21-2 Kings 23:21 - 1Chronicles 16

2 Kings 23:21 - 1Chronicles 16 May 16, 2009

We will begin our study this week in the Book of 2 Kings 23:21. Last week we left off in the middle of Josiah’s reign over Judah. Josiah was a good king and Judah experienced a time of peace and reform during his life. This week in Chapter 23 starting with verse 21 we find that Josiah had commanded all the people to celebrate the Passover that he had read about in the Book of the Law. Passover had not been observed by God’s people since before the time of the judges. Even King David did not observe the feast. Josiah also removed all of the mediums, spiritists, teraphim, idols and other abominations from the land. The text says there was no king like him before or after that turned to the Lord and did according to the Law of Moses. Even though Josiah was a good king and the people returned to the Lord in his day, God still intended to remove His people from the land because of their unfaithfulness. Josiah was killed in Megiddo by the king of Egypt, Pharaoh Neco, when he went up against him and the king of Assyria in their journey to the Euphrates River. The people then took Jehoahaz his son and anointed him and made him king. Jehoahaz was evil and only reigned in Jerusalem for three months. Jehoahaz was put into prison by Pharaoh Neco at Riblah located at the northern edge of Palestine and under the control of Babylon. He then demanded a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold. This equaled seven hundred fifty lbs. of silver and seven and one half lbs. of gold in our system of weights. Pharaoh Neco put another of Josiah’s sons on the throne that would answer to him. The new king’s given name was Eliakim, but Neco proved his control over him by renaming him Jehoiakim. Jehoahaz was then taken to Egypt where he died. Jehoiakim was also evil like so many of the kings before him. He reigned in Jerusalem eleven years and taxed the people to pay Pharaoh Neco his tribute. During the reign of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon defeated Assyria and Egypt and became the ruling power in the world. Jehoiakim served Babylon for the last three years of his reign then turned against Nebuchadnezzar. The Lord did not want Jehoiakim to rebel against Babylon and sent alternating bands of Chaldeans, Arameans, Moabites, and Ammonites against Judah to destroy them. God had spoken through the prophets that He was going to allow His people to be taken into captivity for the sins of Manasseh, and the innocent blood that he had shed in Jerusalem. Jehoiakim died and was succeeded by his son Jehoiachin on the throne of Judah. He was also evil like his father and reigned three months in Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar then sent his servants to Jerusalem to place the city under siege. The siege was successful and Nebuchadnezzar himself came to Jerusalem and took Jehoiachin and his family and staff into exile along with the treasures of the temple back to Babylon. He even cut up the golden vessels that Solomon had made. Nearly all of the people of the city were also taken with the treasure. Only the poorest people remained in the city. The text says that Nebuchadnezzar then made his uncle Mattaniah king instead of Jehoiachin. Mattaniah was actually the youngest son of King Josiah, and the uncle of Jehoiachin. His name was changed to Zedekiah. He was also evil like Josiah’s other children and the Lord caused him to also rebel against Babylon. His reign lasted eleven years in Jerusalem. When Zedekiah rebelled, Nebuchadnezzar came and built a siege wall around Jerusalem and held the city captive for almost all of Zedekiah’s reign. During the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign the famine in Jerusalem was so severe the siege succeeded and the city fell again. Zedekiah and his family was captured and taken to Riblah. His sons were killed in his sight then Zedekiah was blinded and taken to Babylon. The Babylonians then burned the temple and the city and removed what was left. Only a few were left to tend the grapevines and farm the land. Everything else was taken to Babylon. The people of Judah were now completely exiled from the land. A man named Gedaliah was made governor over the people who were left. He was killed along with his followers, and those responsible fled to Egypt. The Book of 2 Kings ends with Evil-merodach, the king of Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar, releasing Jehoiachin from the prison he had been in for the past thirty seven years and taking him into his palace. We will now begin the Book of 1 Chronicles. The two Books of Chronicles along with the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah are believed to have been written by Ezra after Jerusalem had been reoccupied after the seventy years of captivity in Babylon. The books cover the history of God’s people from the beginning through the resettlement and rebuilding of Jerusalem around four hundred BC. The books differ from the books of Samuel and Kings in that they were written to encourage the returning exiled people to Jerusalem. The conditions then were nothing like what had existed during the reigns of David and Solomon. The evil kings of the kingdom of Israel are not covered in these books. Israel was taken captive many years before by the Assyrians and has disappeared from view. All the tribes of Israel were represented though because some of their people were living in Judah when Israel was taken captive. The first nine chapters of the Book of 1 Chronicles consist of genealogies of the people of God from Adam to the people of Jerusalem during the time of David and Saul. Emphasis is placed on David and his family. The individual tribes are also listed including their descendants. In reading and studying the genealogies we can see where some of the people included in the Bible text we have covered so far have come from. Tucked into Chapter 4 is one of the most interesting prayers in all of God’s word. This is the prayer of Jabez. The prayer is listed in Chapter 4:9-10 “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers and his mother named him Jabez saying, “Because I bore him with pain.”Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.” This is a great example of what happens when you ask the Lord for something that lines up according to the will of God! After the first nine chapters of genealogies, Chapter 10 covers the defeat and death of King Saul. Saul was only wounded in his battle with the Philistines, but took his own life rather than face the abuse of his enemy. The Jews believe suicide is an insult to God. This was the reason Elijah did not take his life when he fled to the wilderness from Jezebel back in the Book of 1 Kings 19. Saul killed himself anyway and the Lord took responsibility for his death as proper punishment for his request to the witch of Endor. In Chapter 11 David was recognized as Israel’s king in Hebron. The people said to David in Chapter 11:1-2 “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh.“In times past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led out and brought in Israel; and the Lord your God said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and you shall be prince over My people Israel.’” David then went to Jerusalem, which was known as Jebus at that time, and took over the city from the Jebusites. He made Jerusalem his capital. The text then tells us how Joab became King David’s commander and right hand man. David said in Chapter 11:6 “Whoever strikes down a Jebusite first shall be chief and commander.” Joab was the first to do this and was made chief. The rest of the chapter lists the Mighty Men of David and some of their exploits. Verses 41-47 add additional names that were not listed in the Book of 2 Samuel 23. Chapter 12:1-22 cover the time when David fled from King Saul to the Philistine city of Ziklag that was also told of in the Books of 1 Samuel 27 – 2 Samuel 5. In verse 18 the Holy Spirit came upon Amasai who said these words to David “We are yours, O David, and with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to him who helps you; Indeed, your God helps you!” The men of Judah and Benjamin wanted David to know that he had their support and it was blessed by God. The verses 23-37 cover David’s seven and one half year reign from Hebron. In Chapter 13 David realizes that the Ark of the Covenant needed to be brought to Jerusalem. We had read before that the Ark had been stolen by the Philistines back in the Book of 1 Samuel 5-6. Even though it had been returned the people did not reverence it as they should have. David, even though he loved and followed the Lord, did not transport the Ark properly. David had placed the Ark on a cart that was pulled by oxen and caused the death of Uzza when the man tried to stop the ark from falling off the cart. David did not understand that Uzza’s death was caused by having the Ark transported by animals and not carried by the sons of Kohath the Levite. He was afraid of the Ark and left it with Obed–edom the Gittite. David then went back to Jerusalem. In Chapter 14 the text says David’s kingdom was highly exalted and that he had many wives and children there. Also during this time the Philistines were defeated. Three months had passed and David saw the family of Obed-edom was blessed since they had possession of the Ark. King David realized his error and brought the Ark to Jerusalem the correct way with much celebration. In Chapter 16 David assigned Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the Lord. The psalm that was written at that time is recorded in Chapter 16:8-36 Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments from His mouth,
O seed of Israel His servant,
Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!
He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded to a thousand generations,
The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac.
He also confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan,
As the portion of your inheritance.”
When they were only a few in number,
Very few, and strangers in it,
And they wandered about from nation to nation,
And from one kingdom to another people,
He permitted no man to oppress them,
And He reproved kings for their sakes, saying,
“Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”
Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
Tell of His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
He also is to be feared above all gods.

     For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
 Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and joy are in His place.
 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him;
Worship the Lord in holy array.
 Tremble before Him, all the earth;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
 Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
 Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord;
For He is coming to judge the earth.
 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His loving-kindness is everlasting.
 Then say, “Save us, O God of our salvation,
And gather us and deliver us from the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
And glory in Your praise.”

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
From everlasting even to everlasting.
Then all the people said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord.” The people were then set in place to minister to the Lord before the Ark in the tent King David pitched for it in Jerusalem.

    This ends our study for this week. Next week we will finish the Book of 1 Chronicles and begin the Book of 2 Chronicles.