The Bible in 90 Days (Week Five)

Text Overview
Over the course of our reading we have witnessed the behavior of Israel in relation to God’s Will and His instruction. Their actions can be summed up in a word; rebellious. Time and time again they have allowed sin to turn their attention away from God. As the writer of 2 Kings wrote…


2 Kings 17:14 (NIV) But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who did not trust in the LORD their God.


The people of Israel were taken into exile by Assyria because of their sin in following the practices of the nations around them; just as God had foreseen and warned them not to do. After deporting the people left in Samaria, the king of Assyria resettled the towns with people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim. They took over the land and also brought in the customs of their respective cultures; as well as their various gods.


The southern kingdom of Judah was not without blame, they also had made transgressions against the Lord. It was only because of God’s promise to David that it was allowed to remain. (See 2 Samuel 7) Due to their sins, God would also punish them. We pick up our reading with the accounts of the last kings in the southern kingdom, its eventual fall and exile into captivity.


The Last Kings of the Southern Kingdom


Hezekiah
He was the twelfth king of Judah and the son of Ahaz. In the sight of God he what was right following the ways of David. He placed his trust in the Lord to the extent that there has been no other king like him, either before his time or after. Under his reign the high places were removed, he cut down the Asherah poles and smashed the sacred stones. He even broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made because the Israelites had been burning incense to it. He held fast to the commands of the Lord and was successful in rebelling against the Assyrian king as well as the Philistines. When the new king of Assyria, Sennacherib attacked Judah and took the fortified cities; Hezekiah received word from God through the prophet Isaiah that the Lord Himself would defend and save Jerusalem… and He did. On his death bed God healed him and added fifteen years to his life; causing a shadow to go ten steps backward and down the stairs as a sign. Hezekiah also received the prophecy that Judah would be taken by Babylon.


Manasseh
He was the thirteenth king of Judah and the son of Hezekiah. Unlike his father, he followed the evil ways of the nations around him; rebuilding the high places his father had removed. He put up Asherah poles and built altars to Baal and also worshiped the starry hosts. There were altars in the temple of the Lord and he even sacrificed his own son in the fire. Manasseh led the people astray to the point that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before them. He shed so much blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end. The Lord was moved to anger so much so that he said through the prophets that he would bring them to disaster wiping them out as one wipes a dish.


Amon
He was the fourteenth king of Judah and the son of Manasseh. He too was evil in the eyes of the Lord following his father’s ways. After being on the throne for two years he was assassinated by his officials in the place. Then the people of the land killed all who had plotted against him and made his son king.


Josiah
He was the fifteenth king of Judah and the son of Amon. He followed the ways of David, doing what was right. He ordered repairs on the temple of the Lord during which time the Book of the Law was found. Because he was responsive to the Will of God and his heart was humble, God did not destroy his kingdom or bring Judah to ruin in his lifetime. Under his rule the people of Judah renewed the covenant of the Lord and pledged to follow its commands again. Like his great-grandfather, Hezekiah, he set his hand to destroying all the altars, high places, Asherah poles, sacred stones, household gods, and other things that were detestable to the Lord; throughout the kingdom, the surrounding area, as well as in Samaria. He smashed, burned, and ground to power these things and places; covering them with human bones to defile them. The priests of these high places were slaughtered and every other measure was taken to ensure the requirements of the law were followed. Josiah ordered the people to resume the celebration of the Passover which had not been observed since the days of the judges. He did all of this to atone for the sins of the Israelites, and bring them back into conformity to the requirements of the Book of the Law; however the anger of the Lord was not moved and Judah was still destined for disaster. When Neco, the Pharaoh of Egypt went to assist the Assyrian king, Josiah marched to meet him in battle. They faced at Megiddo where Josiah was killed.


JehoahazHe was the sixteenth king of Judah and the son of Josiah. In the eyes of the Lord he did evil and after only three months he was placed in chains by Pharaoh Neco and taken into captivity to Hamath and later died in Egypt. His brother, Eliakim was installed by Neco to replace him as king.


JehoiakimHe was the seventeenth king of Judah, Josiah’s son, and older brother of Jehoahaz; Neco the Pharaoh of Egypt changed his name from Eliakim when he made him king. He also did evil in the eyes of the Lord. When Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon invaded the land, Jehoiakim became his vassal. After three years he changed his mind and rebelled. The Babylonians along with Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders moved against Judah; having already taken the territory of Egypt from Pharaoh Neco. These events took place as the Lord had spoken through His prophets concerning the fate of Judah.


JehoiachinHe was the eighteenth king of Judah and the son of Jehoiakim. He was also evil following the ways of his father. Jerusalem was under siege by Babylon and when king Nebuchadnezzar came up to the city, Jehoiachin with all his officials, surrendered to him. In the eighth year of his reign, just as the Lord had declared, Jehoiacin was taken prisoner. Along with his mother, his wives, his officials, and the leading men of the land; king Jehoiachin was deported to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also took the entire fighting force of seven thousand men. He removed all the treasure from the temple and palace, all the craftsmen and artisans, everything of value. All of Jerusalem was taken into exile; only the poorest of the land were left. Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle was made king and Nebuchadnezzar changed his name to Zedekiah.


Zedekiah
He was the nineteenth king of Judah and the last of the Southern Kingdom. He too was evil in the sight of the Lord. In the ninth year of his reign, because of his rebellion against the king of Assyria, Nebuchadnezzar encamped outside Jerusalem and built siege works all around it. For two years he kept it under siege until famine inside the walls had the people starving. One night the wall was broken through and the whole army fled toward Arabah with the Babylonian army in pursuit. Zedekiah was captured at Jericho, his soldiers scattered. He was taken to the king of Babylon at Ribiah where his sons were killed in front of him and his eyes were put out. Placed in bronze shackles he was taken to Babylon. Afterwards Jerusalem was laid to waste and burned; the temple, palace, and every major building. The walls were broken down and all of those who had remained in and around the city were taken into exile. Only a hand full of poorest were left behind to work the vineyards and fields. Seraiah, the chief priest and Zephaniah, the next in line alond with the other top officials, officers, the secretary, and many scribes were taken to Ribiah in the land of Hamath where the king had them executed.


Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, was appointed governor by Nebuchadnezzar to oversee the people left behind. News of his appointment reached army officers and others in the area that had fled Jerusalem. Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, a descendant of royal blood, went with ten co-conspirators and assassinated him at Mizpah along with the other officials that were there with him; both Jews and Babylonian. Out of fear of Babylonian retaliation, the people fled to Egypt.


The Southern Kingdom Was Also Lost

Our God is a jealous God, one that desires attention to Him and Him alone. This should in no way be a surprising thing. Consider your own desire in the relationships that you are or have been involved in. There were many opportunities over the course of generations and warning after warning. There is a point where enough is enough. That point for the Israelites was reached. There are times when one must be without a thing in order to understand and appreciate its benefit. Our passion like that of Israel is focused on the pleasures and indulgences of sin. Our nature makes it a burning desire to the degree that the focus on God and His righteousness looses its place. It is one thing to adopt a position without knowing the consequences, but quite another to enter into a situation with full knowledge. The law had been given, clear promises had been made, but Israel chose rejection of it all. As I said in an earlier discussion; rejection of God is sin… the consequence to be faced is rejection by God.

Notes on Chronicles

In their presentation the books of Chronicles present moral and religious truth. Prominence to politics as found in Samuel and Kings, gives way to emphasis on God’s Law and Commandments. The lists of family history, while boring to readers today, were really an important part of the public records of the Hebrew state. Establishing the basis on which land rights were held, how public services of the temple were to be conducted, as well as making determinations of the Levites and their descendants. They also kept record of royal blood lines. The history from the days of Adam down to the return from Babylonian exile, a period of about 3,500 years, was kept alive for the new generations that were to come out of captivity.
As compared with Samuel and Kings, the Book of Chronicles omits many particulars recorded, and includes many things peculiar to itself (1 Chr. 12; 22; 23-26; 27; 28; 29, etc.). Twenty whole chapters, and twenty-four parts of chapters, are occupied with matters not found elsewhere. It also records many things in greater detail, like the list of David's heroes (1 Chr. 12:1-37), the removal of the ark from Kirjath-Jearim to Mount Zion (1 Chr. 13; 15:2-24; 16:4-43; compare 2 Sam. 6), and also Uzziah's leprosy and its cause (2 Chr. 26:16-21; compare 2 Kings 15:5), etc.
It also substitutes modern and more common expressions for those that had then become obsolete; replacing modern names of places, such as were in use in the writer's day, for the old names. [Gezer (1 Chr. 20:4) is used instead of Gob (2 Sam. 21:18), etc.]

The Book of Ezra


After seventy years of captivity for the Southern Kingdom, Cyrus became king of Persia and his empire covered the known world. It was he, being thankful to the Lord for his success, who was used by God to fulfill the prophecies of Jeremiah concerning Judah. A decree was put in writing for the building of a temple to the Lord at Jerusalem. It allowed for the return of the people in exile. Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, a royal descendant of David, a group of over 42,000 including children were the first to return to Jerusalem.


Once settled, preparations were made for the rebuilding of the Altar of the Lord. With the help of Jeshua son of Jozadak the high priest, the altar was rebuilt on its original foundations. Then both morning and evening sacrifices as well as the Feast of Tabernacles were re-established. Later all the sacred feasts and sacrifices ware again celebrated.
Money was raised for the rebuilding of the temple, the House of God, and work was begun. When the foundation was laid, the people held a celebration. As word spread about the temple, opposition arose from Judah’s enemies. The campaign caused the work to stop when a letter was issued by king Artaxerxes of Persia. When eighteen years had passed, a new decree was issued by king Darius of Persia which gave clear authority for the continuation of the work with stiff consequences for anyone who interfered. Work on the temple was resumed and the temple was completed.


With the temple completed, the people enjoyed preaching from Haggai and Zechariah, the prophets. A celebration was held to dedicate the temple. Priest and Levites were installed for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to the Book of Moses. The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread was also celebrated and re-established.
About a generation later, under the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia; Ezra son of Seraiah, a direct descendant of Aaron brought the second group of returning exiles. He was given a letter granting him power and authority to take all the Israelites including priests and Levites who wish to go with him to Jerusalem. It also charged him to administer justice, appoint magistrates and judges, and teach the laws of the God of Israel to all the people throughout the Trans-Euphrates. (See Ezra 7) The last chapter tells of his addressing the issue of intermarriage among the people.


Reflection


Two things have remained with us from this period. First there is the question of those “Lost Tribes of Israel.” Samaria was not resettled by Israel. With the exception of a handful of descendants that aligned themselves with Judah; they remained scattered, or lost. So the Northern Kingdom of Israel that was led astray by king Jeroboam was removed from the sight of God. Those who returned to settle in Jerusalem were only a remnant of the former Israelites; a remnant of Jacob and a remnant of Jerusalem. Most belonged to the former Southern Kingdom or Judah. So the second thing to come from this period is the term Jew or Jewish, referring to those that now existing as Judah in Jerusalem.


2 Chronicles 36:20-21 (NIV) 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 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.

This Week

As we move ahead through Job and the Psalm’s, a deeper understand of Biblical Wisdom will be unfolded. This section of the Bible gives teaching to what was understood by God’s people of long ago, as well as what we should try an understand for our daily life now. Coping with the pressures of life is not easy. There are many challenges to face as well as the emotion that comes with it. Temptation will often bring with it confusion and finding answers is not always a simple thing. Be thankful that Our Heavenly Father has provided a guide to see us through the difficulties that we face.


Remember to press ahead, with a few more pages you will be half way through the Bible… let me say that again… half way. We have started in the wisdom books, a section that gives insight to the events that we just covered. There is new spiritual food and more in the way of lessons in store. Please continue your quest to finish in “90 Days” , and be encouraged… you are not alone.

Reminders
The Daily Readings are posted here… BibleGateway

The Alternate Reading plan for this week

July – Sixth Week:

Day 36 – Ezra – 3 –- Nehemiah - 6
Day 37 – Nehemiah – 7 –- Esther - 3
Day 38 – Esther – 4 –- Job - 10
Day 39 – Job – 11 – 24
Day 40 – Job – 25 – 37
Day 41 – Job - 38 –- Psalm - 17
Day 42 – Psalm - 18 – 36


2 Kings 19:31 (NIV) For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Blessings,
Matt.