2 Kings 22
2 Kings 22: 1- 7
This chapter started with the age Josiah the grand child of Hezekiah became king. He was 8 years old, and he ruled Israel for thirty one years.
He the eighteenth year, King sent two people to go to the house of the Lord to check how much money the people brought into the house of the Lord and ensure it is paid to the carpenters that were doing the repairs of the damages made to the house of the Lord. The money paid to these carpenters would not be accounted for because they were faithful.
These verses exemplifies trust and the need of finance in the house of God. The money contributed was used for repairs which sounds fair enough.
2 Kings 22: 8-13 recorded how the lost book was found and how the two men Josiah sent to the temple informed him that the priest found the book. They read the content of the book to him and he fell into repentance not just that he required that they go enquire of the Lord what they needed to do, because the generation before them failed to obey what the book say.
When people ahead of you fail or fall don't follow in thesame direction, you do not have to repeat people's mistake even if it's all you know. What Josiah did here shows the heart of a man who is ready to change and to ensure things are done according to God's will.
The priest Hilkiah and three others went to meet the prophetess Huldah to gain clarity of what the book says and she was able to explain to them as recorded in the verses below
She said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am bringing a catastrophe on this place (Judah) and on its inhabitants, [according to] all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. Because they have abandoned (rejected) Me and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it will not be quenched.” ’ But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord, you shall say this to him: ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel, “Regarding the words which you have heard, because your heart was tender (receptive, penitent) and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I said against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and because you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I have heard you,” declares the Lord. “Therefore, behold, [King Josiah,] I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be taken to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil (catastrophe) which I will bring on this place.” ’ ” So they brought back word to the king.
2 Kings 22:15-20 AMP
What I learned from this act of Josiah and the message delivered through the prophetess is to ensure we approach God with true repentance, God is a merciful God. He could have said to Josiah you will pay for the sins of your father but instead, He showed him mercy and it's recorded that his eyes never saw evil.
Lord I come to you in all that I do and all that concerns me show me mercy even over things I have no clue is related to me that can lead to any form of catastrophe in Jesus name amen.
It important not to just assume a position and run with the current ideas, always investigate and follow the truth, then run with the truth even when it feels uncomfortable.
2 Kings 23
2 Kings 23: 1-3, King Josiah made a covenant in the temple, he didn't just go alone he went with all the men and he read what was in the book that was found in the temple to them and made a covenant with God to follow every word in the book.
Here Josiah shows what a true leader should do, it was not enough that he had asked God for mercy, he didn't not rule just based on his head knowledge or allow the power to get into his head. He called all the men as they were leaders of their own household. If a community is functioning right, check the individual household they are possibly doing something right too. A true leader should not just be about ordering people but leading by example, a true leader serves the people they lead.
2 Kings 23 4-20 King Josiah did a thorough cleansing of the evil altars, Baal altar and all idols including animals that were symbolic to worshiping some gods he ensured they were taken off. Amon his father was an orchestrator of bringing this idols into the temple of God but King Josiah ensured they were all taken out including the bones of the worshippers, he ended the worshippers of idol.
Then Josiah said, “What is this monument (gravestone) that I see?” The men of the city told him, “It is the grave of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done to the altar of Bethel.” He said, “Let him alone; let no one disturb his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed, with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria.
2 Kings 23:17-18 AMP
He came across the tomb of the prophet that proclaimed all that was written in the book and requested that they leave the tomb alone in respect, this shows how much King Josiah reverenced God and the people or things that is attached to the Most High.
What I learned from this, is that we can't accommodate any Idol in our temple and still serve God. We can't encourage the idol worshippers to use our temple as a dumping ground either. In this age we live in,idol worshipping isn't just about going to a place to pour libations on some effigy and reciting incantations. Technology has improved the accessibility of idol worshipping. It takes the spiritual understanding to know what we must get rid off, because our lives and body specifically are the temple of God. What is the source of the deposit that is at war with my spirit man against the will of God? I must get rid of them, so my life can exemplifies Christ through and through.
2 Kings 23: 21 - 27
Recorded how King Josiah initiated the reinstatement of the celebration of the Passover and the Bible recorded that no king before him abide to the law of Moses as he did.
Before him there was no king like Josiah who turned to the Lord with all his heart and all his soul and all his might, in accordance with all the Law of Moses; nor did anyone like him arise after him.
2 Kings 23:25 AMP
This shows a true heart of worship he didn't do it to gain medals or to be seen as the best by the people, He did it to honour God.
In your position what do you change to honour God.
Although the wrath of God still kindled against Judah due to their past sin but Josiah did all to serve God despite that.
2 Kings 23: 28- 33 recorded how Josiah died, he was killed by Pharaoh (Neco) in Meggido, Jehoahaz succeeded Josiah but did evil before God, he was imprisoned by Pharaoh.
This Pharaoh had a hidden agenda as documented in the verses below;
Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and brought him to Egypt, where he died. Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money as Pharaoh commanded. He collected the silver and gold from the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with everything that his forefathers had done.
2 Kings 23:34-37 AMP
It's a shame that some people are always after extorting others which is what we see this Pharaoh did. He imprisoned Jehoahaz, them made Jehoiakim the Kim so that he could extrort the people by extending his authority through Jehoiakim.
I pray for all leaders that God will deliver them from the hands of puppeteers in Jesus name.
2 Kings 24
2Kings 24: 1-5 recorded how Jehoiakim fell into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar how he continued to do evil and how Judah was given up to Babylon just because of the sin of King Manasseh against God.
I pray that we will never partake of the sins of generations of leaders we never met and I pray that God's mercy will overshadow historic sins that puts any of us at a disadvantage in Jesus name amen.
2 Kings 24: 6- 9
Recorded that after Jehoiakim died, Jehoiachin became the King however the entire rulership was an extension of orders from Nebuchadnezzar, at this point Nebuchadnezzar had taken over all that belonged to Pharaoh so this people were indirectly being sold and governed into some higher power slavery. They had a ruler but the ruler was a puppet in the hand of puppeteers.
Lord, I break every control of power over my destiny is the hand of tyrants and wicked leaders in Jesus name
I decree over this land, that every power navigating decisions in directions against the will of God over the nation's and the inhabitants is permanently destroyed in Jesus name
There are some battles that are held by people in high places that only the mercy of God can cause breakthrough for His own children.
I pray we will always merit the mercy of God in Jesus name amen
2 Kings 24: 10-16
Jehoiachin was taken into exile in Babylon and even imprisoned including his household leaving Jerusalem destitute and object to their tormentor Nebuchadnezzar.
Jehoiachin king of Judah surrendered to the king of Babylon, he and his mother and his servants and his captains and his [palace] officials. So the king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his [own] reign.
2 Kings 24:12 AMP
This is a sad situation, this is an evidence of not following the word of God a d his precepts. God always avenge for His own but of you fail to abide in his will the wrath of God is the answer to that. Although the wrath of God was already on the land, their leaders amplified the need for the wrath to manifest die to their ways against God.
2 Kings 24: 17 - 20
Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with everything that Jehoiakim had done. Because of the anger of the Lord these things happened in Jerusalem and Judah, and it [finally] came to the point that He cast them from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
2 Kings 24:17-20 AMP
Reading these verses above just gave me more reason to identify with Christ. If you live in this world with no true identity in God, you will be assigned any form of identity. Nebuchadnezzar and the kings of Babylon are ffond of doing such as they did to the 4 Hebrew boys. So anyone they control or have taken as their property gets their name changed from what we can see here. Changing a person's name is a bid to let them lose their identity. This is not something the people accepted by choice because they had no choice because the me was changed by their captors.
I change every negative identity, placed upon my life and lineage in Jesus name
I refused to be called any evil name that God has not given to me or my household in Jesus name
2 Kings 25
2 Kings 25: 1 - 7
Now in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he with all his army, against Jerusalem, and camped against it and built siege works surrounding it. The city came under siege [for nearly two years] until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine [caused by the siege] was severe in the city; there was no food for the people of the land. Then the city [wall] was broken into [and conquered]; all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls by the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans (Babylonians) were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah (the plain of the Jordan). The army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. Then his entire army was dispersed from him. So they seized the king (Zedekiah) and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah [on the Orontes River], and sentence was passed on him. They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him [hand and foot] with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.
2 Kings 25:1-7 AMP
These 7 verses recorded the wickedness of Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem, it was not enough that he changed the name of a king then he besieged the land, causing famine then came to fully take over and killed all the sonaof the king right before his eyes.
The king was just a figure head, because Nebuchadnezzar had control from the get go, and what use is a king who can't defend his kingdom. To further break the feathers of the King they killed his sons in front of him. They kept him in fetters and chain, they have not only damaged his kingdom. They damaged him as a man, they broke his spirit. This is utter wickedness and we still see such happening in this current time.
Lord for as many using their position to make life unbearable to others and destroying, generations arise and avenge for the victims in your mercy in Jesus name amen.
2 Kings 25: 8 - 21
Documented the damages made to the land how their houses was burnt down, they took their belongings away from them. They burnt down the temple built by Solomon and forcefully took the ornaments and things Solomon had taken time to and put so much details in ensuring he built the temple for the lord.
All these occurrences just further ascertain the our treasure should be in heaven not on this earth. Whatever we build here on earth will be left here on earth even temples and places of worship with magnificent architecture they would be destroyed at some point. God will not dwell in temples built with blocks but the the people who are sold out to serving and worshipping Him.
2 Kings 25: 22 -
Now over the people whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left in the land of Judah, he appointed [as governor] Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan. When all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came with their men to Gedaliah at Mizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite. Gedaliah swore [an oath] to them and their men, and said to them, “Do not be afraid of the servants (officials) of the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.” But in the seventh month Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family [who had a claim to be governor], came with ten men and struck and killed Gedaliah and the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces set out and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans (Babylonians).
2 Kings 25:22-26 AMP
This story keeps getting interesting and all I can see is greed, lack of humanity, power struggle and lack of faith on the Almighty God.
Now it came about in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he became king, showed favor to Jehoiachin king of Judah and released him from prison; and he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the [other] kings [of captive peoples] who were with him in Babylon. Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes [for palace garments] and he dined regularly in the king’s presence for the remainder of his life; and his allowance, a continual one, was given to him by the king (Evil-meridach), a portion every day, for the rest of his life.
2 Kings 25:27-30 AMP
After 37years in exile and in prison Jehoiachin was favoured by and evil king. Hmmm this is what you call against all odds but what about the wasted years, did Jehoiachin learn from the time in exile and prison, will he continue in his evil ways or change to serve God?
This answers are still in the Bible, this Bible studies is to ensure that we have clarity and revelation of what happened in the Bible and also build our lives right in a way that God will be magnified. Learning from the mistakes of these king from 1st to 2nd King is enough for a person to have a changed life.
Having Jesus Christ as your Lord and saviour will help you get close to God and worshipping with Bible based believers and constant growth through the word and in the word is important.
