11 Chronicles Chapter 36

Judah's Decline

2Chronicles 36:1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem.
2 Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.

This was the shortest reign for a king over Judah. Two kings that ruled over the northern kingdom of Israel had a shorter term. Zimri and Shallum. Shallum one month and Zimri only 7 days. Jehoahaz was one of the wicked kings. Now we see it's getting closer to the time of defeat and judgment because of the kingdom of Judah forsaking God and worshipping idols. They knew better than this.

2Chronicles 36:3 And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.

Looks like Pharoah Necho enters the picture here ahead of Babylon and replaced Jehoahaz with his brother Eliakim. Eliakim's name was changed to Jehoiakim. Why he did this we don't know except perhaps Necho wanted to show off his authority over the kingdom of Judah.

2Chronicles 36:5 Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.

Jehoiakim served Nebuchadnezzar 3 years but then rebelled. He served Judah 11 years then Nebuchadnezzar took him captive. This deportation was when Daniel and the 3 Hebrews we read about in the book of Daniel were taken captive also. The riches Nebuchadnezzar heard about through the spies that visited king Hezekiah was probably his motive at first. The wicked kings though is why the hand of protection was removed and God allowed judgment to come to the kingdom of Judah like years before the same thing happened to the northern kingdom which was taken captive by the king of Assyria. Sad.

There were a total of 3 deportations carried out by Babylon. The first under Jehoiakim, the second under Jehoiachin and the last one that begun the 70 year captivity started under Zedekiah. Manasseh was taken captivity earlier by the Assyrians but taken to Babylon also. All this didn't have to be but when any nation departs from God, anything can happen. Without God we all are without protection, without any help and lost.

2Chronicles 36:7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.
8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

We can read more about Jehoiakim in the book of kings. Nebuchadnezzar left the poor to stay and take care of the land.

2Chronicles 36:9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.
10 And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

This young king was evil too so he was taken away and replaced with his brother Zedekiah. Jehoiachin years later was freed from prison by the king of Babylon that came after Nebuchadnezzar. His name was Evilmerodach the son of Nebuchadnezzar. Why this was we don't know but I'm guessing perhaps that Jehoiachin may have sought God in his captivity and God had mercy on him.

2Chronicles 36:11 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
12 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD.
13 And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.
14 Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.
15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:
16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

God kept sending warning and pleading with his people to turn back to Him but they rebelled that much more. We can't blame God for the coming captivity of Judah because He gave the plenty of warning ahead of time. They hardened their hearts and refused to heed His word as many do today.

Jerusalem Captured and Burned

2Chronicles 36:17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.
18 And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.
19 And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.
20 And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:
21 To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.

Their neglecting to keep the sabbaths to allow the land to rest was how the time of their captivity was decreed upon them. In the law of Moses they were to grow and harvest food for 7 years then let the land rest for 1 year then just eating what grew by itself. They didn't do that They failed to do this 490 years making the sabbaths mount up to 70 years. That was how long their captivity was to last. This also started the time of the Gentiles which lasts up until the Second coming of Jesus who will rule from Jerusalem over the earth.

The Proclamation of Cyrus

2Chronicles 36:22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.

The end of the 70 year captivity, they again return to their own land and rebuild the temple. Next after about 400 years will be the coming of Jesus the first time to take care of the sin problem for all who will receive Him. - Dorna

John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

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