Read the Passage: 2 Kings 24–25

People Deported (24:1–20)

Despite Josiah’s godly reign in Judah, after his death God sent judgment upon the nation. The wayward hearts of the people, as well as their many centuries of brazen sins, had provoked God’s wrath. After Josiah died, God’s judgment began, and Josiah’s successors became vassals of Egypt. In fact, Jehoahaz was exiled to Egypt and Judah was forced to pay exorbitant tribute money to Pharaoh. Next, 2 Kings 24:1–12 records that in 605 BC Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem. The Babylonians deported many of the royal youth to Babylon, including Daniel and his friends. At this time the prophet Jeremiah advised King Jehoiakim to submit to Nebuchadnezzar (cf. Jer. 27:9–11). However, as as been the sinful pattern of Judah’s rulers, Jehoiakim listened to his own prophets, rather than to Jeremiah. Therefore, God sent bands of raiders against Judah from other nations, and He would eventually send Nebuchadnezzar back to Judah.

Following the death of Jehoikim in 598 BC, his son Jehoichim ascended to the throne. He followed his father’s example of evil and would only reign for three months before the king of Babylon entered the city and took him captive. Unlike the previous deportation in 605 BC that included many of the royal youth, this second Babylonian attack of Judah resulted in nearly the entire nation being deported—more than ten thousand people (cf. 2 Kings 24:14). Moreover, Jerusalem was thoroughly plundered, with only the poorest of the people being left to tend to the city. Nebuchadnezzar then appointed Zedekiah to be the ruler over Judah. While Zedekiah’s reign would last for eleven years, he adopted the evil ways of his forebears. Indeed, Zedekiah would be the last king of Jerusalem. He would be the king who was on the throne for the final Babylonian deportation in 586 BC (cf. 2 Kings 25:1–21).

City Destroyed (25:1–26)

The earlier deportation of Jews in 605 BC entailed the removal of the future leaders of Judah. The exile in 597 BC included the majority of the population of Jerusalem. Yet, the city itself, including the temple, was left relatively intact. 2 Kings 25:1–21 narrates the third and final deportation of Jews to Babylon in 586 BC. At this time, Zedekiah was captured, tortured, and taken to Babylon where he later died (cf. Jer. 52:11; Ezek. 12:13). A devastating aspect of this final invasion by Nebuchadnezzar is that Jerusalem was destroyed. This included: the burning of the temple, the palace complex, and all of the great houses (cf. 2 Kings 25:9); the tearing down of the wall of Jerusalem (cf. 2 Kings 25:10); the deportation of the remaining leading citizens (cf. 2 Kings 25:11–12, 18–21); and the plundering of anything of value that was left in the city (cf. 2 Kings 25:13–17).

While Jerusalem had been largely destroyed, Nebuchadnezzar still desired order and stability in Palestine. Therefore, he appointed a man named Gedaliah as governor of Jerusalem. Observe that while Gedaliah came from a prominent Jewish family, he was not a descendent of David, nor was he appointed as a king. The text does not indicate whether Gedaliah was righteous or evil, as his reign only lasted for two or three months before he was assassinated by a man named Ishmael. While the text does not specify why Ishmael murdered Gedaliah, given that Ismael was “of the royal family” (Jer. 41:1), his motivation was likely a desire to appoint himself as king. 2 Kings 25:22–26 gives a brief narration of the appointment and the assassination of Gedaliah (cf. Jer. 40:7–41:18). After the death of the governor, the people fled to Egypt out of fear of the Babylonians.

Mercy Displayed (25:27–30)

2 Kings 25:27–30 is a fascinating postscript appended to the somewhat depressing ending of this book. The events in this passage occurred “in the thirty-seventh year of captivity of Jehoiachin” (2 Kings 25:27). This means that there is a twenty-five year gap before 2 Kings 25:27. For reasons that are not specified, this passage records that Evil-Merodach, the son and successor of Nebuchadnezzar, released Jehoiachin from prison and gave him special privileges in Babylon. The favors afforded by Evil-Merodach included: speaking kindly to Jehoiachin, providing him with a prominent place to sit, giving Jehoiachin new garments, and supporting him with food for the remaining days of his life. It seems that the author of 1 & 2 Kings has included this narrative to remind readers that God is always at work, even in the midst of chaos, and God’s mercies are new every morning.

Application Questions:

1. Given that Josiah had just led Judah in a righteous direction for thirty-one years, why did God still send judgment?
2. When unbelievers experience trials that stem from their own bad choices, why do they continue to sin?
3. Spiritually speaking, what is more contagious: wickedness or holiness (cf. Hag. 2:11–14; 1 Cor. 15:33)?
4. Why did the Babylonian captivity last for seventy years (cf. Lev. 26:34–35; 2 Chron. 36:21; Jer. 25:12; 29:10)?
5. Since the book of Daniel occurred before 2 Kings 25:27, is it reasonable to think that Daniel influenced these events?