The Last Five Kings of Israel

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).

Q. What did Prophet Samuel warn the children of Israel about when they asked God for a king?

1 Samuel 8:18 “And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves..” Samuel reasoned with Israel that if they had a king he would take away their freedom (1 Sam 8:11-17). These kings through the centuries made them their servants, took their best lands and oppressed them. But the greatest damage they brought to the children of Israel was to introduce heathen gods and turn their hearts away from Yahweh. The national crisis that they found themselves in during Jeremiah’s time was largely because their kings ‘did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord”.

Q. How many kings did Israel have as a nation?

Saul was the first king of united Israel followed by David and his son Solomon. After the death of Solomon the kingdom divided into the northern kingdom Israel comprising of ten tribes and the southern kingdom of Judah. Israel had 19 kings before they were erased as a nation by the Assyrians. Judah had 20 kings before they were defeated by the Babylonians and carried into exile.

Tentative Chronology of the Divided Kingdoms of Israel and Judah

Kings of United Israel	Years of Reign
Saul	1050-1011 BC
David	1011-971 BC
Solomon	971-931 BC

Kings of Judah	Years of Reign	Kings of Israel	Years of Reign
Rehoboam	931-913 BC	Jeroboam I	931-910 BC
Abijah	913-911 BC
Asa	911-869 BC	Nadab	910-909 BC
		Baasha	909-886 BC
		Elah	886-885 BC
		Zimri	885 BC
		Omri	885-874 BC
Jehoshaphat	872-848 BC	Ahab	874-853 BC
Jehoram	854-841 BC	Ahaziah	853-852 BC
Ahaziah	841 BC	Joram	852-841 BC
Athaliah	841-835 BC	Jehu	841-814 BC
Joash	835-796 BC	Jehoahaz	814-798 BC
Amaziah	796-767 BC	Jehoash	798-782 BC
Azariah	790-739 BC	Jeroboam II	793-753 BC
Jotham	750-731 BC	Zachariah	753-752 BC
Ahaz	735-715 BC	Shallum	752 BC
Hezekiah	729-686 BC	Manahem	752-742 BC
Manasseh	697-642 BC	Pekehiah	742-740 BC
Amon	642-640 BC	Pekah	752-732 BC
Josiah	640-609 BC	Hoshea	732-722 BC
Johoahaz	609 BC
Jehoiakim	609-598 BC
Jehoiachin	598-597 BC
Zedekiah	597-586 BC

Source: SDA Bible Commentary Vol 2, pg 77

Q. What was the role of the kings in bringing judgment to the nation?

Throughout the history of Israel and Judah we find with few exceptions that the kings did evil in the sight of the Lord. They oppressed the poor and introduced idolatry. These two sins eventually led to their nation’s destruction.

Under the Rule of Josiah

Josiah was 8 years old when he ascended the throne from his father Amon and grandfather Manasseh . The meaning of his name is ‘Yahweh heals’ “and he did what was right in the sight of the Lord “ (2 Ki 22:2)

Q. What was the prophecy concerning Josiah 300 years before his birth?

1Kings 13:2 “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’” God foretold Josiah’s name and his reforms centuries before he was born. Josiah fulfilled the prophecy when he broke down idolatry and defiled heathen places of worship “with the bones of men”. (2 Ki 23:14)

Q. Why was Josiah known as a reformer?

In the 18th year of Josiah’s reign, a scroll of the Law of Moses was found from the temple that had been neglected for years. God’s words read from the scroll deeply impressed the young king and he concluded that his fathers did not live according to God’s command and a great curse would fall on the land. So he went out to bring a reformation in the entire kingdom. Josiah’s reformation had two parts: First, he started with crushing idolatry and removing heathen gods from his kingdom. (2 Ki 23). Second, he made a solemn vow to follow the Lord, and “to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, [and] to perform the words of the covenant..” 2 Chronicles 34:31

Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim: Another Descent

Josiah was killed in a battle with Pharaoh Necho and Jehoahaz was put on the throne by popular demand even though he wasn't the eldest prince. He ruled for just three months before Pharoah Necho replaced him with his brother Jehoiakim. But even in his short reign Jehoahaz “did evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Ki 23:32).

Since the death of good King Josiah, those who ruled the nation had been proving untrue to their trust and had been leading many astray. Prophet and Kings, pg 412

Q. What was the geo-political situation during this time?

Egypt and Babylon were in a struggle to gain supremacy. Jehoahaz like his father Josiah was anti-Egyptian and was deposed from the throne by Pharoah Necho. His elder brother Jehoiakim who was politically pro-Egyptian became the next king of Judah in 609 BC. When Babylon defeated Egypt, Jehoiakim surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BC (It was at this time when Daniel and his friends were carried captive). Later he rebelled against Babylon and he was killed by them.

Q. How did Jehoiakim fare as a king?

·         Jehoiakim discriminately taxed the whole population. (2 Ki 23:35)

·         He build magnificent palaces using forced labor. (Jer 22:13)

·         Persecuted and killed prophets (Jer 26:20-24)

·         Permitted pagan rites to flourish again in Judah

The Short Reign of King Jehoiachin of Judah

Jehoachin became the 19th king of Judah and ruled for 3 months and ten days (598-597 BC). He came to the throne when he was 18 years old. Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem in 597 BC and carried him along with his mother, wives, courtiers and some 10,000 captives including prophet Ezekiel.

Q. How can we see God’s grace amidst all the calamities falling on Judah?

The children of Israel were captives without homes in a foreign land. They seemed desperate and they could not find any hope in this situation. In spite of their rebellion, God would not forsake them. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

God extended this promise even to king Jehoiachin. Nebuchadnezzar’s son Evil-Merodach released him from the prison and granted him permission to eat at his table. He could also wear his kingly robes (2 Ki 25-37). He was also given a regular ration of food everyday. Archeology confirmed this biblical fact by the discovery of a clay tablet in ancient Babylon mentioning Jehoiachin’s name and the daily ration details.

Jehoiachin's rations tablets dated from the 6th century BC found at the Babylonian site displayed at the  Pergamum Museum in Berlin

At the End of the Dead End

2 Chronicles 36:11-14 “Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king...He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God…. Moreover all the leaders of the priests and the people transgressed more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of the Lord which He had consecrated in Jerusalem.”

Like the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah cried up to God, Judah too had gone too far in sin. “They have filled the land with violence”, said prophet Ezekiel(Eze 8:17)

Q. What were the sins Judah committed in the Temple of God?

·         Ahaz removed the brazen alter in the temple and placed an idolatrous alter (2 Ki 16:10-16)

·         Manasseh built alters in the house of the Lord (2 Ki 21:4)

·         Ezekiel in his vision saw people with their backs to the temple worshipping the sun (Eze 8:16). Sun worship had crept into Judah (2 Ki 23:5)

Q. What was God’s command to Zedekiah to prevent the complete destruction of Jerusalem and the nation?

Jeremiah 38:17 “If you surely surrender to the king of Babylon’s princes, then your soul shall live; this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live.”

Jeremiah had been pleading with the kings of Judah not to rebel against Babylon. But due to their weakness in character they followed the anti-Babylonian party to disobey God. The result of their disobedience brought complete destruction of Jerusalem.

The Dark Years

Q. How did the destruction of Jerusalem come?

Nebuchadnezzar’s army laid siege (a military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling those inside to surrender) to Jerusalem on  approximately Jan 15, 588 BC (see Jer 52:4). This siege continued for two years when the Babylonians broke the walls on approximately July 19, 586 BC (see Jer 52:5). The Babylonian army demolished the temple and all prominent buildings in Jerusalem. King Zedekiah was captured after he fled the city. His sons were killed in his sight and later his eyes were put out and he was transported to Babylon were he later died. (2 Ki 25:1-7).

Q. Who were left in Jerusalem after its destruction?

Majority of its citizens were carried away as captives to Babylon and only the poorest of the poor were left behind to tend to the fields and the vineyards.

Q. Did the inhabitants of Judah have any hope of coming back to their homes?

Jeremiah 25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Jeremiah’s prophecy predicted that they would return to their homes after a period of 70 years in exile. The people of Judah could draw hope to restoration. God provided grace throughout his judgment on Jerusalem. 

The Remnant

Jeremiah 23:3 “But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.”

Throughout the Bible God has provided grace along with judgment. God has always preserved a remnant after every calamity. Be it Noah’s family after the flood or the remnant in the final history of the church. God’s remnant from Judah were scattered yet preserved throughout the nations and God promised to bring them back.

Q. What is the greatest hope God promised to the remnant of Judah?

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,

“That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper,

And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.

In His days Judah will be saved,

And Israel will dwell safely;

Now this is His name by which He will be called:

THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Jeremiah 23:5,6

This is a Messianic prophecy (prophecy that points to Jesus) in the center of the book of Jeremiah. Throughout the judgment brought on Judah, God gave them hope and showed grace. And the greatest hope he promised to them was Jesus who would walk among them, heal them and deliver them from sin.