In our previous study, we ended with Jehoiakim being King of Judah and Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem. 2 Kings 24:1. 24 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.
Secular history calls this king Nebuchadnezzar II, son of Nabopolassar. At this time, God is placing Judah into captivity from Babylon. Jeremiah 25:1-12 tells of Jeramiah’s prophecies unto Judah. Vs. 3 tells he had prophesied for 23 years. He began in the 13th year of King Josiah. It is now the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim; first year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, (vs. 1). Their captivity will last 70 years. Jer. 25:8-11. 8 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, 9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. 10 Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. 11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
God will remove from Judah: 1. The voice or mirth–gaiety, laughter 2. Voice of gladness–feeling of joy and pleasure 3. Voice of bridegroom/bride–happiness in marriage or giving in marriage, very limited 4. Sound of the millstones–provisions for yourself will be removed 5. The light of the candle–removes activity in the land of Judah. God used Nebuchadnezzar to conquer Syria and Palestine as was written in vs. 9. He reigned between 608-562 BC–dates may vary up to three years due to calendar changes and hard to accurately calculate years.
God said the land will become desolate of Judah's presence for 70 years.
In Jer. 27, God orders all men to serve Nebuchadnezzar until God is through with him. Jeremiah 27:1-2a, 5-8. 27 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 Thus saith the Lord …5 I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. 6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. 7 And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him. 8 And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
God’s power and will was upon all the earth to do as He wanted. Captivity as punishment for Judah, His children, was His will. Therefore, no one or thing could prevent the will of God, even upon His own children.
Judah had witnessed Israel’s captivity by Assyria and did not repent. Thus, God had warned Judah of His punishment against them; yet they did not repent, either. So, captivity began.
The book of Daniel begins here with Jehoiakim being taken under Babylonian rule along with Judah.
Daniel 1:1-2. 1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
Once the captivity began, Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon continued to remove from Jerusalem articles from the Temple and more captives of the Hebrew nation. Jehoiachin had been placed on the throne of Judah.
Jehoiachin, son of Jehoakim, was eighteen years old when he began to reign and reigned three months. 2 Kings 24:8-11. 8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father had done. 2 Chron. 36:9. 9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. (reigned three months ten days)
Notice 2 Kings says he was 18 and 2 Chron. says 8 years old when he began to reign. The description to this difference from the footnotes of the NIV say, One Hebrew manuscript, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac [say 18 years old] (see also 2 Kings 24:8); most Hebrew manuscripts [say] eight [yrs old]. Obvious error in translations. However, it does not matter.
As with his father and uncles, Jehoiachn did evil in the sight of God before Judah. His leadership did not waver from his father’s. Once again, we can see the power of God over the leadership of nations. His wrath had already been kindled. It must go forth.
Nebuchadnezzar would besiege Jerusalem and take more captives again. He had taken captives when he first besieged Jerusalem under Jehoiakim. (Daniel 1:1) Now he takes more. 2 Chron. 36:10. 10 And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.
Vss. 10-11 of 2 Kings 24. 10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.
Jehoiachin did not reign long. According to 2 Chronicles, his reign ended at the end of the calendar year. Nebuchadnezzar took him to Babylon.
Jedekiah was made King by Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah was a brother to Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim. 2 Chron. 36:11-13. 11 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord. 13 And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel.
Once again, an evil leader ruled over Judah. Even with prophets speaking of the punishments and blessings for not following God or obeying God, Zedekiah refused to do good. Judah, with their evil leadership also did evil. Idolatry continued to rebuild.
Zedekiah rebelled again against Nebuchadnezzar. 25 And it came to pass in [Zedekiah’s] ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about. 2 And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 2 Kings 25:1-2.
The people of Jerusalem had to suffer because of the evil leadership. Good people always have to endure hardships not always of their own doing. God, however, provides a little more comfort for his own over evil men. God has always promised he will always be with us and provide for us. God does not lie nor break his promises.
How bad did life in Jerusalem get under siege? 2 Kings 25:3-5. 3 And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. 4 And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain. 5 And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.
The remainder of the chapter tells of the destruction King Nebuchadnezzar ordered against Jerusalem. It was destroyed and the remaining people were taken captive to Bebylon.
2 Chron. 36 tells of many, both men and women, even children, killed by the sword because of the rebellion of Zedekiah against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar ordered the slaughter.
Judah remained under captivity until Cyrus, king of Persia came into power. The 70 years of captivity God forewarned, came to pass.
These events happened over the entire period of captivity written in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. However, more information is given as is written in the book of Daniel and other scriptures.
Let us begin a study of Daniel to understand the prophecies foretold of a physical literal nature. God gave Daniel insight to the physical literal nature of His children of Judah to calm his soul. Daniel wondered about the position of Israel and how it would fair until the Messiah would come. Daniel strongly trusted and believed in God. Yet he wondered about the coming and the place of Israel in the scheme of things. At the end of Daniel’s writings, God tells him how the kingdoms of the earth would be until the destruction of Jerusalem; including the life and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.
In this study of Daniel, place in your mind you being under siege by evil leaders in this day, 2023. Will we find similarities in the literal and physical condition of our bodies and minds as we look for the return of Jesus the Christ? The study of Daniel will give us great hope and the power to endure the hardships God might be bringing upon any evil nation.
Following the Babylonian dynasty, the Persians ruled with Cyrus their king. The Meads followed until Babylonia ceased with the rule by Alexander the Great of Rome. (331 BC) These are the empires mentioned to Daniel by God to rule until the Messiah.
Daniel 1:1-2 we learned when Daniel was taken captive to Babylon. We learn he had three friends, prominent princes of Judah, taken with him. They were to be placed in the house of the king and given special treatment.
Daniel 1:3-6. 3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; 4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. 6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:
Now these are not the men I remember learning about as a youth. Only one is recognized, Daniel.
Vs. 7. 7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are more familiar names.
With the leadership of Daniel, Belteshazzar, these four men held to their faith and teachings from their homeland, Judah. God was with them to guide them and protect them. God always provides. Not only did God go with them, he used them to find favor with the king of Babylon and to return a remnant of his people to Jerusalem to fulfill his promise to Abraham.
We, like these four men, should hold firmly to our faith and belief in Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit.
In the remaining portion of this chapter, Daniel and friends refused to violate their consciences with defiled foods. God caused their obedience and faith to flourish to be recognized by the king and promote them to prominence in Babylon. Let us hold to our consciences as did they.
Because of this, Daniel continued in leadership over parts of Babylon until the captivity ended with Cyrus as king. (vs. 21)
