2 Chronicles / The Book of Chronicles Bible Lesson – 21
2 Chronicles / The Book of Chronicles
Bible Lesson – 21
The Kingdom of Judah That Rejected the Warnings of the Prophets.
God’s Promise and the Line of Judah
It was God’s will that the Savior of the world should arise from the line of David.
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
until the Prince of Peace comes.”
(Genesis 49:10)
However, the descendants of David lost the authority given to rule Judah because of their disobedience.
The Fall of Judah – Not in a Single Day
The captivity of the kingdom of Judah did not happen suddenly.
Its downfall began in three stages.
At any one of these stages, if they had repented, there was still a possibility that their kingdom could have continued.
But they ignored the warnings of the prophets until the very end.
First Siege – 605 B.C.
Reign: Jehoiakim
Through Nebuchadnezzar,
Jerusalem was taken captive.
The sacred vessels of the temple were carried to Babylon.
Daniel and others were taken into captivity.
(Daniel 1:1)
Prophets:
Jeremiah (the primary prophet)
Uriah
Jeremiah’s Warning:
“I will make this city a curse.”
(Jeremiah 26:6)
Jehoiakim was the ruler
He persecuted Jeremiah
Burned the scroll containing God’s word
(Jeremiah 36)
Even after the first siege, the people of Judah did not repent or turn from their ways.
Second Siege – 597 B.C.
King of Judah: Jehoiachin
? 2 Kings 24:10–12
Jerusalem was besieged again.
Jehoiachin surrendered.
Ezekiel was taken into captivity.
Yet the people still did not repent.
Interval Between the Second and Final Siege
There was a 9-year gap between the second and the final siege.
Even during this period, the people of Judah did not return to the Lord.
Final Siege – 586 B.C.
King: Zedekiah (son of Josiah)
? 2 Chronicles 36:12–16
During his reign as well, the people did not repent.
Scripture says:
“He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the LORD.”
? 2 Kings 25:1, 8–9
During the final siege:
Jerusalem was completely destroyed
The temple of God was burned
The kingdom of Judah came to an end
All three sieges were carried out by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
Permanent Loss of Kingship
The royal authority that was lost at that time was never restored to the line of Judah.
The tribe of Judah:
Treated God’s mercy lightly
Rejected His grace
Lost the kingship permanently
Spiritual Lessons for Us
Even today, God:
Calls us back at different times
In different ways
Through different warnings
But we must:
Not harden our hearts
Not take grace lightly
? Hebrews 10:29
“How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has insulted the Spirit of grace?”
? God gives warnings
? Guarding and responding to them is our responsibility
Concluding Thought
Warning ≠ Destruction
Warning = God’s final grace calling us to repentance
? Judah missed that opportunity.