2 Chronicles 33-36
The final chapters of 2 Chronicles follow the same sad path as the final chapters of 2 Kings! The godly, Davidic reign of Hezekiah was not to be the last glimpse of goodness, but it was not far away. The immediate successor of the great Hezekiah was his worthless, evil son, Manasseh.
Manasseh was just 12 when he began to reign. This was probably just the wrong age; a little younger, like Joash and Josiah, and he might have listened to godly advisors; a little older, and he may have had more wisdom about him. As it was, he joins Ahaz in the race for WORST KING EVER. Too bad he ruled for 55 years! He rebuilt the pagan worship centers his father tore down; he set an idolatrous image inside the temple; he worshipped the stars; and he “burned his sons” (NOTE the plural) in the same smoldering ditch that Ahaz used for burning his son. But the writer of Chronicles mentions something the writer of Kings ignores: after being captured and taken to Babylon, Manasseh repented and prayed to the Lord. And he was restored to his kingdom in Jerusalem! The final acts of Manasseh’s reign were far different from the early ones; but Judah never fully recovered from the effects of his evil.
Amon was 22 when he became king and reigned just two years. He did not learn from his father’s late-in-life humility and repentance. His servants killed him. When they themselves had been executed, the people made Amon’s young son the king.
Josiah was the brightest light among the final six kings of Judah. He took the throne at age 8 and “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 34:2) Who helped this eight-year old become a man of God? Was it his mother, Jedidiah (mentioned in 2 Kings 22:2)? His secretary, Shaphan? Or his high priest, Hilkiah? Regardless, at age 16 (a rebellious age for some) Josiah “began to seek the God of David, his father.” (2 Chronicles 34:3). At 20, he tore down pagan worship centers all over the country. At 26, he ordered the cleansing and repair of the temple. It was then that Hilkiah found a copy of “the book of the Law of the Lord.” I always imagine rummaging through an old church, and finding a Bible! Many think that Hilkiah found a copy of Deuteronomy. Others feel that it was the entire Pentateuch. Either way, it was found, brought to Josiah and read aloud. It touched his already softened heart and swept him and the nation into a period of revival that lasted the length of Josiah’s life. The prophetess Huldah said that disaster would have arrived earlier for Judah, had it not been for Josiah’s humble heart! When Josiah was tragically killed in battle, the prophet Jeremiah uttered a lament for him.
Jehoahaz took over and reigned three months. The king of Egypt, whose archers had killed Josiah, deposed him and carried him to Egypt.
Jehoiakim, his brother was made king in his place. He ruled—in a manner of speaking—for eleven years until another enemy, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, carried him away.
Jehoiachin reigned three months and ten days. He, too, was taken to Babylon.
Zedekiah, his brother, was set up as king in his place. He ruled wickedly for eleven years, and like the three kings before him, did not turn to the Lord. The writer of Chronicles spares us the details of the end of Zedekiah’s reign, which marks the end of Judah.
But Chronicles concludes on a note of hope. Jeremiah had prophesied the exile to Babylon, but included a time-frame; it would last just 70 years. During that time, Babylon was overthrown by Persia. And when 70 years was complete, Cyrus, the Persian monarch, decreed that Jews might go home!
Tomorrow, we find out if they ever did.
Pastor Gary
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