Explaining the Exile

2 Kings 25:8-21

 

Most in church today are familiar with the term “Exile”.

It is one of those bible terms that is often used and is very familiar.

 

Sort of like the Exodus was the leaving of Egypt,

The Exile was the entrance into Babylon.

Most are familiar with the concept.

 

But this is an area in which our familiarity can actually work against us.

Because the more we hear about an exile taking place,

The less shocked we are by it.

 

Today when someone says all of Israel was exiled into Babylon,

Most people don’t even bat an eye. That is a familiar truth.

 

And so we don’t get all that excited about it,

Nor do we treat it like it is any big deal.

 

But if we look at it like that, it is obvious we are not taking the time

To contemplate what it really was.

 

The exile was NOT a pretty site.

It was the total annihilation and deportation of an entire people.

What the holocaust is in our day, the exile was in this day.

 

It was as supreme and horrific a judgment

As a nation could possibly experience.

 

You were defeated, you were deported, and if you survived

You were forced to dwell wherever your new master placed you.

 

Exile was a horrific thing.

 

And the Bible helps us understand just how horrific this event was.

 

There is an entire book of the Bible

Dedicated just to explaining the horror of this event.

We call it Lamentations.

 

It was written by Jeremiah after the events that we read of today.

Jeremiah is very literally sitting on a rock that used to be a part of the temple

And is lamenting what he sees.

 

His words give us a great glimpse into just how horrible it really was.

 

TURN TO: LAMENTATIONS

1:1-6 – 5:1-22

If you want a picture from the New Testament,

We turn to the book of Matthew.

 

And when Matthew explains what it was like on that day

That Herod killed all those babies in Bethlehem,

 

In order to explain what the weeping and wailing was like,

Matthew quotes the words of Jeremiah as he looked at the exile.

 

Matthew 2:16-18 “Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE.”

 

The point is that the exile was a horrible thing.

And just in case you have grown a little desensitized to it,

I hope to maybe stir up your understanding a little this morning.

 

God’s people had sinned against God,

And the exile was the punishment for that sin.

 

And the writer of Kings is explaining to you what the exile looked like.

 

The final statement of this section.

In verse 21, “So Judah was led away into exile from its land.”

 

That tells us that the verses preceding that statement

Are meant to explain to us exactly what exile looked like.

 

And as we see the exile this morning, I want you to fully understand

That the penalty for apostasy, the penalty for rejecting God

IS NO LAUGHING MATTER.

 

And as we look at our text, there are three main things

That the writer wants you and I to know about the exile.

 

These are things that occurred.

 

#1 THEIR CITY WAS DESTROYED

2 Kings 25:8-12

 

We can obviously read over those verses and just sort of digest them as facts, but let it be real to you for a moment.

 

Imagine a foreign enemy entering this town,

And burning every church and every house with fire.

We all remember the horror of September 11th,

But imagine that sort of destruction covering the entire land.

 

This was not Babylon just seizing control of a territory,

This was Babylon completely destroying everything in this land.

 

He burned the house of the Lord and all the houses.

He broke down the wall around the city.

 

Lamentations 2:5-9 “The Lord has become like an enemy. He has swallowed up Israel; He has swallowed up all its palaces, He has destroyed its strongholds And multiplied in the daughter of Judah Mourning and moaning. And He has violently treated His tabernacle like a garden booth; He has destroyed His appointed meeting place. The LORD has caused to be forgotten The appointed feast and sabbath in Zion, And He has despised king and priest In the indignation of His anger. The Lord has rejected His altar, He has abandoned His sanctuary; He has delivered into the hand of the enemy The walls of her palaces. They have made a noise in the house of the LORD As in the day of an appointed feast. The LORD determined to destroy The wall of the daughter of Zion. He has stretched out a line, He has not restrained His hand from destroying, And He has caused rampart and wall to lament; They have languished together. Her gates have sunk into the ground, He has destroyed and broken her bars. Her king and her princes are among the nations; The law is no more. Also, her prophets find No vision from the LORD.”

This was ultimate destruction.

 

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY ATTRIBUTED TO THIS JUDGMENT WAS THEIR FALSE ASSURANCE.

 

The people just didn’t think they would be destroyed.

(11-12) “Then the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the people, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile. But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.”

 

You may have noticed that there were some who decided not to fight,

But instead chose to go and surrender to Babylon ahead of time.

 

This may make them appear to be cowards.

But this was actually the command of God.

 

Jeremiah 38:2-3 “Thus says the LORD, ‘He who stays in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live and have his own life as booty and stay alive.’ “Thus says the LORD, ‘This city will certainly be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and he will capture it.'”

 

Jeremiah 38:17-18 “Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘If you will indeed go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned with fire, and you and your household will survive. ‘But if you will not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given over to the hand of the Chaldeans; and they will burn it with fire, and you yourself will not escape from their hand.'”

God had actually commanded them to abandon the city,

But many rebelled.

 

WHY DID THEY REBEL?

False Assurance

 

And by the way, this was a shock to the people.

Lamentations 4:12 “The kings of the earth did not believe, Nor did any of the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy Could enter the gates of Jerusalem.

 

TURN TO: JEREMIAH 7:1-15

(we see that they were trusting in deception (8))

 

They didn’t think this was possible, but it happened.

 

Every building in Jerusalem was leveled.

All that was left were the smoking embers of a city that once was.

This was a total destruction.

 

All because the people were disobedient and trusted in things

That that they should not have trusted in.

 

(The Spiritual Application is obvious)

 

When people have false assurance,

They lose their desire for obedience,

And both lead them into judgment.

 

For Judah it led them into exile and complete destruction.

 

Their city was destroyed

#2 THEIR POSSESSIONS WERE STOLEN

2 Kings 25:13-17

 

This section has a clear point.

Although most everything in Jersusalem was knocked down and burned,

The Babylonians did spare some things.

 

Anything of value they stole before they set the place on fire.

 

You probably remember that this was prophesied:

2 Kings 20:16-18 “Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD. ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says the LORD. ‘Some of your sons who shall issue from you, whom you will beget, will be taken away; and they will become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.'”

 

And now that is coming to pass.

Babylon is stealing it all.

Obviously most of the gold and silver had already been taken.

This is now the Babylonians totally scrapping the place.

 

But if you notice, the writer of kings

Has a particular interest in two things that were stolen.

 

(13) “Now the bronze pillars which were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea which were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon.”

 

(17) “The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a bronze capital was on it; the height of the capital was three cubits, with a network and pomegranates on the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like these with network.”

 

Of all the things stolen the writer is particularly interested in these pillars.

 

WHAT WERE THEY?

 

They were actually built by Solomon.

1 Kings 7:15,21 “He fashioned the two pillars of bronze; eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of both…Thus he set up the pillars at the porch of the nave; and he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin, and he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz.”

 

These were two decorative pillars set up by Solomon

To signify something to the people of Israel.

 

Jachin means “He shall Establish”

Boaz means “In it is strength”

 

They were meant to symbolize the strength of God’s temple

And that by virtue of this temple God had established Israel.

 

Israel is no longer established and Israel is no longer strong.

And God appointed the removal of the pillars.

 

And please notice that these monuments were not treasured by Babylon.

They weren’t going to put them in the Babylonian museum.

They weren’t going to set up a temple in Babylon for the Jews.

 

Just look at verse 16

“The two pillars, the one sea, and the stands which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD – the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight.”

 

They don’t talk about these artistic structures according to their beauty,

They talk about them according to their weight.

 

What were priceless emblems of worship to the Jews

Were nothing but scrap metal to the Babylonians.

 

(Imagine someone coming in here with an axe and demolishing everything in order to salvage some of the wood)

 

This was a brutal event to behold.

 

Of this event Matthew Henry wrote:

“It was a righteous thing with God to deprive those of the benefit of worship who had slighted it so long and preferred false worships before it. Those that would have many altars shall now have none.”

 

What does exile look like?

 

Their City was Destroyed Their Possessions were Stolen

#3 THEIR LEADERS WERE KILLED

2 Kings 25:18-21

 

Here you recognize what the rulers of Babylon are doing?

 

Everyone who had a hand in rebelling against Babylon;

Everyone who encouraged those to stay and fight;

Were systematically gathered and executed.

 

72 leaders of the people were found in the city and they were brought before Nebuchadnezzar who “put them to death”

 

There would be no hope of an uprising.

There would be no hope of winning your freedom.

Anyone who had the ability to lead such an insurrection was killed.

 

Of course the result was to leave behind

A defenseless, demoralized, and utterly hopeless people.

 

That is exactly what was left,

And those survivors were led on a march to Babylon.

 

Jeremiah 52:28-30 “These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away into exile: in the seventh year 3,023 Jews; in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar 832 persons from Jerusalem; in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile 745 Jewish people; there were 4,600 persons in all. “

Chapter 24 spoke of 10,000 captives.

The remaining captives were 4,600

So roughly 15,000 people were exiled.

 

The only survivors from a nation

That would be like the sand of the seashore.

 

The realization is that there were a lot more people who died

Than there were people who were exiled.

 

Death was the order of the day.

 

Ezekiel gave a dramatic prophesy about this.

Ezekiel 5:1-4 “As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword; take and use it as a barber’s razor on your head and beard. Then take scales for weighing and divide the hair. “One third you shall burn in the fire at the center of the city, when the days of the siege are completed. Then you shall take one third and strike it with the sword all around the city, and one third you shall scatter to the wind; and I will unsheathe a sword behind them. “Take also a few in number from them and bind them in the edges of your robes. “Take again some of them and throw them into the fire and burn them in the fire; from it a fire will spread to all the house of Israel.”

 

Obviously the hair represented the people,

It was only that “few in number”, bound in Ezekiel’s robe that survived,

And even some of them were then removed and killed.

 

The point is that death was a huge part of this exile.

 

Lamentations 2:22 “You called as in the day of an appointed feast My terrors on every side; And there was no one who escaped or survived In the day of the LORD’S anger. Those whom I bore and reared, My enemy annihilated them.”

 

The point is that when you read in Scripture

That Israel disobeyed God and so He exiled them to Babylon.

 

Don’t picture it as though they all packed their luggage

And went on some 70 year sabbatical to a tropical paradise.

 

Most were killed

Those that survived were sent as slaves of slaves in a foreign land.

Their city was destroyed and their possessions were stolen.

 

These were people who were left with absolutely nothing

And there was nothing to do but lament.

 

Exile is a horrible thing.

 

And I don’t know if you picked up on it or not,

But there is actually a very interesting parallel

To this passage in the New Testament.

 

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

 

You caught what the thief came to do.

Steal, Kill, Destroy.

 

That is precisely what Babylon did.

 

And all along God was crying out to Jerusalem

As the One who gives life, begging them to turn

From their evil ways and come to Him.

 

But they continually refused.

 

And when you refuse the One who gives life,

You automatically fall into the hands of the destroyer.

(Paul actually handed apostates over to Satan – 1 Timothy 1)

 

And all that is left to do is lament the horror of that judgment.

 

In fact Jesus called that day of judgment

“A place of weeping and gnashing of teeth”

 

The point is not pleasant, but it is so vitally important.

These Jews were false believers,

They were apostates who had turned away from God.

 

And as such they were not welcome to live in the land

God had promised to His children.

 

Because they had rejected Him judgment was their fate

And it came in the form of a horrific exile.

 

That same warning is for us today.

• It is for any who know the truth of God but refuse to yield to it…

• It is for any who put on a show of religion, but have not truly yielded to Him…

• It is for any who claim allegiance with their mouth, but their heart is far from Him…

 

Those people must learn that the judgment of God

Is severe on such people.

 

In fact, the writer of Hebrews said it like this:

Hebrews 10:26-31 “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

 

“It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

And if you don’t believe the writer of Hebrews,

Then ask the writer of Kings.

 

He most likely was one of those surviving Jews

Led away into captivity in Babylon.

 

And his timeless warning to the ages,

For all who read the book he left behind, is

• Seek God,

• Obey God,

• Trust God,

• Remove all idols from your land and from your heart.

 

For God is a jealous God

And He will not allow those whose heart is not fully His

To dwell in the land of promise.

 

This morning I again encourage you

To learn the lesson of the book of Kings.

And be genuine before the Lord.

 

Give Him your heart

Give Him your soul

Give Him your mind

Give Him your strength

 

Love Him above all else, and be real.

 

Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

 

If God Be Against Us…

2 Kings 23:31 – 25:7 (24:3-4)

 

I read those two verses at the beginning,

Because from the start I want you to have firmly grounded in your mind

The truth about what is taking place here.

 

I want you to know from the outset

That the destruction you are about to witness taking place

Did so at the command of Holy God.

 

These events are not Satan attacking God’s people…

These events are not a godless world trying to put the light of the righteous…

This is God bringing about judgment on a group of hypocritical followers

That do not love Him as He commanded.

 

God is at the root of this judgment.

 

While studying Hezekiah, we had a sermon called “If God Be For Us…”

And of course the obvious response is, “Who can be against us.”

 

And that rang true in Hezekiah’s reign,

As he trusted God and God killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night

And rescued Jerusalem from the lion’s mouth.

 

When God is on your side, you have no need to worry or fear.

 

But one can only imagine what the flipside would look like

What if you were one of the Assyrians?

 

What if you found out that God was your enemy?

 

MOST PEOPLE HAVE DIFFICULTY VIEWING GOD AS AN “ENEMY”

 

Mostly because John 3:16 has so been driven into our heads

About the love of God most people today (even those who reject Him)

Still don’t see God as an enemy.

 

But that theology is not accurate or biblical.

Romans 5:10 “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

 

After giving the parable of the talents,

Jesus spoke specifically about those who hid their talent in the ground.

 

Luke 19:27 “But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.”

 

Paul described what an enemy of God looks like.

Philippians 3:18-19 “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.”

 

Which is of course what James also said:

James 4:4 “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

 

Even Jesus said:

Matthew 12:30 “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”

 

The point is that we don’t just go through this life neutral.

You are either God’s ally or you are God’s enemy.

You are either for God or against Him.

 

And when God is for you life is great, BUT WHAT ABOUT WHEN GOD IS AGAINST YOU?

 

That is precisely what we see taking place in our text this morning.

 

Now we just recently studied Josiah: The Devoted King.

 

But it was Josiah’s grandfather that is important to this truth.

 

Manasseh was so immoral, and so idolatrous that it was during his reign

That God decided that He had seen enough.

 

And therefore the judgment upon Judah is inevitable.

God is no longer offering forgiveness.

God even commanded Jeremiah to quit praying for this people.

 

God is against them and judgment is a certainty.

 

We are going to see the last 4 kings

Who ever sat upon the throne in Jerusalem.

 

DO YOU REALIZE THAT AFTER THESE KINGS,

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANOTHER

NOT UNTIL KING JESUS RETURNS.

 

I want to show you the last four, and therefore

Let you see what life is like when you find yourself an enemy of God.

#1 JEHOAHAZ: THE CONFUSED KING

2 Kings 23:31-34

 

Jehoahaz was the son of Josiah.

He was not the oldest, but he was the people’s choice for the throne.

He reigned in the place of his father, but there was one problem.

(32) “He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.”

 

I don’t want to spend a lot of time chasing down facts about these kings,

But I will show you why he was a confused king.

 

Jeremiah 22:11-17 “For thus says the LORD in regard to Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in the place of Josiah his father, who went forth from this place, “He will never return there; 1but in the place where they led him captive, there he will die and not see this land again. “Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness And his upper rooms without justice, Who uses his neighbor’s services without pay And does not give him his wages, Who says, ‘I will build myself a roomy house With spacious upper rooms, And cut out its windows, Paneling it with cedar and painting it bright red.’ “Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink And do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. “He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy; Then it was well. Is not that what it means to know Me?” Declares the LORD. “But your eyes and your heart Are intent only upon your own dishonest gain, And on shedding innocent blood And on practicing oppression and extortion.”

 

There you see what sort of a king Jehoahaz was.

He had no clue what it was that made a person kingly.

He thought fancy houses and long robes where what made a man a king.

 

He would have done well to remember the admonition of God to Samuel.

1 Samuel 16:6-7 “When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’S anointed is before Him.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

And Jeohahaz certainly did not understand that.

He was clueless to what things really mattered.

 

Ezekiel 19:1-4 “As for you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel and say, ‘What was your mother? A lioness among lions! She lay down among young lions, She reared her cubs. When she brought up one of her cubs, He became a lion, And he learned to tear his prey; He devoured men. ‘Then nations heard about him; He was captured in their pit, And they brought him with hooks To the land of Egypt.”

 

There again Ezekiel points out what a ruthless and foolish king he was.

Ezekiel even went so far as to proclaim his punishment.

 

He would be carried to Egypt.

(VERSES 33-34)

 

He was wicked and God judged him.

 

Jehoahaz: The Clueless King

#2 JEHOIAKIM: THE STUBBORN KING

2 Kings 23:35 – 24:7

 

Jehoiakim was also the son of Josiah.

In fact he was Jehoahaz’s older brother.

 

Probably the reason Pharaoh chose him is the same reason the people did not. He was most likely a soft individual and Pharaoh knew he could control him.

 

Pharoah imposed a tax and Jehoiakim taxed the people.

 

And then comes the evaluation of his life.

(37) “He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.”

 

Jehoiakim was also a wicked king.

Jeremiah 22:18-23 “Therefore thus says the LORD in regard to Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, “They will not lament for him: ‘Alas, my brother!’ or, ‘Alas, sister!’ They will not lament for him: ‘Alas for the master!’ or, ‘Alas for his splendor!’ “He will be buried with a donkey’s burial, Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem. “Go up to Lebanon and cry out, And lift up your voice in Bashan; Cry out also from Abarim, For all your lovers have been crushed. “I spoke to you in your prosperity; But you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your practice from your youth, That you have not obeyed My voice. “The wind will sweep away all your shepherds, And your lovers will go into captivity; Then you will surely be ashamed and humiliated Because of all your wickedness. “You who dwell in Lebanon, Nested in the cedars, How you will groan when pangs come upon you, Pain like a woman in childbirth!”

 

God was specifically angry with Jehoiakim

Because he refused to listen to God.

 

This is what Ezekiel noted as well.

Ezekiel 19:5-9 “When she saw, as she waited, That her hope was lost, She took another of her cubs And made him a young lion. ‘And he walked about among the lions; He became a young lion, He learned to tear his prey; He devoured men. ‘He destroyed their fortified towers And laid waste their cities; And the land and its fullness were appalled Because of the sound of his roaring. ‘Then nations set against him On every side from their provinces, And they spread their net over him; He was captured in their pit. ‘They put him in a cage with hooks And brought him to the king of Babylon; They brought him in hunting nets So that his voice would be heard no more On the mountains of Israel.”

 

Because of Jehoiakim’s wickedness he also would be judged.

He would be punished and carried to Babylon.

 

(VERSES 1-6)

The writer of kings doesn’t mention Jehoiakim’s exile,

But the writer of Chronicles does.

 

2 Chronicles 36:6 “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon.”

 

(Incidentally this is also when Daniel and his friends were exiled to Babylon – 609BC.)

 

It is apparent, however, that he was set free from Babylon

Because his death also involved the burial of a donkey.

But again we see a defiant king and more judgment from God.

 

Jehoahaz: The Confused King Jehoiakim: The Stubborn King

#3 JEHOIACHIN: THE DESPISED KING

2 Kings 24:8-17

 

And again we are dealing with yet another wicked king.

 

(9) “He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.”

 

So this is now Josiah’s grandson, the son of Jehoiakim.

And he is a wicked king.

 

This king is actually despised by God.

Jeremiah 22:24-30 “As I live,” declares the LORD, “even though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet ring on My right hand, yet I would pull you off; and I will give you over into the hand of those who are seeking your life, yes, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. “I will hurl you and your mother who bore you into another country where you were not born, and there you will die. “But as for the land to which they desire to return, they will not return to it. “Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered jar? Or is he an undesirable vessel? Why have he and his descendants been hurled out And cast into a land that they had not known? “O land, land, land, Hear the word of the LORD! “Thus says the LORD, ‘Write this man down childless, A man who will not prosper in his days; For no man of his descendants will prosper Sitting on the throne of David Or ruling again in Judah.'”

 

I think it’s obvious that God despised this king.

God making a promise that none of this king’s descendants

Would ever sit on the throne of Israel.

 

God brings about punishment on Jehoiachin as well.

(VERSES 10-17)

 

Just as God said that He would get rid of Jehoiachin and his mother,

That’s exactly what He did.

 

(This is also when Ezekiel and 10,000 captives were deported to Babylon – 594BC)

 

Furthermore God said Jehoiachin’s son would not sit on the throne Instead his uncle “Zedekiah” became king.

 

Jehoahaz: The Clueless King Jehoiakim: The Stubborn King

Jehoiachin: The Despised King

#4 ZEDEKIAH: THE ABANDONED KING

2 Kings 24:18 – 25:7

 

This is now the third son of Josiah to be king,

But sadly he isn’t much like his father either.

 

(19) “He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.”

 

And so God wasn’t very pleased with him either.

 

I called him THE ABANDONED KING,

Because that is precisely what God did to him.

 

Jeremiah 24:8 “But like the bad figs which cannot be eaten due to rottenness — indeed, thus says the LORD — so I will abandon Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land and the ones who dwell in the land of Egypt.”

 

If you have read the book of Ezekiel,

You know that Ezekiel saw a most horrific site.

 

Ezekiel 10:18-19 “Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. When the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of the LORD’S house, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them.”

 

Ezekiel saw God’s glory get up off of the mercy seat and move from the Holy of Holies to the entrance of the east gate of the LORD’S house.

 

Ezekiel 11:22-23 “Then the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them. The glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city.”

 

The Hebrew term is ICHABOD

“no glory” or “the glory of the LORD has departed”

 

It is the name that Phinehas’s wife gave to her son who was born after she heard that her husband was dead and that the ark of the covenant had been stolen by the Philistines.

 

Ezekiel actually saw it, and it happened during Zedekiah’s reign.

God left them.

 

He abandoned them to be destroyed.

(VERSES 25:1-7)

 

Do you realize that the last thing Zedekiah ever saw on this earth

Was the death of his sons?

 

Now I know we have just covered a lot of text

In a short period of time, but we did so on purpose.

 

I was hoping to allow you to see the big picture of what is going on here.

Each of these four kings all 3 things in common.

1) EVIL

All four of them “did evil in the sight of the LORD”.

• They all hated God’s Word

• They all shed innocent blood

• They all worshiped idols

• THEY WERE ALL EVIL

 

2) ENEMIES

And not just coincidental enemies,

The enemies they faced were specifically from God.

 

Jehoahaz faced Egypt

Jehoiakim faced Chaldeans, Arameans, Moabites and Ammonites

Jehoiachin and Zedekiah both faced Babylon

 

(24:2-4) “The LORD sent against him bands of Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. So He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken through His servants the prophets. Surely at the command of the LORD it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the LORD would not forgive.”

 

I hope you see that these men had enemies

Because God was sending them.

 

(24:20) “For through the anger of the LORD this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.”

 

They had Evil in common

They had Enemies in common

3) EXILE

 

Each of these kings was exiled from God’s land.

 

Jehoahaz died in Egypt

Jehoiakim was exiled to Babylon, then returned and his body was thrown out into the streets.

Jehoiachin was exiled to Babylon with his mother

Zedekiah was exiled after being blinded and witnessing the death of his sons.

 

And the point is that God was against these kings

And they didn’t have a chance.

 

All of them suffered the same fate.

Indeed the nation suffered the same fate.

They were enemies of God and they could not hide from His judgment.

 

When God is for you, who can be against you,

But when God is against you, there is nothing you can do.

 

NOW FOR A LITTLE APPLICATION

 

It is always the common practice of people in the church to read such Scriptures and immediately try to apply it to America.

 

America is an idolatrous nation.

Tolerant of false religion

In love with the things of the world

Chasing money as fast as we can

 

America is a disobedient nation.

Loving the things God hates

Disregarding the Laws of God on an increasing basis

 

America is a nation that sheds innocent blood

We may never know the number of unborn babies that never see the light of day

 

And because of those facts it is easy to read passages like this

And then go on some rant about how America better watch out.

 

But listen you cannot take the history of Israel and apply it to America.

IT IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SCENARIO

 

If you want to apply to America:

Pick Greece, Pick Rome, Pick Babylon, Pick Assyria, or any of those Canaanite nations.

 

BUT NOT ISRAEL

WHY?

 

ISRAEL WAS A COVENANT NATION

 

SO WHO DO WE APPLY TEXTS LIKE THIS TO?

 

That is easy.

WHO WAS ISRAEL AND JUDAH AT THIS TIME?

 

They were those who claimed to be in covenant with God,

But they had broken that covenant.

 

They were apostates.

They were hypocrites.

They were religious on the outside, and idolatrous on the inside.

Physical descendants of Abraham, but not spiritual descendants.

Although they looked like Israel on the outside,

They were not truly Israel on the inside.

 

Paul said:

Romans 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.”

 

These were outward Jews, not inward ones.

 

They were hypocrites, false claimers, covenant breakers,

And because of that God was kicking them out of the land

That was reserved for those who keep His covenant.

 

TURN TO: DEUTERONOMY 6

(I know we quote it a lot)

 

YOUR PART OF THE COVENANT

Love Me and prove it with obedience

 

MY PART OF THE COVENANT

To let you live in the land intended for My people.

 

But if you break your part of the covenant

And prove that you were lying when you entered My covenant

Then I will kick you out of that land completely.

 

And since Israel proved to be liars, God removed them from their land.

 

This is the type of people we are dealing with.

 

AND SO WHEN WE WANT TO APPLY THESE TEXTS TO OUR DAY, WE DO NOT APPLY THEM TO THE WORLD,

WE APPLY THEM TO THE FALSE BRETHREN OF THE CHURCH.

 

The Bible promises that there will be false believers among the brethren,

And those false brethren are enemies of God destined for judgment.

 

Matthew 13:36-43 “Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.”So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. “The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

 

Just as it was not enough to live in God’s land and call yourself a Jew

And perform the outward religious ceremonies.

 

It is enough to dwell in God’s church and call yourself a Christian

And perform the outward religious ceremonies.

 

The Love for God must be real.

The Commitment to God must real.

The Obedience to God must be real.

Because the enemies will someday be removed and cast into the fire.

 

This is the message that the writer of kings

Has been trying to portray throughout the book.

 

He is a Jew living in Babylon and he writes this book to reveal to the Jews

How something as horrible as the Babylonian exile could happen.

How did we go from David’s kingdom to this?

 

It happened because those who claimed to be God’s people

Failed to truly be God’s people, and God removed them.

 

That is why the writer has stressed

The importance of seeking and trusting and obeying God.

 

He wanted all of us to know that taking God’s name is not enough

If you never really give Him your life.

 

HAS THAT NOT BEEN CLEAR THROUGHOUT THE KINGS?

(All the way back to Elijah asking, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions?”)

 

There is no room for hypocrisy in a relationship with God.

 

Matthew 12:30 “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”

 

Please don’t try to hide in the land without being committed.

God will find you and God will remove you.

 

This morning I want to ask you to genuinely and truly

GIVE YOUR LIFE TO JESUS CHRIST.

I want to ask you to fully commit your life to God.

 

Be a child of God, not an enemy of God.

 

Matthew 13:47-50 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. “So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

 

“The Devotion of Josiah”

2 Kings 23:1-30 (1-3)

 

I know it has been a couple of weeks since we studied the kings,

But last time we did, we talked about a young king named Josiah.

 

You remember him as one of the few truly good kings Israel ever had.

We called him “The Devoted King”

 

• It was he who started out to restore the temple.

• The book of the Law was found and read to him.

• He humbled himself under that Law.

• God promised to save him from the coming judgment.

 

He was a devoted king.

 

So the writer chooses to spend a little more time on his life.

 

The purpose is obvious.

TO SHOW US WHAT TRUE DEVOTION LOOKS LIKE

(And even more so, devotion to God’s Word)

 

And I just cannot overstate how important devotion is to the Christian life.

 

I don’t know of a single spiritual discipline that occurs without devotion.

Not in your personal life.

Not in your family life.

Not in the life of this church.

 

The only way to get from where we are

To where God wants us to be is devotion.

It takes commitment. It takes long-suffering. It takes patient faithfulness.

It takes devotion

 

However, the concept of devotion is becoming a lost art.

 

The temptation is to trade genuine results for quick ones.

As a result the church today has largely become “fad” driven.

 

John MacArthur recently wrote in an article called “How Did We Make Such an Evangelical Mess?”

“Evangelical churchgoers desperately want their churches to stay on the leading edge of whatever is currently in vogue in the evangelical community. It almost seems like ancient history now, but for a while, any church that wanted to be in fashion had to sponsor seminars on how to pray the prayer of Jabez. But woe to the church that was still doing Jabez when The Purpose-Driven Life took center stage. By then, any church that wanted to retain its standing and credibility in the evangelical movement had better be doing “Forty Days of Purpose.” And if your church didn’t get through the “Forty Days” in time to host group studies or preach a series of sermons about The Da Vinci Code before the Hollywood movie version came out, then your church was considered badly out of touch with what really matters.”

And as you sit back and watch this endless fad jumping take place,

I constantly ask myself “Where is the devotion?”

 

One would think that the process to turn a lost person

Into a mature sanctified Christian is a 6 week process.

But we know that is not the case.

 

The process of sanctification is a slow process.

The concept of killing off the old man

And letting the new man shine forth takes a long time.

 

And the church does not achieve true spiritual success

By jumping from fad to fad, ditching what is too slow

And running after the next explosive ministry idea.

 

The church achieves true sanctification and godliness

By being devoted to one thing, and that one thing is God’s Word.

 

Paul told the Thessalonian believers:

1 Thessalonians 2:13 “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”

 

In order for the slow process of sanctification to occur,

There must be devotion to God’s Word.

 

That is also why (as we have seen in our Sunday night study)

Paul continually tells Timothy to remain committed to God’s Word.

 

1 Timothy 4:13-16 “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”

 

It is a call for devotion.

And it grieves me when I see or hear of other churches

Who are quickly following every gimmick.

Revealing that God’s Word wasn’t working fast enough for them.

 

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

 

 

We as believers must learn to be devoted to God’s Word.

Even if the results aren’t as flashy as “The Fad-Driven Church”

 

We aren’t just seeking to bring a large quantity of goods to the judgment, But that everything we do bring survives through the fire.

 

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 “According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

 

We are not just seeing how big and how fast we can build.

We are making sure that what we do build stands for all eternity.

 

And to build like that it requires devotion.

 

And this isn’t just true for the church, but for your family as well.

To train your kids to be genuine in the faith,

The same devotion is required.

 

The recent fad is to ship our kids off to some circus type event

That will get our kids drunk on emotion and peer pressure

Hoping that in the course of that week they will make a decision.

 

And if all goes well, I can neglect the true training of my child,

Ship them off for a week, and for the onetime cost of $250

They will come back in love with Jesus.

(They usually come back in love, but rarely is it with Jesus)

 

But it you want your kids to be real followers of Jesus,

Then you have to be devoted to God’s Word.

 

Deuteronomy 6:1-9 “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it, so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. “O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

 

There are no short cuts there.

You as a parent must be devoted to God’s Word.

The same is true for you personally.

 

There are those who run from one emotionally rally to the next

Trying to continually feed on some sort of spiritual circus

As though that is how sanctification is achieved.

 

But if you want to be formed into the image of Christ,

There is no substitute for devotion to God’s Word.

 

Lenny preached on it last week:

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

 

The parallel passage to that verse is found in Ephesians.

Ephesians 5:18-19 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;”

 

Paul speaks of the same reality. And that reality is true godliness.

And the way that is achieved is by being “filled with the Spirit”

The equivalent which is letting “the word of Christ richly dwell within you.” Those are the same thing.

 

And they are necessary if you are to be

The Christian God intends for you to be.

THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR DEVOTION TO GOD’S WORD.

 

The simple point thus far is that the things of God

Cannot be achieved through a drive through window.

 

The process of sanctification and spiritual growth

Are slow processes that require devotion.

 

AND THIS MORNING WE GET THE PRIVILEGE

OF SEEING WHAT TRUE DEVOTION LOOKS LIKE.

 

Now before we dive into the text, allow me to paint you a picture

Of what the nation that Josiah led actually looked like.

 

Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, & Jeremiah all prophesied during his reign.

We can get a great understanding of what Judah was like during his reign.

 

Zephaniah 3:1-7 “Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, The tyrannical city! She heeded no voice, She accepted no instruction. She did not trust in the LORD, She did not draw near to her God. Her princes within her are roaring lions, Her judges are wolves at evening; They leave nothing for the morning. Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men; Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law. The LORD is righteous within her; He will do no injustice. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He does not fail. But the unjust knows no shame. “I have cut off nations; Their corner towers are in ruins. I have made their streets desolate, With no one passing by; Their cities are laid waste, Without a man, without an inhabitant. “I said, ‘Surely you will revere Me, Accept instruction.’ So her dwelling will not be cut off According to all that I have appointed concerning her. But they were eager to corrupt all their deeds.”

 

Zephaniah paints a pretty good picture about the obstinate rebellion

That characterized Judah during the days of Josiah.

 

Jeremiah said the same:

Jeremiah 25:1-7 “The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, “From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, these twenty-three years the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. “And the LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets again and again, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear, saying, ‘ Turn now everyone from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds, and dwell on the land which the LORD has given to you and your forefathers forever and ever; and do not go after other gods to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will do you no harm.’ “Yet you have not listened to Me,” declares the LORD, “in order that you might provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.”

 

I really wish I had the time to have you turn to Jeremiah 5-7 where you could see over and over just how stubborn Judah was during those days.

 

Let me just give you a few here.

Jeremiah 5:3 “O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You have smitten them, But they did not weaken; You have consumed them, But they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to repent.”

 

Jeremiah 5:23 “But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; They have turned aside and departed.”

 

Jeremiah 6:10 “To whom shall I speak and give warning That they may hear? Behold, their ears are closed And they cannot listen. Behold, the word of the LORD has become a reproach to them; They have no delight in it.”

 

Jeremiah 6:16-19 “Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ “And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’ “Therefore hear, O nations, And know, O congregation, what is among them. “Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, The fruit of their plans, Because they have not listened to My words, And as for My law, they have rejected it also.”

 

Jeremiah 7:24-26 “Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward. “Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets, daily rising early and sending them. “Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck; they did more evil than their fathers.”

 

In fact their obstinance is so bad and their rebellion is so severe that God even commanded Jeremiah to quit praying for this people.

Jeremiah 7:16 “As for you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me; for I do not hear you.”

 

The point is that Josiah was not king over a group of saints

Who were eager to hear God’s word and obey it.

 

Josiah was king over some of the most

Defiant and stubborn people who ever lived.

 

FURTHERMORE THEY WERE ALREADY A CONDEMNED PEOPLE.

 

And that is clearly seen even in our text this morning.

Josiah is about to do some amazing things.

But after he is done, you will notice that God does not change His mind.

 

(Verses 26-27) “However, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. The LORD said, “I will remove Judah also from My sight, as I have removed Israel. And I will cast off Jerusalem, this city which I have chosen, and the temple of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.'”

 

HERE IS WHAT THAT MEANS

Josiah was king over a people who were already appointed for judgment, And a people who were not interested hearing how to be saved.

 

Talk about ministering in a dry pool.

 

It is the perfect opportunity to reveal what true devotion looks like.

Anyone can be devoted during a time of fertility and great harvest.

Anyone can preach when people are flocking down the aisles.

Anyone can witness when people are responding in groves.

 

But if you want to see a picture of true devotion:

Find a man who continues to do it even when they don’t.

That is where we find Josiah.

 

There are 4 areas in which we see the devotion of Josiah.

#1 HE READ THE LAW

2 Kings 23:1-3

 

We already said that if true devotion is going to exist

That devotion must be in regard to the word of God.

 

That is obvious here.

Josiah has just had the word read to him.

And now he determines to go public.

 

And please notice this is all his idea.

(1) “Then the king sent and they gathered to him…”

(2) “The king went up to the house of the LORD…

(2) “and he read in all their hearing all the words of the book…”

(3) “The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD…”

 

I mean this is all Josiah’s idea.

No one is doing it for him.

 

Here is a king who decided to be wholly devoted to God’s word.

 

Look at the conditions of his covenant.

(3) “to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book.”

 

That is a declaration of devotion.

 

Now you will notice at the end of verse 3 “And all the people entered into the covenant.”

 

Don’t read too much into that, Jeremiah and Zephaniah already revealed that these people aren’t really committed to God regardless of what they might say.

 

But Josiah was devoted.

He Read the Law

#2 HE REMOVED THE IDOLS

2 Kings 23:4-20; 24-25

 

It is one thing to say you are going to devote yourself to God,

But true devotion requires action.

 

Jesus said:

John 8:31 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;”

 

Josiah is setting out to prove himself genuine.

And he does so by first removing all of the idols.

 

And he is very systematic and thorough about it.

 

1) CLEAN OUT THE TEMPLE (4-7)

 

You will notice all the references here are to God’s house.

 

Verse 6 causes some people difficulty as to why he would throw the dust on the graves of the common people.

 

2 Chronicles 34:4 “They tore down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars that were high above them he chopped down; also the Asherim, the carved images and the molten images he broke in pieces and ground to powder and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.”

 

Kind of like how churches used to bury their members outside the church

Apparently that is what these idolatrous sites were as well.

 

But the main thing I want you to see is that in his devotion

The first thing he did was get all the idolatry out of God’s house.

 

If we want to be devoted, the first thing we must clean up is God’s temple.

And by that I don’t mean this church building.

 

I’m talking about the temple of your heart.

 

Josiah’s first action was to clean out the temple

2) CLEAN OUT JUDAH (8-14)

 

Here you noticed we are dealing with “the cities of Judah”

The writer even says, “from Geba to Beersheba”

 

Geba was the extreme north, Beersheba was the extreme south.

 

After clearing out the temple, Josiah started clearing out his nation.

Once you clean up your heart, you can branch outward as well.

 

Matthew 7:5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

 

And I hope you saw how thorough he was.

(13) “The high places which were before Jerusalem, which were on the right of the mount of destruction which Solomon the king of Israel had built”

 

Those aren’t just idolatrous sites, those are historical markers.

It’s been 300 years since Solomon was king.

 

And even kings like Hezekiah who supposedly tore down

All the high places didn’t mess with those.

 

That would be like trying to remove the statue of Liberty.

(You think healthcare was a fight)

 

But Josiah did it.

It was an idolatrous site and it had to go.

He didn’t care who built it, or how long it had been there.

 

Clean out the temple Clean out Judah

3) CLEAN OUT SAMARIA (15-20)

 

Samaria was the old Northern kingdom. (now run by Assyria)

But in Josiah’s heart that was still God’s land

And the idols had to be removed.

 

That is now like cleaning out idolatry in America

And then going north into Canada to do the same.

 

And by the way God said Josiah would do this.

1 Kings 13:1-2 “Now behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense. He cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.'”

 

We call this devotion.

Not only did he read God’s word,

He also obeyed it by removing idolatry from the land.

 

(Verses 24-25) “Moreover, Josiah removed the mediums and the spiritists and the teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.”

 

He Read the Law He Removed the Idols

#3 HE REINSTATED THE PASSOVER

2 Kings 23:21-23

 

Now you may say, “That’s not new”

You may remember Hezekiah had the Passover.

 

But not like this he didn’t.

(21) “Then the king commanded all the people saying, “Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God AS IT IS WRITTEN in this book of the covenant.”

 

In other words, don’t just do it, do it right.

(22) “Surely such a Passover had not been celebrated from the days of the judges…”

 

Not even David had a Passover like this one.

 

But under Josiah Judah did it right.

(23) “But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah the Passover was observed to the LORD in Jerusalem.”

 

 

This was a nation that did not care about God’s redemption.

They no longer cared about their deliverance from Egypt.

 

And so doing the Passover was insignificant to them.

And doing it exactly according to the book would have been a nuisance.

 

But Josiah made them.

It takes devotion to God’s Word to enforce it upon those who don’t care.

 

He was devoted to reading and obeying God’s word to the letter.

 

Now of course, as we read to begin the sermon,

All his devotion seemed to be completely unsuccessful.

 

(Verses 26-27) “However, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. The LORD said, “I will remove Judah also from My sight, as I have removed Israel. And I will cast off Jerusalem, this city which I have chosen, and the temple of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.'”

 

And don’t let that bother you.

Josiah knew that going into the whole deal.

 

God had reaffirmed the coming judgment back in the 22nd chapter.

Josiah knew before he ever got started

That his efforts would not change anything.

 

BUT HE DID IT ANYWAY.

Because God commands devotion.

 

He Read the Law, He Removed the Idols, He Reinstated the Passover

#4 HE RESTED FROM HIS LABORS

2 Kings 23:28-30

 

Some have tried to look at his death as though somehow he messed up

And was not pleasing to God, and that is why he died at the age of 37.

 

Nothing could be further from the truth.

 

He died young because God had made him a promise.

 

2 Kings 22:19-20 “because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares the LORD. “Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place.”‘” So they brought back word to the king.”

Josiah didn’t die young as a form of punishment.

He died young as a reward.

God spared him from seeing what was about to occur.

 

Revelation 14:13 “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”

 

That was what occurred for Josiah.

 

He was devoted to God even though he saw no “success”

In his labors and God honored his devotion.

 

• He was king over a nation that did not love God’s word,

AND HE READ IT TO THEM.

• He was king over a nation that loved idolatry,

AND HE REMOVED THEM.

• He was king over a nation that did not want God’s salvation,

AND HE MADE THEM TAKE THE PASSOVER ANYWAY.

 

His devotion was not based on public opinion,

But on personal conviction.

 

We’ve all seen times when Jesus became sort of a fad.

But Josiah was truly devoted. He did it when no one else cared.

 

That is what you and I are called to do as well.

“be instant in season and out of season”

 

God wants you and I to be devoted to Him.

Luke 9:57-62 “As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

 

There is no substitute for diligence.

There is no short degree in perseverance.

You can’t receive sanctification in 40 days.

 

Let go of your ideas of instant success.

Let go of your desires for a “quick-fix”

And devote yourselves for the long-haul of dedicated Christian service.

 

Then and only then will what we accomplish be genuine.

 

It may not appear that Josiah took many results with him

As he stood for the judgment.

But I promise you that what he did take with him

Survived through the fire.

 

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 “According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

 

Josiah: The Devoted King

2 Kings 22 (1-2)

 

This morning we return to our study of Kings

And we once again find one of the true gems of the book.

 

We are talking about Josiah.

2 Kings 23:25 “Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.”

 

We recently studied Hezekiah and saw that in regard to trust,

There was never another king like him.

 

But if you want to talk about kings who are devoted to God,

Then for that list we must crown Josiah.

 

And this morning as we study the life of Josiah,

• I want to show you what devotion to God looks like,

• I also want you to see the benefits of such devotion.

 

We can break this chapter down into 4 points.

#1 JOSIAH’S DEVOTION

2 Kings 22:1-2

 

“Josiah was eight years old when he became king,”

 

You would assume that a boy as young as Josiah

Would be an absolute push over, but he was not.

 

Furthermore we read that “he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.”

 

That of course means that he died at the age of 39.

(You will see why later)

 

Then we see the appraisal of Josiah.

(2) “He did right in the sight of the LORD and walked in all the way of his father David, nor did he turn aside to the right or to the left.”

 

The interesting thing is that he ALWAYS did right.

He never strayed.

He never backslid.

He never got off course.

 

“nor did he turn aside to the right or to the left.”

 

We find that statement frequently used

Both in the book of Deuteronomy and in the book of Joshua.

 

Deuteronomy 5:32-33 “So you shall observe to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left. “You shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess.”

 

Joshua 1:7 “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.”

 

And there are many others.

 

BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

 

That statement was a sort of figure of speech used in those days.

 

Listen to this passage which does not refer to obedience.

2 Samuel 2:19 “Asahel pursued Abner and did not turn to the right or to the left from following Abner.”

 

And there we learn what the statement means.

It speaks of one who is focused.

 

It speaks of one who is not distracted from his calling or purpose.

 

Ann Richards said that George Bush, “He never gets off course.”

 

And that is what is true of Josiah in regard to obedience.

 

He was the epitome of one who walked the narrow way.

He never strayed.

He never got off course.

He never lost focus.

 

“nor did he turn aside to the right or to the left.”

 

Josiah’s Devotion

#2 JOSIAH’S DISCOVERY

2 Kings 22:3-10

 

“Now in the eighteenth year of King Josiah,”

 

That means that the writer decided to skip everything

That happened in his reign prior to that point.

 

The writer of Chronicles fills in the gap.

2 Chronicles 34:1-3 “Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. He did right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, the carved images and the molten images.”

At 16 years old he started seeking God.

At 20 years old he started removing idolatry.

 

But the writer of kings does not mention that here,

Not because it isn’t important,

But because the writer of kings has an obvious agenda.

 

HE IS MAKING A THEOLOGICAL POINT

 

He wanted you to know what happened during “the eighteenth year” When he was 26 years old.

 

READ VERSES 3-7

 

It is obvious that the temple had again fallen into disrepair.

That is no surprise given the type of king that Manasseh was.

 

For 55 years Manasseh had neglected the temple and even desecrated it, And so it was obviously in need of repair.

 

And so Josiah sets out to restore the temple.

 

But it is during this venture to restore the temple

That a marvelous and unexpected thing occurred.

 

READ VERSES 8-10

 

While the temple cleaning and renovations are underway,

The high priest came across something that had been apparently missing

 

“I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.”

 

God’s word had disappeared.

(Many assume Manasseh had destroyed them)

 

And that helps us to understand the miserable state of Judah.

 

Here was a nation with no access to God’s written word.

 

Certainly the prophets were still available.

We know Isaiah had been preaching,

And presently Zephaniah, and Jeremiah were preaching.

 

But His written revelation had been lost

To the king, the priest, and to the people.

No wonder the nation was sliding so quickly into judgment.

 

But now the book of the Law has been discovered,

And the scribe has taken it and read it to the king.

IT DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY SAY WHICH BOOK WAS FOUND.

(Based on the text, many have assumed it was the book of Deuteronomy)

 

Deuteronomy 28:15-20 “But it shall come about, if you do not obey the LORD your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: “Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country. “Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. “Cursed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. “Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out. “The LORD will send upon you curses, confusion, and rebuke, in all you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken Me.”

 

Deuteronomy 28:45-48 “So all these curses shall come on you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the LORD your God by keeping His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. “They shall become a sign and a wonder on you and your descendants forever. “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.”

 

• It was Deuteronomy that explicitly prohibited worship on the high places.

• It was Deuteronomy that explicitly prohibited worship of other gods.

• It was Deuteronomy that explicitly prohibited living like the pagan nations.

 

And it was Deuteronomy that outlined the specific judgments

One could expect to receive if any of those commands were violated.

 

In fact Deuteronomy even gave this pointed invitation.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

 

And it was this type of warning that had been read to Josiah.

 

And please realize that this was the first time

Josiah ever heard the written word of God.

 

Although he had sought God and even began to remove idolatry,

He had never had the privilege of reading God’s Word.

 

Josiah had discovered God’s Word.

 

Josiah’s Devotion, Josiah’s Discovery

#3 JOSIAH’S DECISION

2 Kings 22:11-13

(11) “When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes.”

 

It was a sign of utter contempt.

(Men would tear their clothes when they thought God had been blasphemed)

 

Josiah is torn apart by what he is hearing.

It is obvious to him that Judah has neglected the warnings of God.

 

This was a man who heard God’s word and headed it.

 

And we are reminded of the type of heart we must have

When we read the Word of God.

 

So many of us read God’s Word with an eye to self-justification.

We apply all the good stuff to ourselves

And all the bad stuff to other people.

 

When God’s word condemns sin in someone else’s life we give a hearty “Thus saith the Lord!”

 

When God’s word condemns sin in our own lives we say, “I just don’t understand what God is trying to say.”

 

But Josiah reveals the way a heart should read God’s word.

He and all Israel were condemned by what the Law said,

And Josiah offered no excuses.

 

James 1:19-25 “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

 

2 Peter 1:19-21 “So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

 

That was the heart of Josiah.

He decided to humble himself under God’s Word.

 

(12-13) “Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant saying, “Go, inquire of the LORD for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the LORD that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”

 

Josiah knew that he and all Judah were in grave danger.

God’s word said that God was angry and Josiah believed it.

 

THAT IS WHAT DEVOTION TO GOD AND HIS WORD LOOKS LIKE

 

Josiah’s Devotion, Josiah’s Discovery, Josiah’s Decision

#4 JOSIAH’S DELIVERANCE

2 Kings 22:14-20

 

The first thing that most people immediately notice is that

These men when to a prophet and that the prophet was a woman.

 

It’s hardly significant to the story, but some will ask me about it later.

 

WHAT ABOUT WOMEN PREACHERS?

 

The fact that God spoke through this women

Has absolutely no bearing on the fact that in the New Testament

He forbids women to teach or have authority over men in the church.

 

Can God speak through women?

Obviously.

 

Does God speak through women?

Obviously.

 

But that doesn’t change the command as to leadership in the church.

 

Don’t let this be one of those incidents that allows you to

Dismantle one truth because you think you have found a different one.

 

The point here is that Josiah sought God and God answered.

 

And the immediate answer is expected.

VERSES 15-17

 

That answer is absolutely expected.

She reveals a coming judgment that cannot be undone.

 

WHY IS THAT EXPECTED?

Because that is what the book said would happen.

 

If she had stood up and negated the judgment that God had clearly said would happen in Deuteronomy then she would have been a false prophet.

Instead she confirmed God’s written word as true.

(16) “Behold, I bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book”

 

God’s prophets don’t have a right to undo what God’s word says.

They enforce it.

If they don’t, then they are not true prophets.

 

Judah had worshiped other gods, followed the pattern of the nations,

And worshiped on the high places.

 

God’s word said that if you do those things you will perish

And be removed from the land.

 

And so, that is precisely what will happen.

 

It is a sobering reminder to us of the authority of God’s word

And that God always honors His word.

 

Isaiah 55:11 “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

 

Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”

 

When Jesus arrived He said:

Matthew 5:18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”

 

Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

 

If God’s word says it, don’t go looking for some

New fangled prophet that will tell you otherwise.

 

God’s word stands forever.

And therefore this woman’s message is not surprising.

 

“But” Her message is not finished.

 

VERSES 18-20

 

Because Judah had sinned against God, Judah had to be destroyed.

National judgment was coming.

 

However individuals could still be saved

If they would humble themselves under God’s mighty hand.

 

Josiah did not stop the judgment that God had promised,

But Josiah did deliver himself.

(20) “Therefore behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place.”

 

I told you when we got started that I wanted to show you

What devotion to God looked like.

 

I think we have seen that in Josiah.

He humbled himself under God’s word.

 

But I also wanted to show you the benefits of devotion to God

And here we see that as well.

 

You and I must understand that there is a judgment coming.

• God’s Word has promised that judgment is coming.

• God’s Word has promised that the elements will be destroyed.

• God’s Word has promised that during the battle of Armageddon the blood will run in the streets for a distance of 300 miles.

 

The judgment is coming.

And there is not a thing you can do to stop that from happening.

God’s Word spoke it and so it must be done.

 

BUT

You can personally be delivered from that coming judgment

If you will humble yourself under the Word of God like Josiah did.

 

Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell — and great was its fall.”

 

Jesus taught us that those who not only heard His word

But who acted on it would be delivered through the coming judgment.

 

Consider what the Psalmist said.

Psalms 19:7-14 “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.”

I love his question.

“Who can discern his errors?”

 

He is saying that it is not possible for me to know

All the areas that I may be displeasing to God.

 

And isn’t that true with Josiah.

He didn’t know just how much danger Judah was in

Until God’s word revealed it.

 

God’s Word is a great resource made available to us

That can be used in our life in all circumstances.

 

GOD’S WORD IS ALWAYS RELEVANT

 

Let me illustrate that for you this morning.

TURN TO: PSALMS 119

 

But when you read each section you also find that

Each section finds the writer in a different emotional state.

 

And in each and every state he finds himself in,

He still recognizes that seeking God’s word is the answer.

 

(25-32) – From a broken man in the midst of repentance

(33-40) – From a heart that seeks to be more committed to God

(57-64) – From a heart that recently recommitted to God

(65-72) – From a heart recently disciplined by God’s word

(73-80) – From a heart in agony waiting on God

(81-88) – From a discouraged heart

(97-104) – From a heart that has heard from God and experienced victory

(145-152) – From a heart desperate for God

(169-176) – From a heart longing to return to God

 

It doesn’t matter if you are sad, happy,

Discouraged, or on top of the world.

The thing to do when in any of those states is to seek God’s word.

 

There is ALWAYS blessing found in seeking God’s word

And in applying it to your life, and in obeying what it says.

 

Josiah did not stop the judgment, but he did deliver himself.

 

And so it is for you.

You will not stop the judgment, but you can deliver yourself.

 

God’s Word is clear.

Romans 10:8-13 “But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART” — that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

 

Psalms 1 “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.”

 

God’s word gives the outline

For how you can be delivered from the coming judgment.

 

Josiah followed that outline.

• When God’s word said he was a sinner he humbled himself.

• When God’s word told him he was wrong he repented.

• And when he realized God was angry, he sought Him ought.

 

And God responded!

(19-20) “because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares the LORD. “Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place.”

 

This morning I encourage you to devote yourself like Josiah did.

Be devoted to God and His word.

Do not stray to the right or to the left.

 

For there is blessing found in obeying God’s Word.

 

 

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

 

Manasseh: The Influential King

2 Kings 21:1-26 (1-6)

 

This morning we move on to the study of a new king.

We actually see a couple of them in our text.

 

We have just left the reign of Hezekiah,

Who as far as faith was concerned, was second to none.

 

Hezekiah trusted God, and as a result of his faith saw the deliverance of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib and the Assyrian army.

 

But as you remember, during Hezekiah’s reign

He did make one massive mistake.

 

At a point of ease, and a point of security,

Hezekiah didn’t trust God as much as he should have,

And it opened him up to the sin of pride.

 

He had just been healed, and even promised 15 years of life.

He had just been promised deliverance from the Assyrian army.

He had just witnessed God work a miracle on his behalf.

And he was starting to experience world-wide recognition.

 

So when the Babylonian envoy arrived, the Chronicler said that

God left him alone to test him,

in order that He might know all that was in his heart.

 

And the sad reality is that while Hezekiah was a good king

On that day he was filled with pride and self-exaltation.

 

That sinful arrogance led to a promise

That one day Jerusalem and all Judah would be destroyed

And that even some of Hezekiah’s sons would be led into captivity.

 

We no sooner witnessed the deliverance from Assyria,

And the writer immediately introduced the coming judgment of Babylon.

 

(This was not only to reveal how the whole Babylon thing got started, but also to remind us to seek God during the good times as well as the bad.)

 

Today, the event God promised Hezekiah is officially set in motion

 

For just as Hezekiah was 180 degrees different from his day (Ahaz)

So Manasseh is 180 degrees different from Hezekiah.

 

And he is going to do everything he can

To make sure God hurries in His promise to wipe out Judah.

 

You could call Manasseh, “The Straw that broke the camel’s back”.

 

The total judgment of Judah would not be all his fault,

But if it was at all in doubt before his reign, it certainly was not afterwards.

He was a wicked king.

 

I have chosen to call him “The Influential King”

For as we study this text you will see that few people

Ever had the influence on others that Manasseh had.

 

And that is not necessarily a good thing.

 

But before we dive into our text,

I wonder if you have ever thought about

The role that influence plays in your life.

 

Scripture has much to say about it.

 

We are told to watch out for the influence of the wicked.

Mark 8:15 “And He was giving orders to them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

 

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

 

Galatians 5:7-9 “You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.”

 

We are told to yield to the influence of the righteous.

Philippians 3:17 “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”

 

1 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.”

 

Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

 

And so we know that we are to be on guard

Against the various influences around us.

 

But what I want you to think about even more than that

Is the influence you have on the lives around you.

 

You may not realize it, but you are an influential person.

People watch you.

 

And Scripture is very clear

That you are to take this responsibility seriously.

 

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

 

Philippians 2:14-15 “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,”

 

1 Peter 2:11-12 “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

 

We could also talk about

How a godly woman influences her lost husband through her respectful behavior.

How a godly mother influences her children through her faith, love, and sanctity.

How a slave influences his master through his willing obedience.

 

Over and over we get the understanding

That we have a tremendous ability to influence the lives of others.

 

We can even stand judgment if we use our ability to influence wrongly.

 

Matthew 18:6-7 “but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!

 

You must realize that how you live your life

Effects the way others live their lives.

 

And this morning I want you to see just how serious that can be

As we see an example of a man who influenced a whole nation.

 

We are talking about the king Manasseh.

#1 HIS INIQUITY

2 Kings 21:1-6

 

1) HIS INIQUITY DELCARED (1-2)

 

If you had any doubts as to where Manasseh stood before the Lord,

The writer of kings clarified it here.

 

(2) “He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel.”

 

Time and time again as Moses was preparing the Israelites to take the Promised Land, he spoke a word of warning.

Deuteronomy 12:1-4 “These are the statutes and the judgments which you shall carefully observe in the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess as long as you live on the earth.”You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. “You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. “You shall not act like this toward the LORD your God.”

 

Deuteronomy 12:29-30 “When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations which you are going in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, beware that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?’

 

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 “When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. “For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you.”

 

If those nations has been pleasing to God,

He would not be destroying them.

 

God did not want His people imitating their lifestyle.

However we find here that this is exactly what Manasseh did.

 

“He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel.”

 

First you see His Iniquity Declared

2) HIS INIQUITY DESCRIBED (3-6)

 

It seems as though Manasseh was systematic and thorough.

One could argue that he systematically and thoroughly

Rejected the Law of God.

 

It’s almost like he purposely stuck his finger in God’s eye.

 

And so the writer of kings just says:

(6) “He did much evil in the sight of the LORD provoking Him to anger.”

 

This was a wicked king.

 

That was his INIQUITY

#2 HIS INFLUENCE

2 Kings 21:7-26

 

For anyone who has ever thought that my sin only hurts me,

I am afraid to tell you that you are gravely mistaken.

For this man was indeed a sinner,

But allow me to show you just how far his influence spread.

 

In these verses we find three things that Manasseh influenced.

1) HE INFLUENCED THE WORSHIP OF THE PEOPLE (7-9)

 

We read up in verse 3 that he made an Asherah,

Now we read that he placed in the temple of God.

 

He was setting this idol up as something to be worshiped in Jerusalem,

So he placed it in the premier worship site.

 

And just to make sure you and I understand the problem

The writer here reminds us of God’s policy on the matter.

 

(7b-8) “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of the Israel, I will put My name forever. And I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them.”

 

We are emphatically reminded that God was pleased to give the land,

So long as the people always remembered who was their God.

 

They were to love and serve Him only.

This was clear throughout the Law of God.

 

(9) “But they did not listen”

 

Despite the fact that God was extremely clear about things such as idolatry, and worship on the high places, and witchcraft, and passing your sons through the fire.

 

The people of Jerusalem didn’t listen.

 

That seems strange.

• It was their parents who (under the leadership of Hezekiah) tore down the high places.

• It was their parents who tore down the Asherah.

• It was their parents who tore down that bronze serpent.

• It was their parents who trusted God and saw Assyria defeated.

 

WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD THESE PEOPLE NOW BE SO NEGLIGENT OF GOD’S WORD?

 

(9) “But they did not listen, and Manasseh seduced them to do evil more than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.”

They did evil because “Manasseh seduced them”

 

Just like Satan in the garden with Eve, Manasseh made his sin look fun.

He made worshiping the Asherah look like a good time.

He made witchcraft, and spiritists, and divination look like fun.

 

He influenced the people into sin.

 

And all of a sudden we are seeing that “SIN SPLATTERS”

 

There is no way for you to simply participate in sin

And it not affect the lives of others.

 

What a shame when it is something wicked and sinful

As in the case of Manasseh.

 

Let me read to you again:

Matthew 18:6-7 “but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!”

 

Manasseh didn’t just fall into sin, he led a nation into it.

 

He Influenced the Worship of the People

2) HE INFLUENCED THE WRATH OF GOD (10-18)

 

We already read in verse 6 “He did evil in the sight of the LORD provoking Him to anger.”

 

The writer brings clarity to that statement here.

Manasseh influenced the wrath of God.

 

(11-12) “Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations, having done wickedly more than all the Amorites did who were before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols; therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle.”

 

Because of what Manasseh has done, I’m going to judge you so hard,

That just to hear about it will make your ears burn.

 

Of course you and I know he is talking about Babylon.

 

Habakkuk 1:5-6 “Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days — You would not believe if you were told. “For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, That fierce and impetuous people Who march throughout the earth To seize dwelling places which are not theirs.”

 

WHAT IS GOD GOING TO DO?

 

(13-14) “I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. ‘I will abandon the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies, and they will become as plunder and spoil to all their enemies;”

 

DID YOU CATCH THE 3 “I WILL’S” FROM GOD?

 

“I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab”

 

That means the plumb line I used to judge Israel, I will now use on you.

The judgment I poured out on Ahab, I will pour out on you.

 

“I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.”

That is a total and complete annihilation.

 

“I will abandon the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies”

 

And in that day when you are being destroyed,

I will be nowhere to be found.

 

IS IT SAFE TO SAY THAT MANASSEH ANGERED GOD?

 

(15-16) “because they have done evil in My sight, and have been provoking Me to anger since the day their fathers came from Egypt, even to this day.'” Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the LORD.”

 

And there again we see, it wasn’t all Manasseh,

But he was definitely the straw that broke the camel’s back.

 

God was on the edge of judgment,

And Manasseh influenced Him to go ahead and pour it out.

 

And just to make sure that you understand the severity of God’s decision, let me give you JUST A TAD BIT MORE INSIGHT.

 

After Manasseh there is coming another righteous king.

His name is Josiah.

 

Josiah will reinstitute God’s Law, and again reinstate the Passover,

And have a great revival in Judah.

And we would expect that because of the great revival that God would reverse His decision to completely wipe out Jerusalem.

 

However:

2 Kings 23:24-26 “Moreover, Josiah removed the mediums and the spiritists and the teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him. However, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him.”

 

Even the revival of Josiah would not undo this.

 

If you want to see another picture.

During the reign of Josiah and after him,

There will be a prophet preaching his heart out in Jerusalem.

 

That prophet’s name is Jeremiah.

He is known as the weeping prophet because of the many tears he shed for God’s people as he interceded for them.

 

But on one occasion God let Jeremiah know

That his intercession would not work.

 

WHY?

Jeremiah 15:1-4 “Then the LORD said to me, “Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people; send them away from My presence and let them go! “And it shall be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Those destined for death, to death; And those destined for the sword, to the sword; And those destined for famine, to famine; And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”‘ “I will appoint over them four kinds of doom,” declares the LORD: “the sword to slay, the dogs to drag off, and the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. “I will make them an object of horror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.”

 

And then, on that day when Nebuchadnezzar

Finally approached Jerusalem to destroy it.

 

God reminds them why.

2 Kings 24:1-4 “In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. The LORD sent against him bands of Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. So He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken through His servants the prophets. Surely at the command of the LORD it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the LORD would not forgive.”

Is it safe to say that Manasseh made God angry?

 

And you need to understand that about sin as well.

 

When we sin, it not only affects our lives and the lives of others, but don’t fail to recognize that sin influences the wrath of God.

 

So many people want to act like their sin

Either goes UNNOTICED or UNPUNISHED, but neither is the case.

 

Romans 2:5-6 “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS:”

 

For those who have never been forgiven

Through the salvation of Jesus,

You need to understand that every sin you commit,

Is just pushing God that much further towards judgment.

 

Through your negligence, and defiance, and disobedience, and rejection,

You are taunting God.

 

You may not realize it, but you are an influential person.

 

Manasseh was as well.

He Influenced the worship of the people He Influenced the wrath of God

3) HE INFLUENCED THE WALK OF HIS SON (19-26)

 

It is evident in studying this next king Amon,

That the writer of kings has little to say about him.

 

However, the one thing he does mention over and over

Is how this boy was also influenced by his father.

 

(20) “He did evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manasseh his father had done”

 

(21) “For he walked in all the way that his father had walked”

 

And the result of this was:

(22) “So he forsook the LORD, the God of his father, and did not walk in the way of the LORD.”

 

And God poured out wrath on him as well

By having him killed in the second year of his reign.

 

And there we learn of yet another area of our influence

And that is the influence we have over our children.

Do you find it strange that most of you worship the God of your parents?

Do you find it strange that many of you attend the church of your parents?

 

It certainly was in Amon’s life.

He did what his father did.

 

And because of that influence,

Manasseh’s influence continued even after his death.

 

Think about that for a moment.

Manasseh is dead and he is still bringing judgment upon Judah.

 

And by the way a good influence can have similar results.

Hebrews 11:4 “By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.”

 

YOUR INFLUENCE IS CONTINUAL

 

And this morning I hope you see

How important it is that you use it properly.

 

I would negligent if I didn’t tell you that in 2 Chronicles 33:10-17,

The writer reveals that God punishes Manasseh

And carries him to Babylon where he repents.

 

And therefore God sends him back to Jerusalem

Where he drastically tries to undo what he has done.

 

But to no avail:

2 Chronicles 33:16-17 “He set up the altar of the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it; and he ordered Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel. Nevertheless the people still sacrificed in the high places, although only to the LORD their God.”

 

INFLUENCE IS A STRONG THING, AND AN ENDURING THING!

 

The main point to this story is still the same As in all the book of kings

And that is the importance of seeking and trusting God.

It matters in your life, and the in the lives of others.

 

Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”