Day 205 – Jehoiachin (Southern King 8 years) & Zedekiah (Southern King 11 years)

• After King Jehoiakim came his son Jehoiachin (original name, huh), who is referred to as Jeconiah in some versions/texts.
• Jehoiachin only remained for 3 months, but nevertheless did evil in God’s sight. What happened to him? Do you think he had any chance of escaping from the Nebuchadnezzar and his band of invading Babylonians? Note that in some versions the Babylonians are sometimes referred to as “Chaldeans”. They are the same people.
• Look through the list of all the things that the Babylonian king took when he ransacked the temple in Jerusalem. What do you think would be the equivalent thing that might happen nowadays?
• This isn’t the main exile of Jerusalem or Judah yet, although this isn’t far off. This is just an early attack, but one which takes a lot of wealth and power away from Judah. It’s quite possible that some of the people taken away at this time included Daniel and his friends (i.e. Daniel who was put in the lions’ den).
• Zedekiah, the final of 39 kings of Israel and Judah, came to the throne as Jehoiakim was carted off to Babylon. Jeremiah 37 tells us that the new king sent for Jeremiah to “pray for them”. Are the words from God in verses 8-10 encouraging ones though?
• Jeremiah went to Jerusalem in Jeremiah 37:12. What happened to him there? Whilst in prison, the king sent for him again. The king was desperate for some good news (don’t forget that Jerusalem has just been besieged), but the honest Jeremiah can only bring God’s message of judgement. Remember my comments yesterday about having the bravery to share God’s word truthfully, even when it’s hard? Here’s another great example.
• Even after prison, Jeremiah continued to share God’s message faithfully in Jeremiah 38. What unpleasant thing did the officers do with him?
• A cistern is a hole in the ground, usually for holding water. It would fill quickly during periods of rain. It would have been impossible to get out, and had Jeremiah been left there, he would have drowned in the mud or died of starvation. God promised to be with Jeremiah though. What happened to save him?
• Jeremiah 38 ends with the prophet having a final conversation with the king. Now that God is about to bring the promised punishment on Jerusalem, the king was urged to surrender to the Babylonian invaders. Did he?

Tomorrow we’ll read about one of the darkest days in Israel’s history, as the Babylonians return to finish the job of rioting the nation and exiling the people. At this point, the entire country – once a proud nation united under King David – will have been practically wiped out.

On the eve of reading that, spend a little time flicking back through the kings, from the early ones who rules over the nation, to the mess made by those who followed, and the few that attempted to stay strong to the Word of their Redeemer Lord. In the 500 years or so that encompassed these 42 kings, think about how the culture and the understanding (and trust) in God might have shifted from the days of the judges. What do you think might have been similar, and what would have been different, to the way we look back at biblical history nowadays? What do you think the people must have been thinking about and feeling as the ability of Judah to defend itself ebbed away?

Don’t forget, however, the plans God still had for the people, and His promise that they would only be away for 70 years (which we read about yesterday). It might have been tough to hear or respond to this message at the time – as indeed it can be in the heat of our difficulties too – but God’s promises are always faithfully kept. Those who continued to trust in that truth had hope to hold onto whilst in exile, as we’ll read in time.