1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem.
2 Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.
3 And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.
5 Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.
7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.
8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.
9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.
10 And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.
11 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
12 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD.
13 And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.
14 Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem.
15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:
16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.
17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.
18 And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.
19 And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.
20 And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:
21 To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.
22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.
Chapter 36 of the book of 2 Chronicles in the King James Version of the Holy Bible is the final chapter of the book and serves as the conclusion of the historical account of the kings of Judah. It covers the reign of King Jehoahaz, King Jehoiakim, King Jehoiachin, and King Zedekiah, as well as the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the Israelites to Babylon. This chapter serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the faithfulness of God to His people.
The chapter begins with the reign of King Jehoahaz, who was the youngest son of King Josiah. He was only 23 years old when he became king and he only reigned for three months in Jerusalem. His reign was characterized by evil deeds and he did not follow the ways of the Lord. As a result, God allowed the king of Egypt to depose him and put his brother, King Jehoiakim, on the throne in his place.
King Jehoiakim reigned for eleven years and, like his brother, he also did evil in the sight of the Lord. He was also a vassal of the king of Egypt, and during his reign, the Babylonian empire began to rise to power. The prophet Jeremiah warned the people to turn away from their wicked ways and return to God, but they did not listen. As a result, God allowed Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, to conquer Jerusalem and take many of the people into exile.
King Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim, succeeded his father as king. He only reigned for three months and, like his predecessors, he also did evil in the sight of the Lord. As a result, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and took King Jehoiachin, along with his family and officials, as captives to Babylon.
King Zedekiah, another son of King Josiah, was appointed as king by Nebuchadnezzar. He reigned for eleven years and, unlike his predecessors, he initially followed the ways of the Lord. However, he eventually turned away from God and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. This resulted in the Babylonian army laying siege to Jerusalem and ultimately destroying the city and the temple.
The chapter ends with the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the Israelites to Babylon. The Babylonians burned down the temple, the king's palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem. They also took all the valuable items from the temple and the city and brought them to Babylon. The people who were left in the land were taken as captives to Babylon, fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah.
There are several main themes that can be found in Chapter 36 of 2 Chronicles. These include the consequences of disobedience, the faithfulness of God, and the fulfillment of prophecy.
The Consequences of Disobedience
Throughout the chapter, we see the consequences of the kings' disobedience to God's commandments. King Jehoahaz, King Jehoiakim, King Jehoiachin, and King Zedekiah all did evil in the sight of the Lord, and as a result, God allowed them to be overthrown and exiled to Babylon. The destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the Israelites serve as a warning to us that there are consequences for our actions, and that disobedience to God's commandments will ultimately lead to destruction.
The Faithfulness of God
Despite the disobedience of the kings and the people of Judah, God remained faithful to His promises. He had warned the people through the prophets, and He gave them many chances to repent and turn back to Him. Even in their exile, God did not abandon His people, and He eventually brought them back to their land after seventy years, just as He had promised. This serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and His willingness to forgive and restore His people.
The Fulfillment of Prophecy
The events described in Chapter 36 were prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah. He warned the people of Judah that if they did not turn away from their wicked ways, God would bring destruction upon them and they would be taken into exile. The fulfillment of these prophecies serves as evidence of the reliability of God's word and the truth of His promises. It also shows that God is in control of history and He will bring about His plans and purposes, even in the midst of human disobedience.
Chapter 36 of 2 Chronicles serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the faithfulness of God. It also teaches us the importance of heeding the warnings of the prophets and turning back to God when we have strayed from His ways. The destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the Israelites to Babylon also foreshadow the ultimate destruction of sin and the exile of those who reject God to eternal separation from Him. However, we can also find hope in the fact that God is faithful and He will ultimately fulfill His promises and bring restoration to those who turn to Him in repentance. Overall, Chapter 36 serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of obedience and the faithfulness of God, and it continues to hold relevance and meaning for us today.
Share this page