“Surely these things happened to Judah according with the word of the LORD’s command, in order to remove them from his presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done,”
– 2 Kings 24:3
Hi James and Ellen,
Do your lives define egotistical smugness? Do your lives demonstrate pompous self-aggrandizement? Do your lives defy empowered authorities? Do your lives emanate content self-awareness? Do your lives exude self-effacing humility? Do your lives example respectful servitude? Do you know a kid – or a guy or gal, who is narcissistically arrogant? Do you know a kid – or a guy or gal, who is openly rebellious? Do you know a kid – or a guy or gal, who is overbearingly raucous? Do you know a kid – or a guy or gal, who is benevolently compassionate? Do you know a kid – or a guy or gal, who is submissively obedient? Do you know a kid – or a guy or gal, who is deferentially quiet? What character trait – or traits, would be a red flag warning suggesting to you that a guy, gal or kid may not be a Christ-follower? What character quality – or qualities, would be a green flag waving suggesting to you that a guy, gal or kid may be a Christ-follower? Your grandpaa does not do well being around guys, gals and kids who are always seemingly enjoying being on life’s center stage, who are always seemingly craving to put down elected and/or positioned guys and gals and who are always seemingly vociferating what they think is the only one right answer. Your grandpaa also does not do well being around guys, gals and kids who really think that they have more rights than what other guys, gals and kids have, who really think that they can do more than what other guys, gals and kids can do and who really think that they are the ones who are the chosen to boss other guys, gals and kids.
Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Mattaniah are guys who ruled as kings over the guys and gals who were living in the land area of Judah. These three guys thought that being a king gave them the right to rebel against God without repercussions. The Kings Book historian begins in 2 Kings 24 having Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army invading the land area of Judah and having Jehoiakim – who was ruling at this time king over the guys and gals who were living in the land area of Judah, be his designated vassal or minion subordinate. After three years of being under Nebuchadnezzar’s bondage, Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar resulting in God sending Aramean, Moabite, Ammonite and Babylonian raiders to overrun the land area of Judah. The Kings Books historian explains in verse 3 why God did what He did to the Israelite people group guys and gals, “Surely these things happened to Judah according with the word of the LORD’s command, in order to remove them from his presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done,” After Jehoiakim’s tenure on planet Earth appears to have been terminated at about this time, Jehoiakim’s 18 year old kid – Jehoiachin, replaced him as king to rule over the guys and gals who were living in land area of Judah. Because Jehoiachin pursued living an evil lifestyle, God – after Jehoiakim ruled for three months as king over the guys and gals who were living in land area of Judah, had him, his ma Nehushta, his attendants, his nobles and his officials surrender to Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar at this time removed all the treasures that had been made for the temple of God and that had accumulated in the royal palace – with both the temple of God and the royal place being located in the city of Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar also at this time deported from the city of Jerusalem and the land area of Judah 7,000 Israelite people group soldiers who he had captured, 1,000 craftsmen and artisans and another 2,000 or so guys, gals and kids – including Jehoiachin and his entourage, to be exiles in his country of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar chose a guy by the name of Mattaniah to replace Jehoiachin to rule as king over the guys and gals who he left in the land area of Judah. Mattaniah was Jehoiachin’s 21 year old uncle. Nebuchadnezzar for some reason changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah would for eleven years rule as king over the guys and gals who Nebuchadnezzar left in the land area of Judah and in the city of Jerusalem. Zedekiah’s incessant wicked, rebellious ways was the final ‘straw’ for God to finally thrust His specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people group guys and gals, out from His presence.
Nebuchadnezzar was from 605 B.C. to 562 B.C. a powerful, land grabbing Neo-Babylonian Empire king. As Nebuchadnezzar was conquering and ruling over essentially all populated planet Earth, God used Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C. to take many of his specially chosen guys and gals to his country of Babylonia as exiles – allowing just the poorest guys and gals to stay behind in the city of Jerusalem. The Israelite people group guys and gals especially infuriated God by adulating and worshipping other gods. Over 500 years ago, an explorer – Christopher Columbus, discovered a new land. Less than 300 years later, the land area that Christopher Columbus discovered and which became a place where God could be worshipped without any fear of recrimination or persecution had a name. The name was the United States of America. A constitution was written to insure just governance. A Bill of Rights was written to insure individual rights. The United States of America became a powerful, global enforcer that espoused democracies driven by officials elected by guys and gals versus autocracies driven by despots employing tyrannies. Your grandpaa believes that there are parallels between the bad choices that the Israelite people guys and gals made 2600 years ago – such as worshipping idols that were manmade from wood, stone, clay and metal, to the majority choice that guys and gals who are living in the United States of America recently made – which has them believing that a guy can give hope and change – negating what God will do if . . . and because God cannot be marginalized . . .
2 Kings 24 (974)