JEHOIACHIN SURRENDERS TO NEBUCHADNEZZAR
2 Kings 24:8-17
Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered to him. In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. (12)
chapter 24
8. Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem.
9. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father had done.
10. At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it,
11. and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it.
12. Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered to him. In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner.
13. As the LORD had declared, Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasures from the temple of the LORD and from the royal palace, and cut up the gold articles that Solomon king of Israel had made for the temple of the LORD.
14. He carried all Jerusalem into exile: all the officers and fighting men, and all the skilled workers and artisans - a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest people of the land were left.
15. Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother, his wives, his officials and the prominent people of the land.
16. The king of Babylon also deported to Babylon the entire force of seven thousand fighting men, strong and fit for war, and a thousand skilled workers and artisans.
17. He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.
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1. Jehoiachin had reigned in Jerusalem only three months when Nebuchadnezzar invaded and laid siege to the city. The Babylonian invasion and the captivity of Israel were God’s wrath upon the nation for the sins that his forefathers, the proceeding kings, and his people had committed. Jehoiachin was only eighteen years old and incapable of turning the tide around during his short three-month reign. But the real problem was not his young age nor his short reign; it was that his heart was not right with God (9).
2. Jehoiachin, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar (12). They were taken captives to Babylon, fulfilling Jeremiah’s prophecy (Jer 22:24-27). It was a tragedy nationally to Israel and personally to Jehoiachin as the king. This tragedy should serve us as a spiritual lesson that if we don’t surrender to God lovingly then we will be forced to surrender to “the ruler of the kingdom of the air” (Eph 2:2; Phil 2:9-11).
Prayer: Father, thank you for your love in discipliningme when I am obstinate and remain in my sins. Please wake me up to repent of my sins and turn and surrender to you in love. Amen.
One Word: Surrender to God