2 Chronicles 33

Study Guide 41: 2 Kings 25; 2 Chronicles 33-36 JUDAH’ S FALL Overview The reign of Manasseh was the beginning of the end for Judah. Even though at the end of his 55-year rule he “ told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel” (2 Chronicles 33:16), he himself had led the people too deeply into idolatry. A revival under Manasseh’ s grandson, Josiah, failed to redirect the nation to God. Two prophets, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, ministered to Judah during her last days. By hearing their words against the background of historic events we can sense the spiritual condition of Judah which made the Babylonian Exile a divine necessity. BABYLONIANS. The city of Babylon lies some 50 miles south of modern Baghdad. The impressive capital of one of the ancient world’ s greatest empires has been studied intensively by archeologists. NEBUCHADNEZZAR. He was the son of the founder of the Neo-Babylonian empire. He personally led the armies of Babylon in a series of wars against Egypt that crushed that ancient power and established Babylonian mastery of the Middle East. When the last kings of Judah rebelled, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city of Jerusalem and Solomon’ s magnificent temple. His established policy was to resettle troublesome people, and so Nebuchadnezzar ordered the Exile of the people of Judah. Daniel tells us much about this great pagan ruler who finally acknowledged God.

Commentary During the reign of Manasseh (2 Chronicles 33:1-20) the Southern Kingdom, though threatened, survived the Assyrian invasion that had swept Israel away. And there had been a religious revival at that time under Hezekiah. But Manasseh, Hezekiah’ s son, plunged Judah into the same kind of idolatry that the Northern Kingdom had known under Ahab and Jezebel. The temple was polluted with pagan altars, and the occult was promoted by the king. Child sacrifice to Molech was even practiced in the Hinnom Valley near Jerusalem! Tradition tells us that Isaiah spoke out against the king — and was executed, as were many other pious leaders who dared to pro test (2 Kings 21:16). Manasseh’ s 55-year reign did not bring prosperity to Judah. In 678 b.c. he and 21 other kings made a compulsory visit to swear allegiance to Assyria. Later Manasseh apparently involved Judah in a rebellion with Moab and Edom against Assyrian control, and the king was taken prisoner to Assyria. There, the Bible tells us, Manasseh “ humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers” and was returned to Judah by the Assyrians. “ Then,” the text adds, “ Manasseh knew that the Lord is God” (2 Chronicles 33:12-13). After his release the repentant king attempted to institute his own reforms. He cleansed the temple, threw down centers of idolatry in Jerusalem, and “ told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel” (2 Chronicles 33:16). But the people of Judah did not respond. This nation too had passed beyond the edge of judgment; only death and destruction lay ahead. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Sometimes people put off salvation, pointing to the thief on the cross as evidence that “ it’ s never too late” to be saved. Read 2 Chronicles 33:1-13 to your group. Then put a simple T-shaped chart on the chalkboard. On one side write “ Manasseh” and on the other “ the thief on the cross.” Ask your group members to compare and contrast these two repentant sinners. After they have done so, ask: “ What does this tell us about God? What does this tell us about salvation?” Then introduce the problem of those who want to wait to accept Christ, arguing from such late conversions that they don’ t have to become Christians “ yet.” How might they be answered? When your group members have shared ideas, read 2 Chronicles 33:12-17, emphasizing 2 Chronicles 33:16-17. Manasseh may have known a personal conversion. But he could not do anything about the impact of his evil days on others! He was saved. But it was too late for Manasseh to undo the harm his wickedness had done to his nation. Discuss and apply: “ More than our own salvation depends on turning to Jesus now.”

The Last Days DateEvent 686Manasseh becomes sole king 648Josiah born 642Amon succeeds Manasseh as king 640Josiah becomes king 633Josiah at 16 seeks after God 628Josiah at 20 begins reforms 627Jeremiah at 20 called as a prophet 621Mosaic Law found in temple 612Nineveh destroyed as Nahum prophesied 609Josiah slain in battle at Megiddo; Jehoiakim becomes king 605Babylon defeats Egypt at Carchemish; Nebuchadnezzar becomes king of Babylon; First deportation to Babylon includes Daniel 604Nebuchadnezzar receives tribute in Palestine 601Nebuchadnezzar defeated near Egypt 598Jehoiakim set aside; Jehoiachin rules December 9 to March 16, 587; is then deported April 22 to Babylon 597Zedekiah becomes king in Judah; Ezekiel taken to Babylon 588Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem on January 15 587Jeremiah imprisoned (Jeremiah 32:1-2). 586Zedekiah flees July 18; Destruction of Jerusalem begins August 14 581Gedaliah killed and Jews migrate to Egypt against God’ s command October 7 Jeremiah One of the two prophets who gives us insight into the last days of Judah is Jeremiah. The prophet was born about 648 b.c. and grew up as a contemporary of godly King Josiah. He lived only about two miles from Jerusalem, and was a member of a priestly family. He would have been intimately acquainted with the political situation in Judah. At age 20, in 627 b.c., God told Jeremiah that he was to be His prophet. Jeremiah objected that he was too young, but God answered: Do not say, “ I am only a child.” You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you. Jeremiah 1:7-8But while given this promise, Jeremiah was also warned. His ministry would be one of judgment and punishment! He would be hated and unpopular. But out of the anguish God would bring a new hope. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant. Jeremiah 1:10This call set the tone for Jeremiah’ s long life. Obeying this call, Jeremiah urged his countrymen to surrender to Babylon, whom God showed him was the instrument of divine chastisement. But this demand was viewed as treason! Jeremiah was imprisoned, his life was threatened, and his words were constantly rejected by God’ s people. What, through the eyes of Jeremiah, can we learn about the last days and the final sins of Judah that led to the Babylonian Captivity?

Jeremiah’ s Messages under Jehoiakim In the fourth year of Jehoiakim’ s reign Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians at Carchemish, firmly establishing the Babylonians as the dominant world power. Hostages were taken by the victorious Nebuchadnezzar, whom Jeremiah identified as the servant God had chosen to judge Judah and the other nations of Palestine. Jeremiah predicted a lengthy Captivity, to last for 70 years, and at God’ s command made a written record of his sermons and prophetic messages. This scroll fell into the hands of King Jehoiakim, who ordered it burned and who commanded the arrest of the prophet and his secretary, Baruch. Even under arrest Jeremiah continued to utter the dire warning, adding a prediction of the death of Jehoiakim and of the certainty of Babylonian victory (Jeremiah 36:27-32). Messages from this dark period are filled with despair. God’ s heart was moved for His people, but they simply would not respond! Jeremiah 11:1-13:14. God’ s covenant and oath given to Israel when the people came up from Egypt are reviewed, and the falseness of this generation to its oath is exposed. God would surely “ uproot and destroy it” (Jeremiah 12:17). Jeremiah 14:1-15:21. The despair in this message grows out of the realization that it was now too late for God’ s people to turn to Him. God told Jeremiah not even to pray for his countrymen, and said, “ Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from My presence! Let them go!” (Jeremiah 15:1) Four kinds of doom had been determined, and destiny had been sealed. Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity. Jeremiah 15:2Jer_23:1-40. The religious leaders whom God sent to care for His flock had instead scattered them. Their lying prophecies and promises would bring them everlasting reproach. Jeremiah 26:1-24. Jeremiah related an incident from early in Jehoiakim’ s reign, when He had offered pardon if only the people would return to God and “ listen to Me, and follow My Law, which I have set before you . . . listen to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again” (Jeremiah 26:4-5). The leaders then actually encouraged the people to shout for Jeremiah’ s death, for the “ crime” of speaking against their city in God’ s name! The one man who dared to speak up in support of Jeremiah, Uriah, was himself hunted down and later killed by Jehoiakim. Yet Jeremiah was delivered, as God had promised at the time of his call.

The Final Decades: 597 b.c. — 581 b.c. The second group of captives was taken to Babylon in 597 b.c. At that time, 25-year-old Ezekiel, a member of an important priestly family, was taken to Babylon along with those distinguished men whom Nebuchadnezzar wanted to remove from political influence in their homeland. Some five years later, in 592 b.c., Ezekiel was called as a prophet (Ezekiel 1:2). Ezekiel had a unique two-part ministry. He prophesied warnings of Jerusalem’ s destruction between 592 and 586 b.c. His last message of this era, reported in Ezekiel 32:1-32, was delivered in April of 585 b.c., just after the city and its temple fell. Then, some 13 years later, the prophet took up a new ministry — a ministry of hope and comfort. But as we explore the fall of Judah, it is the first part of Ezekiel’ s ministry on which we need to focus. And particularly on a vision concerning God’ s temple, reported in chapters 8-11. Ezekiel was sitting with the elders of the Jews in Babylon when he was suddenly caught up by an angelic visitor and taken in a vision to Jerusalem. There he was shown what was happening in the very temple in which the exiles put their trust, confident that God would never permit the destruction of the building which had been His place of presence on earth. The vision demonstrated how foolhardy such a hope was, for Ezekiel saw God removing His presence from the temple! The shell of gold and marble that remained afforded no protection for God’ s sinning people! Ezekiel 8:4-18. Ezekiel was taken to the temple where he perceived the “ glory of the Lord” (the sign of His presence) in the holy of holies. But Ezekiel was told to look away from God and to observe what the men of Judah were doing in the temple itself. He was taken through a secret passage into a hidden chamber, where the elders of Israel worshiped idols and “ crawling things and detestable animals” (most likely the gods of Egypt that Jehovah had shown so powerless at the time of the Exodus). In the hidden chamber, the priests and elders offered incense, imagining that “ the Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land.” Then Ezekiel was guided to the gate of the temple, where he found women involved in the worship rites of the mother/son cult of Tammuz. Then, in the inner court he found 25 men facing away from the temple (see 2 Chronicles 6:20), praying toward the sun, the chief god Ra of the Egyptian pantheon. The pollution of the temple by the Hebrews showed how far all had fallen. “ Therefore,” God said, “ I will deal with them in anger. I will not look on them with pity or spare them” (Ezekiel 8:18). Ezekiel 9:1-11. Then a striking thing happened. Six angelic figures with weapons in hand approached, and “ the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple” (Ezekiel 9:3). God’ s presence was preparing to leave! The executioners were given instructions — first, to mark off those individuals who were ashamed and who mourned over Judah’ s faithlessness, and then to strike out among the rest and “ kill, without showing pity or compassion,” those who had defiled the Lord’ s sanctuary. Ezekiel 10:1-22. Cherubim, a guard of honor, now approached the temple, and the glory of the Lord moved out to the threshold of the temple. As the honor guard stood ready, the glory of the Lord left the temple threshold and paused above it. Ezekiel 11:1-21. Ezekiel was now lifted and brought to the place from which the glory looked back toward the temple. From this perspective, he saw the faces of the 25 who had earlier been worshiping the sun. Among them he recognized the key religious and political leaders of God’ s people! Commanded to prophesy against them, Ezekiel spoke . . . and at his words one leader fell dead. The prophet in turn cried out, “ Ah, Sovereign Lord! Will You completely destroy the remnant of Israel?” God’ s answer was both comforting and foreboding. Not all His people would be destroyed. Those in Captivity would be kept secure and would be regathered one day to the Promised Land. But for those “ whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols,” there would be a complete end. Ezekiel 11:22-25. With this announcement the cherubim lifted up their wings and the glory of the Lord left not only the temple but the city itself, hesitating briefly over the mountains east of Jerusalem. God had left His sinning people to the fate that, in their hardness of heart, they themselves had chosen. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT “ America is a Christian nation. God will never let godless enemies defeat us.” Put this proposition, held by many, to your group. Do they agree, or disagree? Why? Allow time for a thorough discussion. Then sketch the situation in Judah around 590 b.c. The Jews argued that God’ s temple in Jerusalem was their protection. God would never let the city fall as long as the building that bore His name was there. Have your group members study Ezekiel 8-11 to answer these questions: “ What was happening to the ‘ glory of God’ ? What were the people of Judah doing in the temple? What does Ezekiel 9:4 teach us?” On the basis of this study, return to the question of the Jews’ conviction that the temple would protect them. What was wrong with this idea? Then apply it to the present day: What principles can we apply here to evaluate the idea that God will protect “ Christian” America? Back in Judah, it was stunningly clear by 597 b.c. that all Jeremiah had prophesied for the past 30 years was true. The most distinguished families in Judah had been taken to Babylon in the first of three deportations. Zedekiah, Judah’ s last king, was destined to rule only 11 more years. During these last 11 years, Jeremiah continued his warnings. He advised submission to Babylon, since God had chosen this pagan power to discipline His people. But despite the evidence of fulfilled prophecies, the Jews and their leaders refused to listen. Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon, and in 586 b.c. the city of Jerusalem fell. Zedekiah’ s children were executed while he watched, and then he was blinded. The last thing he saw on earth was their deaths. Temple treasures were transported to Babylon; then both the city and the temple were razed. All but the poorest people of the land were taken into Captivity, and Gedaliah was appointed as governor over the remnant. Jeremiah too remained there to guide the people with a word from God. In yet another uprising in 581 b.c., Gedaliah was killed along with the small Babylonian occupation force. The remaining Jews were terrified of the revenge they were sure must come. They fled toward Egypt, and Jeremiah was forced to come with them. On the way, they begged Jeremiah to seek guidance from God, and promised to do whatever he told them. The word picture of this event is a fitting climax to decades of rebellion. The people, “ from the least to the greatest” [important and insignificant] respectfully approached the 67-year-old prophet. “ Please hear our petition,” they said, “ and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do” (Jeremiah 42:1-3). Jeremiah agreed to pray, and the people promised, “ May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God” (Jeremiah 42:5-6). But the message with which Jeremiah returned was not what the remnant expected! They were told not to fear the king of Babylon: God would keep them from punishment and would restore their lands. They were definitely not to flee to Egypt, for if they did, sword and famine would over take them and they would die with no survivors. What was the reaction to this promise of protection? As soon as Jeremiah finished telling the people these words of the Lord, the leaders “ and all the arrogant men” shouted at Jeremiah, “ You are lying! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘ You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’ But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians, so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon” (Jeremiah 43:2-3). Rejecting God’ s Word, the few Jews who remained plunged on into Egypt, dragging the reluctant Prophet Jeremiah with them! In Egypt, Jeremiah continued to minister, reminding the people of the sins of their fathers that had brought them judgment, and warning against the punishment that must fall on them in Egypt. Their response demonstrates the justice of God, who acts in judgment only when His people have gone too far. For this people, there was no hope of response or change: they were committed to sin. Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, along with all the women who were present — a large assembly — and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt, said to Jeremiah, “ We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord! We will certainly do everything we said we would. We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our fathers, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off, and suffered no harm. But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.” Jeremiah 44:15-18A saddened and angry Jeremiah then made a final statement. Did not the Lord remember and think about the incense burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem by you and your fathers, your kings and your officials and the people of the land? When the Lord could no longer endure your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became an object of cursing and a desolate waste without inhabitants, as it is today. Jeremiah 44:21-22The final calamity then fell. Pharaoh Hophra, the Egyptian king who had welcomed Judah, was given over to his enemies. The sword and famine destroyed the Jewish colony that had committed itself to perform their vows, not to God who loved them, but to the pagan idols that had been their downfall. And Jeremiah? Tradition tells us that the old prophet found his way to Babylon, and there completed his book, including his eyewitness story of the last days of Judah, recorded for the exiles — and for us.

Teaching Guide Prepare Meditate on Ezekiel 9:4 : “ Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.” What do these words of God to destroying angels have to say to American Christians today?

Explore

1. Put the time chart (beginning of study guide) on the chalkboard. In a minilecture cover the events of the last days of Judah, and show the relationship of the two major prophets, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, who ministered during that tragic era.
2. Or begin with a study of Manasseh, comparing this evil man who repented late in life to the thief on the cross. Help your group members see that while it is never too late for an individual to turn to Christ, the harm that person does to others while he or she delays cannot be remedied. How important to accept the Lord when we first hear the message of salvation, and then spend our lives to affect others positively for Him.

Expand Assign the following passages to the teams, for quick reading and to record impressions: Team 1: Jeremiah 12:1-17, Jeremiah 23:1-40, and Jeremiah 26:1-24Team 2: Ezekiel 8-11 Team 3: Jeremiah 42-44 2. Or focus on the Ezekiel passage, and the false hope of the people of Judah in the temple. What God is always concerned with is the spiritual and moral state of His people — not material things or even civilizations as such. Explore with your group the relationship of the Jews’ confidence in their temple with the confidence of some modern Christians in “ Christian America.” Be sure to note that while wicked civilizations fall, God continues to watch over the individual who trusts in and obeys Him.

Apply

1. Have your group members imagine themselves as believing citizens of Judah just before its fall. How would they have felt? What would they have feared? What would have given them hope? Then go around the circle and ask each person to complete this statement: “ Today the hope that I have as I look ahead. . . .”
2. Or, conclude the session by going around the circle, asking each member to complete the following: “ I think that the most important message Judah’ s fall contains for us today is. . . .”