II Chronicles 36, Chaos: Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah

The kings of Judah, after Solomon, have been 

• Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat (RAAJ),
• Jehoram, Ahaziah (& Attaliah), Joash (JAAJ),
• Amaziah, Uzziah,Jotham, Ahaz (AUJA),
• Hezekiah,Manasseh, Amon, Josiah (HMAJ),

and now 

• Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah (J^3Z.)

The date is 609 BC. The northern kingdom has been gone for over a century. Babylon is a frightening power invading from the east and the southern kingdom has a little over thirty years before Nebuchadnezzar moves in, razes Jerusalem, destroys Solomon's beautiful temple and carries the Jews into exile.

The names that begin "Je-" usually involve some statement about "Jehovah" (YHWH.) We have a string of rulers with religious names whose only religious acts are to be rulers when the kingdom falls.

2 Chronicles 36: 1-4, Jehoahaz, three months

And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father. Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. The king of Egypt dethroned him in Jerusalem and imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 

The king of Egypt made Eliakim, a brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Eliakim's brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt.

Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, become king.  He is dethroned by the king of Egypt (invading from the west) and the younger brother, Eliakim/Jehoiakim is made king. This is the beginning of a carousel of final kings, forced on Judah from world powers both in  the west and the east.

Josiah had died in a battle with King Necho II three months earlier so it is not surprising that the Egyptian army continues that campaign through Judah.

The parallel passage in Kings is 2 Kings 23:31-35.

2 Chronicles 36:5-8, Eliakim/Jehoiakim

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD his God. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the LORD and put them in his temple there.

The other events of Jehoiakim's reign, the detestable things he did and all that was found against him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.

Jehoiakim manages to reign eleven years at the will of the king of Egypt (in the west.) But then Nebuchadnezzar moves in from the east. In 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar defeats the Egyptian king Necho II in the Battle of Carchemish. Nebuchadnezzar then moves south to capture Jehoaikim, raid the temple, and take all of the treasures, both king and gold, off to Babylon. At this time many others, nobles like Daniel and his friends, were also deported to Babylon (Daniel 1:1-3.)

Jehoiakim is 25 years old when he succeeded his brother who had lasted only three months. Since his brother, Jehoahaz, began reign at 23, it was the younger brother that was first put on the throne.

The name "Eliakim" means "God raises up" while Jehoiakim means "Jehovah (YHWH) raises up." The two names are almost identical in meaning (says Payne); the reason for the imposed name change is unclear.

The life of Jehoiakim is also given in 2 Kings 23:36-24:7. His death occurs in 598 BC.

2 Chronicles 36:9-10, Jehoiachin

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD.

In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon, together with articles of value from the temple of the LORD, and he made Jehoiachin's uncle, Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim, grandson of Josiah, replaces his father. Jehoiachin only lasts three months before Nebuchadnezzar shows up again. Zedekiah, probably another son of Josiah, then replaces his nephew Jehoiachin. (See also 2 Kings 24:8-17 for the reign of Jehoiachin.)

2 Chronicles 36:11-14, Zedekiah

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the LORD. He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath in God's name. He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not turn to the LORD, the God of Israel. Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the LORD, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

Judah has four kings in two decades. Zedekiah is the last. In Zedekiah's time, Jeremiah confronts the king (see Jeremiah 34:1-11, for example.) The idolatry in Judah is rampant. 

The story of Zedekiah in the scroll of Kings is in 2 Kings 24:18-25:7.

2 Chronicles 36:15-20, Final invasion

The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and spared neither young man nor young woman, old man or aged. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar.
 

He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the LORD's temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. They set fire to God's temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there. He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power.

 

The date if 586 BC. Nebuchadnezzar invades one more time and carries off to Babylon everything of importance: articles from the temple and young royalty. They burn down the temple. See the first few verses of Psalm 79 for the anguish of a psalmist walking through the destroyed temple.

2 Chronicles 36:21-23, A sabbath rest for the land

The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: 

"This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "`The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you--may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.'"

After the desolation of the Babylonian captivity, the land has a "sabbatical rest" of seventy years. That length of "rest" is described by Jeremiah in Jeremiah 29:10. At the end of that time, God moves the heart of King Cyrus to allow the people of Israel to return to Judah.

The scroll of Chronicles ends, after the depressing collapse of Judah, with a promise that the people will return to Jerusalem. That story is in Ezra and Nehemiah, which we pick up next.