lesson 7

ZEDEKIAH and JESUS

BEC/CDO PHILIPPINES

Kings of Israel and Judah Chart

• Which nation was threatening Judah in about 590 BC?

The nation threatening Judah around this time was Babylon.

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• Who came earlier: Jehoahaz of Israel or Jehoahaz of Judah?

Jehoahaz of Israel came earlier (reigned around 814–798 BC), while Jehoahaz of Judah reigned later in 609 BC.

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In the last 25 years of Judah, there were 4 kings.

The four kings were:

Jehoahaz

Jehoiakim

Jehoiachin

Zedekiah

What happened in about 520 BC?

In 520 BC, the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem began after the Babylonian exile, during the reign of Darius I of Persia.

What other name were the two Jehorams known by?

• The two Jehorams were also known as Joram.

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Who was Jehoahaz of Judah’s father?

• Jehoahaz of Judah’s father was Josiah.

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Who was Jehoiakim’s father?

• Jehoiakim’s father was also Josiah.

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Who was Zedekiah’s father?

• Zedekiah’s father was Josiah as well

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Were Josiah’s sons good or bad kings?

• Josiah's sons (Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah) were generally considered bad kings because they led Judah into further decline and disobedience to God, ultimately leading to the Babylonian exile.

EVENTS AFTER KING JOSIAH

• The death of King Josiah led to his son Jehoahaz reigning in Judah. Jehoahaz did not follow Josiah’s good example but did evil in the sight of the Lord. He was taken captive by Pharaoh Necho and imprisoned in Egypt where he died.

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• Pharaoh Necho then set up another of Josiah’s sons - Jehoiakim as a puppet king (that is he was controlled by the Egyptians). He reigned for eleven years and all of them were spent doing evil in God’s sight. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem and Jehoiakim was allowed to remain king if he showed loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar. However after three years, Jehoiakim rebelled and was taken captive to Babylon along with many of the Temple vessels and nobles of Judah including Daniel.

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• Jehoiachin (Josiah’s grandson) then became king. He reigned for three months but after this time Nebuchadnezzar changed his mind about Jehoiachin being king and took him and many more of the people of Judah captive to Babylon. Only the poorest people were left behind in Judah.

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• Zedekiah (Jehoiachin’s uncle) was placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar and Zedekiah swore loyalty to Babylon.

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Open your Bibles to Jeremiah chapters 37 to 39 and match each sentence on the left with its other half from the boxes on the right, which summarises the sad story of King Zedekiah who couldn't decide to do the right thing. One is done for you. Then read the story as a whole.

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BIBLE STORY

Zedekiah was made king of Judah by…

• Answer: ...King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

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King Zedekiah and all the people paid no attention to…

• Answer: ...any of the words God spoke through Jeremiah the prophet.

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King Zedekiah rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar and so…

• Answer: ...Jerusalem was besieged by the army of Babylon.

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Zedekiah was frightened and asked Jeremiah to pray…

• Answer: ...to the Lord God for himself and the people.

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The king of Egypt and his army came to help Zedekiah and when the Babylonians heard this…

• Answer: ...the siege was lifted from Jerusalem for a while so King Nebuchadnezzar could go and fight Egypt.

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But Jeremiah warned, “Egypt will fail and Babylon will return and…

• Answer: ...your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down."

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Zedekiah's helpers hated Jeremiah and…

• Answer: ...Jeremiah was put first in a dungeon and later down a well.

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King Zedekiah had some secret conversations with Jeremiah about what God's message was…

• Answer: ...but King Zedekiah was too weak to do what God told him, and so…

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Jeremiah said, "Surrender to the king of Babylon and…

• Answer: ...your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down."

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But King Zedekiah was too weak to do what God told him, and so…

• Answer: ...Zedekiah was captured by the army of Babylon and the city of Jerusalem was destroyed.

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The rebellion of Jehoiakim, which resulted in many nobles and learned people of Judah being taken to Babylon along with the temple vessels.

The captivity of Jehoiachin, which left only the poorest of people in Judah.

The fall of Jerusalem and the captivity of Zedekiah.

The fall of Judah can be identified in three stages:

• The kings after Josiah chose to ignore God and so all ended up either dead or captive as a result of their wickedness. So too, the people of Judah slid into spiritual darkness and nearly all were taken captive to Babylon because of their wickedness. The Jews only appreciated the privilege of being able to worship God after they had lost it.
• Do we appreciate the freedom of worship that we have?
• Let's learn the lessons of obedience and trust in God so that we can avoid the mistakes that Israel and Judah made.

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Jesus the Perfect King

The prophet Ezekiel, when warning Zedekiah of the overthrow of Judah, told the king:

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"Remove the diadem, and take off the crown; ...I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: and it shall be no more, until he comes whose right it is; and I will give it him." (Ezekiel 21:26-27, KJV)

The kingdom of Judah did come to a tragic end, and since then there has never been a king in the royal line of David reigning over Israel.

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The one "whose right it is" is the Lord Jesus Christ, David's greater son and Son of God. He is the one that was promised to King David in 2 Samuel 7:12-14.

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Verse from Revelation where Jesus says:

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"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what he has done"

(Rev 22:12)

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Jeremiah

Jeremiah stands as a great contrast to the evil in Judah at this time. He gained his strength from God and dared to stand for what he believed in, even if it meant unpopularity and the threat of death. His courage and faith should be an example to us. Jeremiah’s message is relevant to us today as it speaks of Jesus who will return to reign over the restored and reunited kingdom of Israel. (Look at Jeremiah 23:5-6)

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Prophets of Example

Ezekiel

teaches us to have courage and faith as well. His was not a popular message either, but like Jeremiah, he gained his strength from God. Just as Ezekiel was a watchman to Judah, we should be watchful today by warning others of the near return of Jesus. Ezekiel also shows how merciful God is, as God did not desert His people in captivity but gave them hope of a glorious time to come. (Look at Ezekiel 37:22-24)

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If we do not seek to serve God with all our heart but rather clutter up our life with idols (that is, things which we put before God), then we are captive to sin, which can only lead to death. Let's strive to be like the strong and faithful prophets rather than following the example of the weak and foolish last kings of Judah.