PROPHECIES FULFILLED. 2nd Kings 24 After the revival and positive changes made during the reign of Josiah and after his death, things rapidly deteriorated in Judah. One of his sons, Jehoiakim, had only a brief evil reign and was taken captive to Egypt. The next son, Jehoiakim, was also an evil ruler and served as a puppet king under the authority of Nebuchadnezzar. When he rebelled against the ruler of Babylon, it wasn't long until he died. The prophecies against Judah and the kings of Judah were being fulfilled. Apparently Jehoiakim was personally evil as well as being an evil leader. He was taken "bound in fetters" to Babylon, where he died and was "buried with the burial of an ass."
God's justice is righteous in every way. Many people have the idea that God will overlook sin. They say, "After all, He is a God of mercy!" implying that He will never judge the guilty. However, mercy had been extended to those of Judah for hundreds of years, and grace had been shown in the fact of God sending prophets to warn the people against evil and to teach them the way back to God. There is a day of reckoning when the evil practices of people have gone so far for so long that they must be stopped. The effects of sin are felt by those who follow. Generations following often do the same evil practices as those before them and go even further.
Jehoiachin, Josiah's grandson, was the king for only three months when the prophecy regarding the captivity of Judah was fulfilled. The Babylonian army laid siege against Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar came himself because, at that time, he was the leader of the Babylonian army. When his father, King Nabopolassar, died, Nebuchadnezzar became the king. Jehoiachin, his family, his servants, the nobility of the nation, and all the leadership surrendered. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah would have been teenagers then and among those taken as captives to Babylon. All the trained leaders, craftsmen, and those who would have been a threat to Babylonian rule were taken captive, and their skills and leadership qualities were used in Babylon.
the Assyrians had scattered captives throughout their empire and moved foreigners in to tend to the captured territory so that area would be subservient to the new ruler. The Babylonians used a different tactic. They took all those who were skilled and had leadership qualities because of their training and family connections and moved them to the cities of Babylon to strengthen the empire and weaken the captive areas. Those who tended the land and were poor were left at their homes to work and rule the land, which elevated them to positions of authority that were previously denied. In that way, they would change their loyalty from the Israeli king to the Babylonian king.
By permitting those taken captive to live together, work together, and become part of Babylonian society, the Jews were able to retain their identity. Some of them remained faithful to the Lord, and years later, some were able to return to Israel and rebuild Jerusalem, the temple, and the city walls under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah.
Teaching our children and grandchildren the word of God when they are young is very important. We never know where they will go or their work, but if we diligently impress them with the value of the word of God, they will not forget the standards of righteousness. Some may willfully reject what they have been taught, but instilled in their consciences and minds are the unchangeable truths of God.
Our prayer for them is when they have had their fill of evil and worldly pleasures, they will realize the truth of what they were taught and return to the word of God for the light they need. When they have tried and tested that which we forbade when they were under our authority, they will hopefully realize what God says can be relied on. That which is sinful does not bring satisfaction. The "pleasures of sin" are only for a season.
When Jehoiachin was in Babylon, another of Josiah's sons, Mattaniah, was designated by Nebuchadnezzar to be the king of those left in Judah. His name was changed to Zedekiah to remind him and those he led that he was subject to Nebuchadnezzar. He had not learned anything about repentance or accepting responsibility for his own sin, and consequently, he continued the evil practices of those before him that led to captivity. Many prophecies of Isaiah and other prophets were fulfilled when the Jews were taken captive and put in bondage to the world powers.
Weakness of character leads to moral weakness. Moral weakness leads to spiritual weakness. Spiritual weakness leads to captivity by the world, and the attractions of sin seem to be real. The habits that bind are things like alcohol, drugs, entertainment, and anything that captivates the minds of those who ignore the word of God. We do not make prophetic utterances and predictions based on our own opinions, but we can warn people, including our own families, that "Thus saith the Lord" can be counted on to be unchangeable facts. Even if they have experienced failure or a fall, the wise person can return to the Lord, and He will have mercy.
Those ancient kings seemed to ignore the word of God, the godly people who lived before them, and the prophets who warned them. When that mindset is in place, divine justice sets in, and "payday" comes. Zedekiah had not learned from his father, Josiah, nor had he learned from the failures of his brothers or nephew who ruled before him. He even apparently thought he was in control and succumbed to the enticements of those who were against being governed by Babylon. Even though he had sworn allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar, he took matters into his own hands to seek independence from Babylon.
One's word should be able to be counted on, even by those who do not know the Lord. To say one thing and do another has always been challenged by those who expect us to honor our word. Sometimes, we make unreasonable and dogmatic statements in family life without considering the consequences. When we are wrong, we need to admit we are wrong. To defend one's independent actions when they are not right is foolish. Every person is under some authority, and it is important that we make the foundation of our life and commitment, our obedience to God and His word as the first and foremost authority over us. The laws of the land may be changed, and the social mores of society are usually adapted to a time, place, and culture. We can only submit to those when they are consistent with the word of God under whose authority we live. Our family, the family of God, and society in general have a right to expect us to live under biblical authority and the fact that what God says (prophesies) is right and can be counted on.
The past finally caught up with the present; what we sow, we reap. The Lord would not pardon the shedding of innocent blood when children were burned as sacrifices to Moloch, and the value of life was lost until there was bloodshed in the streets when the prophets were killed. There is no more recourse for the unrepentant when they still insist on doing evil in the sight of the Lord. The forces of darkness have serious power, and when left unchecked, the faint light from righteous men is deliberately extinguished.
That same darkness continues to grow darker than ever in the world today, and righteous judgment ignores the cries of the anguished who suffer for righteousness’ sake. The unalterable principle of sowing and reaping is carried out in all the seasons of life. When people no longer obey and do the will of God, moral darkness becomes that of the deepest night.
We do well to heed the warnings we receive from the lives of the ancients and act on them now. Their lives were lived in blatant rebellion, and they are an example to us lest our obedience be slow to obey the word of the Lord. Grace was extended for hundreds of years, but it will end when grace is spurned and the truth is forsaken. When God’s mercy ends, and judgment finally comes, He will soon send the full cup of His divine wrath, and justice will be carried out. It is the same in our day. We have been blessed but have taken our blessings for granted. In our world today, God’s name has been despised, and our judgment, like those in the past, is slated on God’s calendar.