 
rebel, they reject. and now they have reaped the 
judgment of God Almighty. So let's look finally at the 
status of Jehoiachin, verses 27 to 30. Now, some say that 
this is not hopeful, that this is just another indicator that 
things are absolutely terrible for Judah. Others say, no, it 
is hopeful. Why didn't the author just stop 
at verse 26? I mean, that's as bleak as you 
can get. I mean, the city's been destroyed, the provisional governor's 
been assassinated, the people have fled against the instruction 
of the prophet Jeremiah to Egypt. I mean, that's as bleak as it 
gets. Why give us this glimmer in Jehoiachin 26 years later? So this, verse 27 tells us that 
evil Meredith, that wasn't like you know, evil meanie. It doesn't 
mean that. It's kind of like the man of 
Marduk. Marduk was the chief god of Babylon. This is the son 
of Nebuchadnezzar. He occupied the throne in Babylon 
in 562. He only held the throne for two 
years. He was assassinated and replaced 
by his brother-in-law, a man by the name of Nerla Glisser. So that's kind of Babylon history 
for you 101. But we see here that this evil 
Maradoc takes the throne in Babylon, and on the year, or in the time 
that he occupies the throne, it says that he released Jehoiachin, 
king of Judah, from prison. Notice that he lavishes good 
things upon Jehoiachin. And again, there are those who 
interpret this as only more bleakness, only more sadness, only more 
to underscore and highlight that Israel, or Judah rather, is still 
in captivity. The king is subject to the king 
of Babylon. But the author doesn't portray 
it that way. It's quite positive in the way 
that Jehoiachin is treated. There's also some sort of Joseph 
overtones going on behind the scene as well. So he's released. Verse 28, he spoke kindly to 
him and gave him a more prominent seat than those of the kings 
who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin changed from his 
prison garments. And he ate bread regularly or 
ate food regularly before the king all the days of his life. 
And as for his provisions, there was a regular ration given him 
by the king, a portion for each day all the days of his life. 
So there are those who say this is just more bleakness, more 
sorrow, more sadness. Others say, no, this is hope. 
There's a Davidic son on some sort of a throne that is keeping 
the line alive. And I think there are several 
reasons. First of all, the contrast with the previous episodes. I 
mean, there's nothing good or positive in any of the previous 
episodes that we have looked at. I mean, obviously, back a 
ways, Josiah was a good episode. But everything concerning the 
fall of Judah is bad. It's bleak. It's grim. It's dark. 
This is very positive. This man is released by evil 
Merodot. He is made the king over the 
kings that are also subject to Babylon. at this particular time. The evil Maradoc speaks kindly 
to him. He's allowed to change from his 
prison garments. He eats good food. He's put on 
a ration. And it's not just meager. It's 
probably very good and very beneficial. The fact that this episode is 
included in the book, this scene takes place 26 years later. If 
it was unimportant, then why would the author include it? 
If the point was only negative, negative, negative, the end of 
verse 26 gives the reader that. I mean, there's nothing positive 
coming out of verse 26. So if the author's point was 
to be more negative, it's odd that he includes something that 
happens 26 years later that doesn't sound negative at all. It sounds 
very positive. As well, or what I think, is 
that the text is a reminder of the hope afforded by the Davidic 
covenant in 2 Samuel 7. This is that small glimmer of 
hope wherein the author is telling us that even though Babylon destroys 
Judah, And even though Judah destroys Judah, they cannot destroy 
the covenant blessings of God and the promise of God given 
by God to David in 2 Samuel 7, that there will be a Davidic 
son that ultimately sits upon the throne and he rules and reigns 
over the people and his kingdom will have no end. Proven says 
Jehoiachin survives unexpectedly in the midst of carnage and he 
represents like Joash during Athaliah's reign at least the 
potential for the continuation of the Davidic line. He didn't 
have that with Zedekiah. Remember all his sons were executed 
and then his eyes were gouged out. Here we have a Davidic son 
sitting again on a provisional throne of sorts that at least 
gives us the potential hope for a future Davidic son to sit upon 
the throne and reign forever and ever. So we'll get back to 
that in just a moment, but just a couple of lessons before we 
close. First, the sinful folly in Judah's 
final days. As I said, brethren, we are told 
by Paul in 1 Timothy 2 to pray for kings and all who are in 
authority. We need to do that. I mean, it's a tough job. You 
can't imagine, and I'm not a big fan of many persons in political 
office, but I'll always admit, it's a tough job. I mean, I couldn't 
imagine what it would be like to be the president or the prime 
minister. I'd go nuts. Give me 20 seconds of that, I'd 
probably blow up. The thought of it is just beyond 
my... capabilities. So, you know, we need to pray 
that they'll have wisdom to function in the capacity that they have 
been installed. Christ speaking as wisdom in Proverbs 8, and 
Paul reinforces this in Romans 13, tells us, by me kings reign. Let every soul be subject to 
the governing authority, for there is no authority except 
from God. And those which exist are established 
by God. We ought to pray to God for our 
civil authorities that they'll be wise. This was Solomon's desire 
when God comes to him. If Solomon is paradigmatic or 
a pattern or a type of an excellent king, we ought to pray that our 
kings, our governors, our leaders would pray with Solomon, grant 
me wisdom. Solomon doesn't ask for wealth. 
He doesn't ask for wives. He doesn't ask for cars and boats 
and summer homes and a great benefit package. He asks God 
for wisdom. That needs to be our prayer for 
people in our own generation that are leading us, that are 
governing us. As well, we need to see and observe 
the different types of leadership exhibited here in the final days 
of Judah. You had the vicious wickedness 
of Jehoiakim. You had the spineless wickedness 
of Zedekiah. Those kinds of men still exist, 
still alive, and still thrive. Again, we need to pray. If God 
be pleased, save them. If they're not saved, remove 
them from office. There's nothing wrong with praying 
for that. There's nothing wrong with saying, 
God, my heart's desire. I've often prayed that even if, 
you know, say some man was converted, I'd still want him removed because 
he's just a fool and doesn't belong in that particular office. 
And brethren, you know as well as I do, when somebody's regenerated 
or born again, they're not instantly smart. I mean, they're not instantly 
wise. Regeneration is a work of God 
in the whole man, but it's not the case that everybody's IQ 
points drastically increase the moment they confess faith in 
Jesus Christ. We want people with brights and 
smarts to lead over us. And then this murderous rage 
of Ishmael, not a leader, not a king, but another fool on Judah's 
landscape that certainly made things more difficult for the 
spinning of the wheels of progress. Secondly, we ought to consider 
the terrifying thoroughness of God's judgment. Compare 2 Kings 
25 and 2 Kings 17, the fall of the Northern Kingdom, to Leviticus 
26, but even more so to Deuteronomy 28. I mean, Deuteronomy 28 is 
very explicit and very much details what's going to happen to them 
when they go into land, they rebel against God, they break 
His covenant, they violate His law. The very curses that God 
has pronounced are fulfilled here very specifically in 2 Kings 
25. God's judgment is thorough. from place to place to place 
to place, the Babylonians come and they decimate the holy city 
and the temple of God Most High. And then thirdly, this is a great 
thing for us to consider in 2 Kings 25. We ought to be saddened as 
well with what happened in the South and in the North to be 
sure, but they took the glory of Solomon's kingdom and ran 
it right into the ground. Now, again, Solomon ended poorly. I'm not discounting that. And 
what ultimately happened in terms of the division of the kingdom 
was provoked and instigated by Solomon. But barring that bad 
end of Solomon and the subsequent division of the kingdom, there 
was that period of time when, under Solomon, we see God's blessing 
upon this people. In fact, it tells us in Chronicles, 
when Solomon sat on his throne, he sat on the throne of Yahweh. 
I mean, this was the visible representation of God's kingdom 
on earth. There was the extension of boundaries, 
there were persons having, you know, it wasn't perfect, it wasn't 
administrated perfectly, but it was as good as it's probably 
going to get on this side of heaven. And it took, what, how 
many years for them to just drive it right into the ground? And 
then finally, the blessed hope in the Davidic sign. Just to 
further prove that this is indeed a glimmer of hope, Does anybody 
remember another name for Jehoiachin? I mentioned it last week. He's 
actually known by two other names in scripture. We're on here so 
we can't have audience participation, but if you're thinking Jeconiah, 
you're right. Jeconiah in 1 Chronicles 3.17 
is another name for this particular king, Jehoiachin. Also known 
as, he's got two AKAs, he's got an also known as Coniah in Jeremiah 
22. Now turn to Matthew chapter 1. 
Matthew chapter 1. Matthew certainly sees that the 
end of 2 Kings 25 provides more than a glimmer of hope. Notice in Matthew 1, verse 12. And after they were brought to 
Babylon, Jeconiah, there's our Jehoiachin, begot Shealtiel, 
and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel begot Abiad, Abiad 
begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. Azor begot Zadok, Zadok 
begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar 
begot Methan, and Methan begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Joseph, 
the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called 
Christ. So from Jehoiachin, there is, 
in fact, a glimmer of hope. from Jehoiachin at the end of 
2 Kings 25, even though the primary design of 1 and 2 Kings was basically 
to tell the exiles, this is why you're sitting in Babylon at 
this particular time. It ends on that note. This is 
why, but, God is faithful. This is why, but, God promised 
to David in 2 Samuel 7 that David would have a son that would sit 
upon the throne. I love the way Davis, Ralph Davis, 
makes this observation. He says, Matthew 1, 12 to 16, 
picks up the story where 2 Kings 25 leaves off. And who would think that any 
sure hope from God could be hidden under this failed, dilapidated, 
and captive people? At this point, specifically Matthew 
1, 12, Israel has lost the land, the Abraham promise, and the 
kingship, the David promise. As for the tone of the times 
in Matthew 1, 12 to 16, well, read Haggai, Nehemiah, and Malachi. Judah stays under foreign domination. Life is hard. In those books, 
the earth is mostly brown, the sky is gray, the leaves are pale, 
the wind is cold. But precisely in this time, this 
darkest, bleakest segment of Israel's history, the Messiah 
is given, verse 16. It was when this people was trampled, 
beaten down, and teetering between faith and compromise that the 
sun of righteousness began to blaze. It is not your righteousness, 
but Yahweh's steadfastness that brings redemption. The God of 
power and fury turns from His fury in Jehoiachin's descendant. And we should have more than 
a little hope in this. So it ends on the high note that 
there is a Davidic son on some type of throne over other kings, 
which ultimately points us to the Davidic son that will have 
absolute universal sovereignty, who is the king of kings and 
lord of lords. So the author at the end of 2 
Kings 25 is preaching Christ to us. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank 
you for your word, and we thank you for this history of Israel 
that we have concluded. I pray that we would learn the 
lessons from not only 2 Kings, but 1 Kings, 1 and 2 Samuel, 
along with Joshua, and Ruth, and Judges. Lord, all of these 
things are instructive for us. I pray that you would cause us 
to be a faithful people, but ultimately trusting, resting 
upon the faithfulness of our God. We ask that you would go 
with us. We pray for those in our midst 
that are not well physically. We pray for all those who have 
need in our church. Be with the downcast. Be with 
the sorrowful. Encourage all of our hearts and 
help us all to daily battle against sin and temptation. And may we 
know joyfully the grace of God Most High. We pray these things 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.