B15. King Manasseh of Judah

[cf. 2 Chron 33:1-20]

21:1-9

• Manasseh is evil & follows the practices of the land [Canaan’s fertility religion, cf. Lev 18:1-27], he worships Baal, builds idolatrous altars in God’s temple & sacrifices his sons [to Molech]

21:10-15

• God’s prophets say, ‘Jerusalem will be destroyed because of Manasseh’s sin!’ [cf. Lev 18:28-30]

[fulfilled when Jerusalem was besieged, captured, ransacked and burnt by Nebuchadnezzar, see 25:1-21]

21:16-18

• Manasseh sheds much innocent blood [tradition states he killed Isaiah along with many prophets of God]

B16. King Amon of Judah

[cf. 2 Chron 33:21-25]

21:19-22

• Amon worships the same idols as his father Manasseh (in 21:1-9)

21:23-26

• Amon is assassinated by his officials (who were subsequently sentenced to death)

B17. King Josiah of Judah

[cf. 2 Chron ch. 34 – 35]

22:1-7

• Josiah does what is right in God’s sight; he orders that God’s temple should be repaired

22:8-20

• The Book of the Law is found and read to Josiah [i.e. the Torah (Gen, Ex, Lev, Num, Deut)];
• Josiah becomes worried because the Law has not been kept; he enquires of prophetess Huldah, who says, ‘Disaster is coming! Because Josiah humbled himself, he will not experience it!’

23:1-3

• Josiah reads the Book of the Covenant to all the people & renews the covenant [cf. Ex 24:3-8]

23:4-20

• Josiah removes Baal’s shrine from God’s temple, defiles the [idolatrous] high places in Judah, & destroys Jeroboam I’s altar in Bethel [fulfilling prophecies from 1 Kings 13:2 & Amos 3:14]

23:21-25

• Josiah celebrates the Passover & gets rid of mediums & spiritualists as he follows God’s law

23:26-27

• God remains angry because of King Manasseh’s sin (see 21:1-9), and still intends to reject Judah, Jerusalem & His temple [as prophesied in 21:10-15, 22:16-17, Jer 1:13-16, 15:1-4, Zeph ch. 1]

23:28-30

• Josiah travels to meet Pharaoh Neco [to fight him, see 2 Chron 35:20-22]; Josiah is killed by Neco

[The prophets Jeremiah and Zephaniah began prophesying during Josiah’s reign]

B18-i. King Jehoahaz^B a.k.a. Shallum^B of Judah

[cf. 2 Chron 36:1-4]

23:31-34

• Jehoahaz^B is king for 3 months, and acts wickedly
• He is imprisoned by Pharaoh Neco, who imposes a levy & makes Jehoiakim king
• Jehoahaz^B dies in Egypt [cf. Jer 22:10-12]

B18-ii. King Jehoiakim of Judah

[cf. 2 Chron 36:5-8]

23:35

• Jehoiakim taxes the people so he can pay Pharaoh Neco [the levy imposed in 23:33]

23:36-37

• Jehoiakim reigns for 11 years; he acts wickedly [e.g. see Jer 22:13-19, 36:27-31]

1^st (partial) exile of Judah

24:1

• King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invades the land [Daniel & his peers are exiled, Daniel 1:1-6];
• Jehoiakim serves Nebuchadnezzar for 3 years, but then rebels against him

24:2-6

• Judah is attacked by armies from Babylon, Aram, Moab and Ammon who are sent by God to destroy Judah because of His Word regarding King Manasseh’s sins (see 21:10-15, 22:16-17)

24:7 Other news:

• Egypt was also invaded and all its land conquered by Babylon

B19. King Jehoiachin a.k.a. Jeconiah or Coniah of Judah

[cf. 2 Chron 36:9-10]

2^nd (partial) exile of Judah

24:8-9

• Jehoiachin reigns for 3 months; he acts wickedly [Jeremiah prophesied against him, Jer 22:24-30]

24:10-16

• Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem; Jehoiachin surrenders;
• Jerusalem’s treasures are carried to Babylon [cf. prophecy in 20:16-17], along with Jehoiachin (cf. 25:27-30) & his army

[The prophet Ezekiel was exiled at the same time as Jehoiachin and began his ministry among the exiles]

B18-iii. King Zedekiah of Judah

[cf. 2 Chron 36:11-21]

3^rd (final) exile of Judah / Destruction of Jerusalem

24:17-20

• Zedekiah is made king by Nebuchadnezzar; he is evil, and rebels against Nebuchadnezzar

[Jeremiah prophesied against him, see Jer 21:1-7, 22:1-9, 24:8-10, 32:1-5, 37:1-10, 37:16-17]

25:1-7

• Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem;
• Zedekiah is caught, made blind & exiled to Babylon

25:8-21

• The temple & palaces are burnt; people are exiled; treasures are taken; chief men are killed

Aftermath of Judah’s exile

Governor Gedaliah

25:22-24

• Gedaliah (son of Ahikam [cf. Jer 26:24]) is made governor of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar

25:25

• Gedaliah is assassinated by Ishmael [despite being warned that Ishmael is a threat, see Jer 40:13 – 41:2]

25:26

• The people flee to Egypt [despite Jeremiah warning them not to go there, see Jer 42:13 – 43:7]

B19. King Jehoiachin in exile

25:27-30 37th year of exile

• King Jehoiachin is given some freedom by King Amel-Marduk of Babylon

2-Sam / 1-Kgs / 2-KGS / 1-Chr / 2-Chr