He set fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. (2 Kings 25:9-10 NIV) The rebellion of Zedekiah was the final act of a […]
Read More The Kings II 25 – BreakdownHe carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land. (2 Kings 24:14 ESV) The recounting of the disastrous reigns of Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Mattaniah in the twenty-fourth chapter of 2 […]
Read More The Kings II 24 – Beginning of the EndThe degree to which Josiah committed himself to the word that he heard was incredible. Remarkable to the extent that he stood out among the kings of Israel and Judah. What’s of great interest is that Josiah was already a godly king before he heard the book of the covenant read to him. He had […]
Read More The Kings II 23 – Covenant CommitmentThe 26 year old monarch had established himself as a refreshingly godly kind of King. For the majority of his conscious life he ruled the kingdom of Judah and endeavoured to do so in a way like David the standard of kings. So it was understandable that he would have a concern for the temple […]
Read More The Kings II 22 – Torn: Look What I FoundBack in the day, I loved the commentary styles of the likes of David Coleman, Brian Moore, Barry Davies and John Motson. If you’re not interested in sport and English commentary on the variety of sport then this won’t mean much to you, but it meant heaps to me for years. Apparently there was some […]
Read More My WordHezekiah had represented a great height of integrity and devotion to God from the throne in the southern kingdom of Judah. It is strange, then, that his son who succeeded him, would be such a complete contrast. The twenty-first chapter of 2 Kings, however, depicts Manasseh, a king so wicked that he had no issue […]
Read More The Kings II 21 – Judgment of JudahJudah never had a king like Hezekiah. His reign represented a high point in the age of the monarchy in the southern kingdom. They had not had it so good before and they would not have it that good again. When he was struck ill with a sickness that should have lead to his death, […]
Read More The Kings II 20 – Hezekiah: Healed and OverexposedThe Assyrian challenge had a troubling effect on the people of Judah. Their threats were backed up by a record of their victories that could not be denied. They came with their words set to mock Yahweh and intimidate and humiliate the people. Hezekiah’s initial response was to get the voice of the Lord on […]
Read More The Kings II 19 – Assyria vs Judah Part 2: The TriumphAssyria were on a roll. Their successes had seen them defeat a string of nations including the northern kingdom of Israel. Meanwhile Judah had a new king. The previous king Ahaz had been a wicked king disobeying God and worshipping foreign gods even sacrificing one of his sons. His successor, Hezekiah was a complete contrast. […]
Read More The Kings II 18 – Assyria vs Judah Part 1: The ChallengeIt is very difficult reading the 17th chapter of 2 Kings without filling up with tears of sorrow at the tragedy of the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel. It’s not as though God hadn’t warned them. He had done so on numerous occasions through various prophets. Yet their persistence in rejecting God lead […]
Read More The Kings II 17 – The Fall of Israel
