The Last Five Kings of Judah - Sabbath School Lesson 3, 4th Qtr 2015

Read for This Week's Study: 2 Chronicles 34:1-33, Jer. 22:1-19, 29:1-14, 2 Chron. 36:11-14, Jer. 23:2-8.

Memory Text: He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me? (Jeremiah 22:16, NIV).

Famed Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky spent four years in a Siberian prison in the 1800s for subversive political activities. Later, writing about his experiences, he talked about some of his fellow prisoners' utter lack of remorse for their terrible behavior. In the course of several years, I never saw a sign of repentance among these people; not a trace of despondent brooding over their crimes, and the majority of them inwardly considered themselves absolutely in the right.-Joseph Frank, Dostoevsky, the Years of Ordeal, 1850-1859, p. 95.

Dostoevsky could have been talking about, with the exception of Josiah, the five kings who ruled Judah during the ministry of Jeremiah. One after another, these men seemed totally unrepentant for their actions, even as it became clearer and clearer that their actions were bringing the calamities that the Lord, through Jeremiah, had warned would come.

It had never been God's intention to give Israel a king; by the end of this week's lesson, we will better understand why. We'll understand, too, the severe pressure that poor Jeremiah faced during much of his unappreciated ministry.

Under the Rule of Josiah

Josiah was the sixteenth king to rule in the Southern Kingdom; his dates were 640-609 b.c. He became king at the age of eight, after more than half a century of moral and spiritual decline under his father (Amon) and grandfather (Manasseh), two of the most evil kings in Judah. Josiah's reign lasted for thirty-one years. Unlike his ancestors, however, Josiah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord (2 Kings 22:2), despite an environment that worked against him.

Born of a wicked king, beset with temptations to follow in his father's steps, and with few counselors to encourage him in the right way, Josiah nevertheless was true to the God of Israel. Warned by the errors of past generations, he chose to do right, instead of descending to the low level of sin and degradation to which his father and his grandfather had fallen. He 'turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.' As one who was to occupy a position of trust, he resolved to obey the instruction that had been given for the guidance of Israel's rulers, and his obedience made it possible for God to use him as a vessel unto honor.-Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 384.

Read 2 Chronicles 34:1-33. What were the components of Josiah's reform, and why would they be central to any attempt at spiritual reformation, be it corporate or personal?

Josiah's reform consisted of two main components: First, it was getting rid, as much as possible, of anything and everything that smacked of idolatry. That is, he worked to remove the evil practices that had arisen in the nation.

But that was only the first step. An absence of evil or wrong practices doesn't automatically mean that good will follow. Second, after hearing the book of the law read to him, the king made a covenant before the Lord to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book (2 Chron. 34:31).

Read 2 Chronicles 34:32-33. What do these verses tell us about the power of a good example, especially among people in positions of power and influence? Think long and hard: What influence do your words and actions exert on others?

Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim: Another Descent

Jehoahaz (also known as Shallum) was 23 years old when he succeeded his father on the throne. His reign lasted only three months. Pharaoh replaced him with his brother because Jehoahaz was not favorable toward Egyptian politics. Jehoahaz was taken to Egypt, and there he died. (See 2 Chron. 36:4, 2 Kings 23:31-34.)

The king that followed Jehoahaz was Jehoiakim, who reigned from 609-598 b.c. He was the son of Josiah. When Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem, Jehoiakim was taken to Babylon along with vessels from the temple. Jeremiah again warned the people that their new king was leading the nation down a wrong path.

Read Jeremiah 22:1-19. What were some of the issues with Jehoiakim that brought such a stern rebuke from the Lord?

The Lord, speaking through Jeremiah, had very sharp words for this corrupt and covetous ruler. Jehoiakim was an oppressive and greedy king who imposed heavy taxes in Judah (see 2 Kings 23:35) in order to pay the Egyptians. Worse, using forced labor, he had elaborate construction done on his own palace, in defiance of the Torah, which was clear about paying people for their work: Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning (Lev. 19:13). Also, unlike Josiah, his father, Jehoiakim permitted pagan rites to flourish again in Judah.

Jeremiah 22:16 is a powerful text. In the context of comparing the corrupt Jehoiakim to his father, Josiah, the Lord said to him: He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me? (NIV). In other words, the true knowledge of God comes from how one treats those who are in need; it comes when we step out of ourselves to benefit those who can really do nothing for us in return. We see here, again, as we see all through the Bible, the Lord's concern for the poor and the helpless, as well as the obligation we have to help those who cannot help themselves.

Dwell on the idea that helping the poor and the needy is how we come to know the Lord. What does that mean?

The Short Reign of King Jehoiachin of Judah

The nineteenth king of Judah became Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim. He reigned on David's throne for barely three and a half months. In 598 b.c. Nebuchadnezzar brought his forces to Jerusalem and seized the 18-year-old king with his mother, his wives, and many other royal captives. In 561 b.c., in the thirty-seventh year of his captivity, Jehoiachin was given mercy by Evil-Merodach, Nebuchadnezzar's successor. He was granted the right to dine with the king of Babylon, and he could wear his kingly robes. (See 2 Kings 25:27-30, Jer. 52:31-34.) His sons were also in Babylon with him, yet Jeremiah's prophecy said they would have to give up the throne of David.

Read Jeremiah 29:1-14, the words of the Lord through Jeremiah after King Jehoiachin and his family and the court were taken captive from Jerusalem. Even amid this tragedy, how is God's love and grace revealed?

One of the most famous verses in the Bible is this: 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future' (Jer. 29:11, NIV). Here, of course, we have the immediate context: that of the Lord speaking through Jeremiah to the captives of Judah who had seen their lives completely uprooted by their Babylonian conquerors. Yet, even then, no matter how bad their situation seemed, the Lord wanted them to know that He still loved them and had only their good in mind. No doubt, considering the horrific circumstances, they must have welcomed such promising and hopeful words. Thus, even amid all dire warnings and threats, the people were still given the promise of a future and hope. How crucial it must have been for them, especially at that time, to have such assurance!

A future and a hope? What promises can you claim from the Lord for a future and a hope even right now, regardless of your circumstances?

At the End of the Dead End

Read 2 Chronicles 36:11-14. What do these verses tell us about the last king of Judah before the final destruction of the nation? What spiritual principles of apostasy are revealed in these texts?

Zedekiah (also known as Mattaniah) took the throne at the age of 21, placed there by Nebuchadnezzar as a puppet king. Unfortunately, as the texts say, he hadn't learned many lessons from what had gone before with previous kings, and as a result he brought even greater ruin to the nation.

Second Chronicles 36:14 states something very profound, a point that in many ways went to the heart of their apostasy. Amid the list of all the evil done under the reign of Zedekiah, it is said that Judah was following all the abominations of the nations (NKJV).

There they were, hundreds of years after the Exodus, hundreds of years as the covenant people who were to be a light and a beacon to the nations (Deut. 4:5-8), and yet they were still so caught up in the prevailing culture, so caught up in the cultural and religious environment of their neighbors, that they were doing all the abominations of the pagans.

The Lord had made it clear on numerous occasions that the nation was to submit to the rule of Babylon, that this conquest was punishment for their iniquity. Zedekiah, however, refused to listen, and he formed a military alliance against Nebuchadnezzar. Israel relied heavily on the hope of an Egyptian military victory. But Nebuchadnezzar was victorious over Pharaoh's army in 597 b.c. This defeat permanently sealed the fate of Jerusalem and the nation. Despite so many opportunities to repent, to reform, to be revived, Judah refused.

We as a church have been raised up to proclaim a message to the world that no one else in the world is proclaiming. In many ways that is very similar to what Judah was to do. What lessons can and should we learn for ourselves from their mistakes?

The Dark Years

Everything that God had warned them would happen to them is exactly what happened. However much they didn't want to believe the warnings, they certainly did believe them after it all came to pass. Who hasn't, even on a personal level, experienced something similar? We're warned by the Lord not to do something or else this will happen, but we do it anyway and, sure enough, what we were told would happen happened.

From a human perspective, all seemed lost: their nation lay in ruins, their temple was destroyed, their rulers were exiled and held captive, and the city of Jerusalem was a pile of stones. The Jewish nation and the Jewish people should have at that time disappeared from history, as had so many other nations that had undergone what they just had.

The Lord, though, had other plans, and in the verses above (and in many others) He gave them the hope that all was not lost but that a remnant would remain and would return and through them the promises would be fulfilled. That is, amid all the warning of doom and destruction, the prophets also gave the people their only hope.

The dark years of destruction and death marking the end of the kingdom of Judah would have brought despair to the stoutest heart had it not been for the encouragements in the prophetic utterances of God's messengers. Through Jeremiah in Jerusalem, through Daniel in the court of Babylon, through Ezekiel on the banks of the Chebar, the Lord in mercy made clear His eternal purpose and gave assurance of His willingness to fulfill to His chosen people the promises recorded in the writings of Moses. That which He had said He would do for those who should prove true to Him, He would surely bring to pass. 'The word of God . . . liveth and abideth forever.' 1 Peter 1:23.-Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 464.

Look at the phrase, Heaven's willingness to forgive and to save. Think about all the ways that we have been shown Heaven's willingness to forgive and save. After all, the Cross alone should tell us about this willingness. We have the Word of God, which reveals to us the plan of salvation. We have been given the Spirit of Prophecy, a wonderful gift. What are other ways we have been shown Heaven's willingness to forgive and to save?

Discussion Questions:

[The people approached] Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, 'Please hear our petition and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left' (Jer. 42:2, NIV). What does this verse and what we read in Jeremiah 23:3 have to say about the remnant theme in Jeremiah?
It's so easy from our perspective to look back at sacred history and see all the faults and shortcomings and spiritual deficiencies of God's people of antiquity. And we should, because we have been told that these stories were written as examples for us (1 Cor. 10:11). The sad thing is, many of these people at the time, in their own context and culture, thought that they were doing the right thing, that they were just fine with the Lord. What warning should that give us about just how blind we can be to our true spiritual state? What are ways we can come to grips with our true spiritual condition? Why must we keep the Cross central to that process? What would happen to us if we didn't keep it central to our spiritual lives?

Inside Story~

The Unexpected Answer

A small group of Adventists in Malawi planned to hold evangelistic meetings. On the first night of the meetings we were disappointed when only a few people came. We prayed, but attendance hovered around 30. Some suggested that we cancel the meetings, but the speaker refused. If we pray earnestly, he said, God will make something happen.

The next evening the meeting opened with the same 30 people. We sang and prayed, then the speaker stood up. Suddenly a commotion of clapping and cheering drowned out the speaker.

The commotion increased as a crowd of people following a nyau [nee-ow]-a spirit worshipper dressed in swishing grass skirts and rags and wearing an ornate headdress and mask-approached the meeting place. The nyau probably was on his way to a graveyard.

When the nyau came nearer, he stopped dancing and turned toward the speaker. The crowd following him stopped, and the nyau didn’t move. Instead, he leaned against a wall, apparently planning to listen to the evangelist. The crowd following him stopped clapping and listened as the speaker quickly resumed his message.

The nyau listened quietly to the rest of the sermon. Someone estimated that 200 people who had been following the nyau listened as well. The speaker was nervous, but he continued with his presentation about Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2. After the closing prayer, the nyau and his followers continued toward the cemetery.

The next evening the meeting started with the same 30 people, but as the program progressed, more came. Even the nyau, dressed in his mask and swishing skirts, came with his followers. He didn’t stand outside the meeting place this time, but entered the tent and sat down. His followers sat down, too. The speaker couldn’t be sure that the nyau was the same who had come previously, but he recognized many of the nyau’s followers. Other visitors came, curious to know what was being preached in their neighborhood that could possibly interest a nyau. That night almost 80 people attended the meeting.

Attendance at the meetings continued increasing. A few nights later, the speaker invited listeners to accept Jesus as their Savior. That evening 95 people accepted Jesus and asked for further Bible studies.

The next night close to 200 people came to the meeting, including two more nyaus, dressed in torn clothes and wearing leafy branches to cover their faces. That night an additional 50 answered the call to accept Jesus.

The meetings continued for 21 nights, and baptismal classes followed. On the day of the baptism 145 were baptized. Among them was a man who identified himself as the nyau who had interrupted the meeting when he stopped to listen that first night. This former nyau continues to be faithful to Jesus.

Today the little group that prayed and worked to increase their membership are now worshipping in a larger church. Their previous church was too small to accommodate all the new members and those who continue to come, curious about the message that attracts devil worshippers to worship the living God.

___ Willan Mkandawire is an active lay worker in Lilongwe, Malawi.

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