2 Kings 24 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

2 Kings 24 Short Summary:

Judah was in complete decline. King Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, leading to the conquest of Jerusalem. His son Jehoiachin inherited the throne, only to be exiled to Babylon with the rest of Jerusalem’s elite and skilled workers. Nebuchadnezzar installed Zedekiah (Mattaniah) as a puppet king, but he later rebelled against his master.

2 Kings 24 Extended Summary

WHEN:

• Jehoiakim reigned from approximately 609-597 B.C.

• Jehoiachin reigned in 597 for only 3 months, after which he surrendered to the king of Babylon.

CHARACTERS:

• Nebuchadnezzar – Prince and later king of Babylon.

• Jehoiakim – Josiah’s son who was put on the throne of Judah by Pharaoh Neco.

• Jehoiachin – He became king after Jehoiakim. He only reigned for 3 months. He was taken as a captive to Babylon.

• Zedekiah (Mattaniah) – Nebuchadnezzar made Zedekiah king after he besieged Jerusalem in 597 B.C.

WHERE:

• The kings of Judah ruled from Jerusalem.

• The capital of the Babylonian Empire was Babylon, a city positioned on the Euphrates River.

OUTLINE:

• THE LORD SENDS THE NATIONS AGAINST JUDAH (24:1-7):

  • During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took control of the land of Judah from the Pharaoh of Egypt (23:7).

  • After 3 years, Jehoiakim rebelled against Babylon, but God sent other nations against Judah, like the Chaldeans, Arameans, Moabites, and Ammonites.

  • This was God’s judgement on Judah for the sins of Manasseh.

  • Jehoiakim later died and his son, Jehoiachin, took the throne of Judah.

• JEHOIACHIN REIGNS IN JUDAH (24:8-16):

  • Jehoiachin became king when he was 18 and reigned 3 months. He “did evil in the sight of the Lord.”

  • During his short reign Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians besieged Jerusalem, captured it, and plundered it.

  • Jehoiachin was taken as a prisoner to Babylon along with 10,000 captives. These captives included the king’s family, palace officials, craftsmen, blacksmiths, and the men of valor. Only the poorest of the people were left in the Judah.

• ZEDEKIAH REIGNS IN JUDAH (24:18-20):

  • Nebuchadnezzar made Mattaniah the new king in Jerusalem and changed his name to Zedekiah.

  • He reigned 11 years and “did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.”

  • The chapter concludes by telling us Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. The consequences of that choice will be discussed in 2 Kings 25.

APPLICATION:

• Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Judah and Jerusalem are very significant because they were the beginning of 70 years of punishment God was going to inflict on the people of Judah for the sins of Manasseh and the other wicked kings of Judah.

• The people of Judah were carried far away from the Promised Land and taken to Babylon. They would remain captives in the foreign land for the next several decades.

• They would only be allowed to return home after receiving permission from Cyrus, the man who defeated the Babylonians.

• This period of 70 years (approximately 607-537 B.C.) is often referred to as the “Babylonian Exile.”