2 Kings 24:8–9: “Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.”
August 18th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotionalSadly, as we read through the history of Judah’s kings, the description, “And he did evil,” appears again and again. 2 Chronicles gives us even more information on this particular king: “he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God; he did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet who spoke for the LORD” (2 Chron. 36:12; italics added). God repeatedly sent His prophets to the kings telling them to repent and return to Him. In the case of King Jehoiachin, He sent the prophet Jeremiah, but the young king refused to humble himself. Jesus tells us in Matthew 23:12 that “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” What might have happened for the good of Israel if this young king had simply humbled himself before God?
God doesn’t cause trouble and adversity, but He does allow it to come into our lives to refine us, to mature us in the area of humility. Trouble, pressure, struggle, reveals what’s really in our hearts. Some respond to it by raising their faces to heaven and becoming bitter, while others bow their knees before God and become better. God will always accept a humble heart. We see that in the lives of two of the worst kings, Ahab and Manasseh. At the end of their lives, which were filled with idolatry and arrogance, they did at last humble themselves before the Lord. Ahab “tore his clothes . . . fasted . . . and went about mourning . . . [and the Lord said], ‘See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days'” (1 Kings 21:27–29). Manasseh “humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers . . . and [God] received his entreaty” (2 Chron. 33:12–13).
Two of the greatest pastors in 18th-century England, George Whitfield and John Wesley, disagreed over a point of doctrine concerning salvation. Whitfield embraced Calvinism, which says God saves whom He will and we have no choice in the matter. Wesley leaned toward Armenianism, which says we have to choose to accept Jesus to be saved. Their disagreement resulted in much public debate and great animosity between their followers. A newspaper reporter, wanting to cause even greater division, asked George Whitfield, “Do you expect to see John Wesley in heaven?” Whitfield replied, “I don’t expect to see Mr. Wesley in heaven.” Then continued humbly, “For he will be so near the eternal throne and we at such a distance, we shall hardly get sight of him.”
“LORD, we humble ourselves under Your loving hand today so that we might be of some use to You in Your Kingdom.”
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2 Kings 24 KJV
1 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. 2 And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. 3 Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; 4 And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon. 5 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 6 So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. 7 And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt. 8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. 10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it. 12 And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign. 13 And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. 14 And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. 15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, thosecarried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong andapt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon. 17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father’s brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah. 18 Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20 For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
