2 Chronicles 36:1-23
Q.1. How did the reigns of the kings of Judah come to an end? What were the last kings of Judah like? What final indignity was brought on the nation? – (2 Chr.36:1-10)
The end came for Judah, with a combination of oppressors from Egypt and then Babylon. The godly Josiah’s son lasted just 3 months. Joahaz was deposed by Neco, king of Egypt and a hefty tribute extracted. His bother Eliakim was installed and renamed Jehoiakim (2 Chr.36:1-4). It was recorded in 2 Kings that God brought the reign of Jehoiakim to an end, because he continued along the path of Manasseh – and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the Lord would not forgive (2 Kgs.24:4). He foolishly broke his agreement with Nebuchadnezzar, who – bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon (2 Chr.36:6). The final indignity was the dismantling of the temple, when – Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of the articles of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his temple at Babylon (2 Chr.36:7).
Q.2. How did Zedekiah and the people spurn God’s mercy? Did their rejection of Jeremiah’s warnings make any difference? Why was the exile to last for 70 years? – (2 Chr.36:11-21)
Zedekiah was a relative of Jehoiakim. He was just as wicked – He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God; he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet who spoke for the Lord (2 Chr.36:12). He hardened his heart against God, insulted Him by following the abominations of the nations, and defiling the house of the Lord (2 Chr.36:11-14). He stooped lower still. Judah broke God’s heart. He – 15 … sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; 16 but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, until there was no remedy (2 Chr.36:15-16). God gave Judah over into the hands of the enemy, who took all the treasures remaining in the house of God. He allowed the Babylonians to break down the walls of Jerusalem and burn the temple down (2 Chr.36:17-19). God had kept an exact tally of Judah’s sabbath abuses. They were taken into captivity – to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were complete (2 Chr.36:21).
Q.3. How could the people hope to return to Judah? What prompted Cyrus to send the captives back to Jerusalem? What did Cyrus instruct them to do? – (2 Chr.36:22-23 c.f. Is.44:28; 45:1-7; Jer.25:12; 29:10)
Jeremiah recorded the fate of Zedekiah. His sons were all slaughtered before Zedekiah, and then the king’s eyes were blinded (Jer.52:8-11). Most of the people were taken captive. They had no leadership to mount a rebellion. However, that never stopped God. After their seventy years in exile, God raised up Cyrus, king of Persia who pursued a policy of reconstruction and restoration for the people of God – 22 … in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah–the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 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!'” (2 Chr.36:22-23). This lined up with a number of amazing prophecies, told before Cyrus was born (Is.44:28; 45:1-7). This heathen king was in no doubt, that the God of Heaven had prompted him to follow a new direction for his empire. All this agreed with the prediction of Jeremiah the prophet, that led the godly Daniel to pray for deliverance and restoration of God’s people – in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years (Dan.9:2 c.f. 2 Chr.36:22). It reminds us that nothing is impossible with God.