WBS.236
FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP
OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY – 16
FROM ZEPHANIAH TO JEREMIAH
II
Chronicles 30:9 For if ye turn again unto IAUE,
your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that led them
captive, and shall come again into this land: for IAUE your Elohim is gracious
and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.
The kingdom of
Israel had experienced the ministry of Eliyahu (Elijah)
and Elisha, and the literary prophets: Obadyahu
(Obadiah), Yonah
(Jonah), Amos,
Hosea and Micah.
Yet, for all their words, Israel would not turn to IAUE.
The northern kingdom of Israel was birthed in
rebellion against the appointed government of the house of David in
Jerusalem. Ten tribes rejected the promise of Messiah. As a result,
the kingdom of Israel suffered nineteen evil kings through nine different
family lines.
Kings of Israel (Northern Kingdom) * Nadab
* Baasha
* Elah
* Zimri
* Omri
* Ahab.
* Ahaziah
* Yehoram
* Yehu
* Yehoahaz
* Yehoash
* Yeroboam Il
* Zechariah
* Shallum
* Menahem
* Pekahiah
* Pekah
* Hoshea
During the wicked reign of Ahaz, and as a direct consequence of his abominations, the southern kingdom of Judah suffered at the hands of gentile nations. The Edomites, Syrians, Philistines and the Assyrians attacked Judah from all sides, taking many captives and occupying many cities. Like Israel before its fall, Judah became a vassal state of Assyria.
Judah’s King Ahaz was
succeeded by his son, Hezekiah, who was as righteous as his father was wicked (2 Kings 18-20; 2 Chronicles 29-32). The
prophet Isaiah ministered closely with King Hezekiah.
Hezekiah ruled for
29 years and was succeeded by his son, Manasseh. Manasseh was twelve
years old when he began to rule; and he was king for 55 years and did not do
that which was right in the eyes of IAUE. For this departure from the
righteous ways of his father Hezekiah, IAUE judged King Manasseh, and he was
carried away captive by Assyria. After approximately 45 to 50 years in
captivity, Manasseh repented of his evil; for which IAUE restored him to the
throne in Jerusalem (Yerushalyim). There he effected changes to restore
the true worship of IAUE to Judah.
Manasseh was
succeeded by his son, Amon, who ruled wickedly for two years before he was
assassinated (2 Ki 21:1-18; 2 Chron 33:1-20).
King Josiah (Yoshiyahu)
began to rule at eight years of age after the assassination of his
father. King Josiah purged Judah of the high places and the groves (temples to false gods); and he removed the carved
and molten images and altars of Baal (Zephaniah
1:8; 2 Kings 21-23; 2 Chronicles 34-35).
It was around this
time that the literary prophets, Nahum, Zephaniah
and Jeremiah
(Yirmeyahu) began to minister in
Judah. Also,
a prophetess named Huldah is identified during this time whose counsel was
sought by King Josiah (2 Chronicles 32).
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NAHUM: (written between
663 BC and 654 BC) Nahum’s name means “comfort” but not comfort to Ninevah, for
this short 3-chapter prophecy declares the destruction of Ninevah as the
Capitol city and representative of the nation of Assyria. Unlike Jonah, who had been sent to Ninevah to
preach repentance and to rescue it from impending judgment; Nahum offers no
repentance. Having lifted up its hand
against the people of IAUE, it was now time for Assyria to understand the
consequences of coming against the descendants of Abraham.
ZEPHANIAH: (written between 642
BC and 611 BC) Zephaniah’s name means “hidden/secured by IAUE, as one would
keep a treasure concealed. He was the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah, King of
Judah. Like Nahum, Zephaniah also prophesied the destruction of Ninevah (which
finally occurred in 612 BC). He also
prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah at the hands
of the Chaldeans (Babylonians); but also promises their return home to
Jerusalem. Zephaniah prophesied of “the day of IAUE” as a day of judgment and
outpouring of wrath, not only against Ninevah, but as a foretelling of the
judgment at the end of the ages.
JEREMIAH:
(written
between 626 BC and 585 BC) Jeremiah’s name means “IAUE has appointed.” Jeremiah
ministered from the 13th year of King Josiah until after the fall of
Judah. That covered the tenure of Kings Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin,
and Zedekiah. He is often referred to as “the weeping
prophet,” mostly because he never had a positive word to share with his
people. He prophesied of Judah’s coming
destruction at the hands of the Chaldeans/Babylonians. He told the people it would be best to yield/submit
to the Babylonians rather than fight and resist. He prophesied of the horrors that would take
place in Jerusalem because they would not yield to Babylon. In other words, he never prophesied good for
his people; and it broke his heart to be the constant bearer of bad news. The king had him thrown into a cistern with
the intent of leaving him there to die of starvation; but he was rescued by a
slave, though imprisoned thereafter until the destruction of Judah and the
annihilation of the temple of Solomon.
Jeremiah also recorded the book of Lamentations which is a heart
breaking account of the desolation of Jerusalem; and the hardships experienced within
the city as they resisted the armies of Babylon.
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During the reign of
King Josiah, Assyria was invaded by the Scythians which weakened them. They were finally overthrown by Egypt.
As a vassal state of Assyria, Josiah had felt obliged to attack Egypt and he was
killed in battle at Megiddo (circa 608 BC). Judah, consequently, became a
vassal state of Egypt.
Josiah’s
second-born son, Jehoahaz (Yehoahaz) was set
up by the people of Judah to assume the throne of his slain father.
Unfortunately, after only three months, he was removed and taken to Egypt by
Pharaoh Necho, who placed Josiah’s first-born son, Jehoiakim (Yehoiakim, also called
Eliakim) upon the throne (2 Kings 23-24; 2
Chronicles 36).
In 606 BC, under
the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar, the kingdom of Babylon defeated the armies of
Egypt at Carchemish (2 Ki 23:34-24:7; Dan 1:1)
and took captive from Judah the princes and the chiefest among the peoples carrying
them away to Babylon. Daniel, a literary prophet, and a prince of
Judah, was taken captive to Babylon at this time.
King Jehoiakim began
to rebel against Babylon, and after enduring several reprisals from Babylon, he
was finally taken captive to Babylon, at which time, Babylon took another
10,000 captives from Judah (principally craftsmen/skilled
workers and smiths). In this number was the literary prophet, Ezekiel.
Jehoiachin, at eight years of age, began to reign in the place of his father,
Jehoiakim. The Scripture says he did evil in the sight of IAUE; and in barely
more than three months, he, too, was taken captive to Babylon. Mattaniah,
Jehoichin’s uncle, then was made the final king of the southern kingdom of
Judah. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon,
changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah.
An alliance was
forming against Babylon (Edom, Ammon, Phoenicia and Egypt). The people
encouraged Zedekiah to join the alliance in rebellion against Babylon (Jer 28:2-4); but Jeremiah (Yirmeyahu) warned him
against it. Zedekiah resisted joining the alliance. Five years later,
however, after receiving assurances from Egypt, Zedekiah defied Babylon.
Babylon then moved against Judah, but upon learning of the approach of the
armies of Egypt, they circled around Jerusalem and first confronted and
destroyed Egypt's forces. Babylon’s forces then turned back to complete the
conquering of Judah. King Zedekiah fled to Jericho but was captured and forced
to witness the slaying of his sons; then his eyes were put out so the death of
his sons was the last thing he saw; and he was taken prisoner to Babylon where
he, blind, remained until his death.
Babylon destroyed
the nation of Judah, razed the temple to the ground, and carried the majority
of the Hebrews into captivity to Babylon in 586 BC. Because Jeremiah’s
prophetic ministry encouraged Judah to yield to Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar
permitted him to remain in Jerusalem with the remnant of Hebrews left behind to
occupy the land (keeping it from being overrun by
wild animals)(2 Kings 24-25; 2 Chronicles 36).
After the overthrow
of Judah, Babylon placed Gedaliah (Gedalyahu)
as governor over the remnant that remained in the land. He encouraged the
Hebrews not to fear Babylon. If they would serve the king of Babylon, all
would go well for them. Instead, after only two months, the people
revolted, killed Gedaliah, and fled to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with
them...despite Jeremiah’s prophesying to them that if they fled to Egypt, they
would all be destroyed. (Jeremiah 43:8-13).
He recorded the event of their destruction as it happened (Jeremiah 46).
The northern
kingdom of Israel was destroyed by Assyria in 722 BC. The southern kingdom of
Judah was destroyed by Babylon in three waves (606 BC, 597 BC, and finally, 586
BC).
Virtually all of
ten of the twelve tribes of Israel had been dissolved among the gentile
nations, losing their tribal distinction. (Ultimately, they became so diffused through
intermarriage with the Gentile nations that they no longer knew who they were
as Hebrews.)
The tribes of Judah
and Benjamin having been defeated in battle, lost the last of the promised land
to a warring, pagan, Gentile power. The hope of Israel appeared to have
reached its end...but IAUE had a covenant with his friend Abraham, and He would
not let fail his promise to His friend.
Kingdom heart: a heart that offers
no resistance to the performance of the will of IAUE.
