seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Kings 25:22 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah. 23 When all the army officers and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maakathite, and their men. 24 Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.”
25 In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah. 26 At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt for fear of the Babylonians.
27 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. 28 He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table. 30 Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.
25 In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah. 26 At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt for fear of the Babylonians.
27 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. 28 He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table. 30 Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.
The last king of Judah has been taken away. He has been exiled by the king of Babylon. On the plus side... verse 27 says the king was released from prison and ate regularly at the kings table.
This is from the easy English site.
The king of Babylon made Gedaliah the ruler of Judah. Gedaliah was a good man. His father Ahikam had protected Jeremiah from death (Jeremiah 26:24). Gedaliah lived at Mizpah. Those people that had run away from Zedekiah returned. They accepted Gedaliah’s protection. Gedaliah advised them to obey the king of Babylon. Then everything would be all right. (Jeremiah had also given that message to the people.)
However, Ishmael, who was a member of the royal family, opposed Gedaliah. He and 10 other men killed Gedaliah. And they killed those people that were with him. Then Johanan, another officer in Judah’s army, opposed Ishmael. Ishmael escaped into the country called Ammon.
Afterwards, all the people who were still in Judah became very afraid. They were worrying what the king of Babylon’s reaction would be. So they all ran away to Egypt. They took Jeremiah with them (Jeremiah 43:6), although he had told them not to go there (Jeremiah chapter 42). In Deuteronomy 28:68, God had warned his people. He would send them back to Egypt if they did not obey his laws.
In Egypt, the people from Judah thought that they would receive protection. They imagined that the king of Babylon could not attack them there. But actually, the king of Babylon would defeat the king of Egypt soon afterwards (Jeremiah 44:30). Hardly any of this group of people ever returned to Judah. They suffered greatly in Egypt (Jeremiah 44:27-28).
After Nebuchadnezzar’s death, Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon. Evil-Merodach allowed Jehoiachin to leave prison. Jehoiachin was now 55 years old. He had been in prison for 37 years. Evil-Merodach gave freedom to him. And he gave a higher rank to Jehoiachin than he gave to the other kings there. Jehoiachin did not have to wear a prisoner’s clothes. The king gave food to him regularly.
However, Ishmael, who was a member of the royal family, opposed Gedaliah. He and 10 other men killed Gedaliah. And they killed those people that were with him. Then Johanan, another officer in Judah’s army, opposed Ishmael. Ishmael escaped into the country called Ammon.
Afterwards, all the people who were still in Judah became very afraid. They were worrying what the king of Babylon’s reaction would be. So they all ran away to Egypt. They took Jeremiah with them (Jeremiah 43:6), although he had told them not to go there (Jeremiah chapter 42). In Deuteronomy 28:68, God had warned his people. He would send them back to Egypt if they did not obey his laws.
In Egypt, the people from Judah thought that they would receive protection. They imagined that the king of Babylon could not attack them there. But actually, the king of Babylon would defeat the king of Egypt soon afterwards (Jeremiah 44:30). Hardly any of this group of people ever returned to Judah. They suffered greatly in Egypt (Jeremiah 44:27-28).
After Nebuchadnezzar’s death, Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon. Evil-Merodach allowed Jehoiachin to leave prison. Jehoiachin was now 55 years old. He had been in prison for 37 years. Evil-Merodach gave freedom to him. And he gave a higher rank to Jehoiachin than he gave to the other kings there. Jehoiachin did not have to wear a prisoner’s clothes. The king gave food to him regularly.
So the last king of Judah.... the last of the kings of Israel [going back to that handsome crazy man from a good family... Saul] sat at a table with the king of Babylon. He was not there to negotiate... I figure it's more like the king of Babylon considered it charity. That poor guy had been in prison for 37 years.... let's prop him here and give him back a little dignity. [I feel like I should add and LOL to that last statement.]
Well that's another book of the Bible done. If God wants me to.... I'll go on to Chronicles in the morning. Chronicles is going to be a repeat of Kings.... I've seen a lot of notes to check Chronicles to clarify things in Kings.
I hope I don't get to preachy.... I mean I know how the story of the kings of Israel, beginning with Saul and ending with Jehoiachin, unfolded. It's the story of how humans pleaded with God to give them a king like all the other kids had. Those humans that God loved so much... they wanted to be like all the others around them.... those humans only wanted to fit in.
I guess I'm remembering my own mother asking me that age old question "if they all jumped off a bridge... would you follow them?"
