2 Kings 24:18-

25:27

Fall of Jerusalem and the Exile

King Zedekiah of Judah and the Prophet Jeremiah

~726 BC

Assyrian/Babylonian

Captivity

of Israel

(11)

Southern

Kingdom:

Judah

(11)(29)

Manasseh JosiahHezekiah Jehoiakim Zedekiah

Am

on

Jeh

oah

az

(55) (31)

~609 BC586 BC

~592-570 BC

~626-586 BC

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

Fall of

Judah to

Babylon

612 BC

Fall of

Assyria to

Babylon

Part 2Je

ho

iach

in

Isaiah

~605-535 BC

Daniel-685 BC

ProphetsKings

(approx. reign in years)

Legend:

Kings and Prophets Timeline

Vassal of

Egypt

Vassal of

Babylon

~605 BC ~597 BC

2nd

captivity

Captives taken

to Babylon

Family TreeJosiah

~640-609 B.C.

Jehoiakim(Eliakim)

609-598 B.C.

Jehoiachin(Coniah)

3 months 597 B.C.

Zedekiah(Mattaniah)

597-586 B.C.

Jehoahaz(Shallum)

3 months 609 B.C.

Judah’s Decline

609 B.C. Jehoahaz reigns 3 months

609 B.C. Judah becomes Egyptian vassal, Egypt enthrones Jehoiakim

605 B.C. Egypt falls to Babylon at Carchemish,

Judah becomes Babylonian vassal, 1st deportation (royalty, upper class, artisans)

601 B.C Babylon clashes with Egypt, heavy losses both sides

597 B.C. Jehoiakim dies, Jehoiachin reigns 3 months, Nebuchadnezzar enthrones Zedekiah, 2nd deportation (nobles, officials, artisans, priests, leaders)

586 B.C. Zedekiah rebels, 3rd deportation (remaining population),

destruction of Jerusalem

2 Ki. 23-25, 2 Chr. 36

King Zedekiah of JudahYoungest son of King Josiah

Became king at age 21

Renamed from Mattaniah by Nebuchadnezzar

Reigned 11 years, from 597-586 B.C.

“Did evil in eyes of Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done” (2 Ki. 24:19); did not humble himself before Jeremiah who spoke the word of the Lord (2 Ch. 36:12)

Jeremiah’s Early Warnings

Potter’s house (Jer.18)

Yoke (Jer. 27)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/myfwcmedia/14709789856

God’s Case

against Jerusalem

Idolatry - Deuteronomy 4, 27-28

Deut. 4:25-27 if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God and arousing his anger, 26 I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. 27 The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you.

Unfaithfulness – Jeremiah 3:20

But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me,”

declares the LORD.

Rebellion – Ezekiel 20

Judah invaded~588 B.C. Zedekiah allies with Egypt and revolts against Nebuchadnezzar

Lachish aerial view Lachish ostraca

Nebuchadnezzar

armies invade.

Only Jerusalem,

Lachish and

Azekah stand

(fortified cities)

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=364095&partId=1&searchText=Lachish+ostracon&page=1

Jeremiah’s Warnings to

Zedekiah 588- 586 B.C.Zedekiah inquires of the Lord, when Babylonian armies withdrew as Egyptian armies marched out (Jer. 37)

Lord, ‘Egypt will go back, Babylon will return, attack, burn the city’

Jeremiah goes to leave, is imprisoned

Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah, ‘Any word from the Lord?’

Lord, ‘you will be handed over to the king of Babylon’

Jeremiah protested no crime, Zedekiah put in the courtyard

Jeremiah told the people ‘Stay and die, Leave and surrender and live’ (Jer. 38)

Zedekiah allows his angry officials (Gedaliah son of Pashhur) to put Jeremiah into an empty cistern

Ebed-Melech, a Cushite is allowed by Zedekiah to rescue Jeremiah from the well

Zedekiah secretly inquires of the Lord through Jeremiah

Lord, ‘Surrender and your life is spared; Refuse and you will not escape, the city will burn and the women brought out to the officers

Gedaliah, Son of Pashhur;

Minister of Zedekiah (Jer. 38:1)

http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2008/10/13/More-on-the-Seal-of-King-Zedekiahs-Minister.aspx

The Babylonian Empire

http://www.anthrogenica.com/showthread.php?1689-What-happend-to-the-Babylonians-and-who-are-their-descendants-today&s=46cf83b1777bf11664aeef32f956191d

Riblah

The Fall of Jerusalem (Jer.

39, 52)Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem (severe famine)

Army, led by Nebuzaradan, broke through the city wall

Zedekiah and soldiers fled, headed towards the Arabah

Army overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, taken to Riblah and sentenced

Sons killed before his eyes, and nobles; then Zedekiah was blinded, bound and taken to Babylon

Set fire to temple, royal palace and houses; broke down city walls

Took the bronze pillars, the bronze Sea, all bronze, silver and gold articles in the temple; took priests, officers, advisors to Nebuchadnezzar who executed them

Nebuchadnezzar spared Jeremiah, who stayed with Gedaliah

Message for Ebed-Melech the Cushite (Jer. 39:15-18)

http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2008/04/Nebo-Sarsekim-Found-in-Babylonian-Tablet.aspx

Tablet mentions Nebo-Sarsekim,

Chief officer

Jerusalem in Ruins

586 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar appoints Gedaliah son of Ahikam governor

Remnant of Jews returned to Judah

Within 3 months, Ishmael son of Nethaniah assassinates Gedaliah,

men of Judah and Babylonians at Mizpah

Remaining officers and poorest people remaining fled to Egypt

taking Jeremiah and Baruch with them

The Land of Judah is desolate and de-populated

and finally has it’s Sabbath rest (2 Chr. 36:21, Lev. 25:1-7)

2 Ki. 25:22-26, 2 Chr. 36:20-21, Jer. 40-44

God’s People in Exile

Practical Life: treated like other expatriate group by Chaldeans

Ruler (Jehoiachin) & family: treated with deference

Poorest: servitude enslavement

Elite: freedom to choose employment; opportunity for position,

wealth, property

Became known as “Jews”

Psychological Effect:

Hill-dwelling open plains

Shameful exile, betrayed by

leaders, abandoned by God

acute emotional,

spiritual crisis

http://www.britannica.com/place/Tigris-Euphrates-river-systemInformation from “Old Testament Times” by R. K. Harrison

Spiritual Life in ExileSpiritual Responses:

1) bitter resentment against God, failed to protect as promised

2) spirit of penitent acceptance, realized too late seriousness of prophetic warnings, woeful lack of faithfulness

Jeremiah’s Message of Hope:

God’s purpose: punishment; God’s limit: 70 years (Jer. 25, 29); God’s promise: restoration (Jer. 30-33)

Symbolic Proof– In the middle of the siege of Jerusalem, Jeremiah bought a field (Jer. 32-33)

Jeremiah’s counsel – settle down, marry, build and plant, live in peace (Jer. 29) resistance was seen as rebellion

Changes in Worship: maintain identity as a people of God

Pursue observances that didn’t offend (fasting, prayer, instruction in law, Sabbath)

No temple house gatherings, weekly day of worship (new pattern)

Priestly emphasis on distinguishing features (circumcision, purification rituals, rejection of some foods)

Information from “Old Testament Times” by R. K. Harrison

Jeremiah

42:1-16,

43:1-7

Lamentations

1:18-20,

2:17a

3:17-26,

39-42,

5:1, 21-22

Two Baskets of Figs

http://www.bibleplaces.com/fig-trees/

Table DiscussionLamentations

(1:18-20, 3:17-26, 39-42, 5:1)

What is the response of the exiles to all that

has happened?

What progression of thinking do you see?

What truths give the writer hope?

Where is the writer’s focus at the end?

How is leadership different when you are

being disciplined by God?

Jeremiah(42:1-16, 43:1-7)

How did the people respond to all that had

happened?

What did the people want to know and what

did God tell them to do?

What made it challenging to obey God?

What did the evidence tell them to do?

How is leadership different in adversity?

What did the good figs do that the bad figs did not do?

or What was God requiring of both groups of people?

Lessons

God is faithful to discipline His people.

Submission to discipline is crucial to restoration.

Hope is found in God’s character.

When disciplined by God, “bloom where you are

planted.”

2 Kings

The Responsibility of

Leadership

A sinful leader can cause people to sin,

but a godly leader can help people faithful repent.

Leadership under times of discipline requires

honesty, repentance, faith and courageous

obedience.

Apply It Personally:

From Jeremiah 42

How are my fears keeping me from obedience?

What has God allowed in my life to discipline me?

When God disciplines me, how do I try to avoid it?

From Lamentations

Is there sin which I need to agree with the Lord about?

Does my response to my sin include sorrow, self-examination, and change?

When I am downcast due to my sin, what part of God’s character will I look to for hope?

Next Week

King Belshazzar and the

Prophet Daniel

(Daniel 5)