As Americans, we have not seen a complete overthrow of our nation’s leadership. We have witnessed many attempts to assassinate our presidents, with a few successes. Our form of government seems to be stable. The democracy in which we live has been built upon Godly principles and appears to be a sound constitution.
Even with what appears to be a sound constitution, it can fail. No nation has stood for a great length of time without God’s intervention. God has caused some to prosper for a little time then fail. He has caused some to endure great tribulations; rising and falling, then returning to a portion of their power over earthly commerce and strength.
No matter how firm you feel about your country, God will discipline it. The discipline may come quickly; it may be many years later. But, God will punish an evil nation.
Over the next few weeks, I wish to embark upon the story of a great nation which became complacent in its form of government, yet had to be disciplined. That nation is Judah.
Let us begin with its leadership near the end of a period in which it believed it could never fail. We will identify its kings and their successes or failures in the sight of God. Were its leaders good leaders leading the people in the paths of righteousness or leading down the paths of sin? We will end with the stories written by Daniel explaining the physical literal kingdoms of earth until the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. In this study we will be looking at nearly 1000 years of time.
In this study, we will see the discipline of many nations under God’s power to deliver a Godly nation in which His son could be born. We will see how God uses one nation against another for His purposes.
Josiah is the king of Judah. Josiah began his reign around 640 BC. He obtained the throne following his fathers death. His father was King Amon.
In 2 Kings 22 Josiah was made king of Judah. He was only eight years old. 2 Kings 22:1-2. 22 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.
Scripture says he was the son of David. (vs 2) This is to keep with the proof God held to his promise to David a son would forever be upon the throne of Judah. Josiah was a direct descendant of King David, fulfilling the promise God made to David.
Scripture says while Josiah was king, Judah was led by a righteous king. ([he] turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.) This would appear Judah had no problems living up to the commandments of God.
At eight years of age, Josiah was wise. 2 Chron. 34:3 tells he began seeking the ways of the Lord. At twelve he began to purge Judah of its evils. 2 Chron. 34:3. 3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.
This he did throughout Judah. Vss. 3-7 he destroyed all idols in the entire kingdom. 4 And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. 5 And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6 And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about. 7 And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
God has given power to the rulers of the lands to purge sinfulness from the nations. When righteous leaders lead, the people follow. When evil leaders lead, evil reigns upon the people.
We see this to be true because in Romans 13:1-4 the writer tells us God places all rulers in power. 13 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Every nation’s leader is ordained by God. Everyone who does good shall not be afraid of the leader of their nation. He will not do anything to them God does not permit for they are of God.
Josiah led the people in the righteousness of God. He pulled down the idols, burned them, ground them to powder, burned the bones of the idol priests upon their altars, repaired the house of God, found the ‘book of the law’ in the restoration of the Temple, renewed the covenant of the house of Judah with God.
But the disaster to Judah was already in the works of God. The sins of the nation had already made God angry. He had already set into motion his wrath upon Judah.
2 Chron. 34:22-25. 22 And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect. 23 And she answered them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me, 24 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah: 25 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.
God had spoken. Thus it was to be. However, a short reprieve was ordered.
Vs. 27-28. 27 Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord. 28 Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.
Judah was spared for a short time from their iniquities. They followed a good leader. They lived righteously. 2 Chron. 34: 33. And all his days they departed not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers.
Upon the death of Josiah, the people took Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, and made him king.
Jehoahaz was 23 years of age when he was made king.
2 Kings 23:31-32. 31 Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done.
We see the power of God upon a nation he has set his heart against. The wrath is to begin.
God had promised Josiah it would not happen during his life, but it would happen.
Jehoahaz only reigned for three months. (608 BC) Why? Vs. 32. …he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. There are people who are wise of the Lord’s ways, yet they rebel and turn from him. They lead others to do the same. Too many people are followers or imitators of their leaders.
Pharoahnechoh of Egypt had gone to fight against Assyria, north of Judah. Josiah went against him perhaps against the will of God, and lost his life. Pharoahnechoh took Jehoahaz captive to Egypt and placed another son of Josiah as King of Judah. He imposed a tax upon all the inhabitants of Judah while Eliakim was king. Pharoahnechoh also changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. (2 Chron. 36:2-4)
Jehoiakim was twenty-five years of age when he began to reign in Jerusalem. 2 Chron. 36:5. 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. (608-597 BC)
Following the evil leaderships of many kings of Judah, both past and present, Judah was taken captive by a greater nation, more evil than Judah. Both Josiah’s sons, Jehoahaz and Eliakim, named Jehoiakim, did evil in the sight of God and Judah. Therefore, because of the wrath of God already set against Judah, God sent a more evil nation against Judah.
2 Kings 24:1-2. 24 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 And the Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servants the prophets.
One might believe it is because of current events from which God became angry with a nation and determined to destroy the evils within it. I am sure it holds a place within his wrath’s decision. But more often it is because of a great iniquity from long ago. Let us keep reading 2 kings 24.
Vs. 3-4. 3 Surely at the commandment of the Lord came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; 4 And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the Lord would not pardon.
Manasseh was the grandfather to Josiah. He reigned from 687 to 642 BC. He shed innocent blood of righteous children of God. 2 Kings 21:6. 6 And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. More of Manasseh’s evils are listed in 2 Kings 21.
God was so angry with Manasseh he sent this word by the prophets: 2 Kings 21:10-12. 10 And the Lord spake by his servants the prophets, saying, 11 Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols: 12 Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.
How many national leaders today are shedding innocent blood of children of God?
Let us consider; if God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, what might lay in store for a nation whose leadership sheds innocent Christian blood today? What might lay in store for the people of that nation? Will all the nation's people have to endure hardship? Will God provide for His own?
These are questions many righteous people wrestle with.
Nebuchadnezzar (in secular history known as Nebuchadnezzar II, father was Nabopolassar) made Judah and Jehoiakim servants unto Bebylon. (around 608-605 BC) This became the beginning of a 70 year captivity for Judah which God had sent prophets to proclaim before the people.
