Scroll to the bottom for thoughts/discussion questions!
One-sentence summary: The story of the besiegement of Jerusalem and the captivity in Babylon is told; after seventy years- after the land has had a 70-year Sabbath rest- the Lord purposes to free His people.
When Nebuchadnezzar is king of Babylon, Jehoiakim becomes his servant for three years, then turns against him. The Lord sends raiding bands of Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites against Judah to destroy it, according to the word He had spoken by His prophets. This was because of Manasseh's sins and since he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood "which the Lord would not pardon." Then, Jehoiakim rests with his fathers, and his son Jehoiakin reigns in his place. It says the king of Egypt does not come out of his land any more since Nebuchadnezzar had taken all that belonged to him, from the brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates. Jehoiakin is 18 and only reigns in Jerusalem three months. He does evil in the sight of the Lord. Nebuchadnezzar's servants come up against Jerusalem, and it is besieged, and Jehoiakin, his mother, servants, princes, and officers go out to the king, and he takes him prisoner. He carries out all the treasures of the king's house and the house of the Lord and cuts in pieces the pieces of gold that Solomon had made in the temple. All Jerusalem goes into captivity, and only the poor of the land remain. Jehoiakin and his mother and wives and officers are taken into captivity. Then, Nebuchadnezzar makes Jehoiakin's uncle king in his place and changes the new king's name to Zedekiah. He is 21 years old when he becomes king and reigns in Jerusalem. He also does evil in the Lord's sight, just as Jehoiakin did. Zedekiah also rebels against Nebuchadnezzar.
Nebuchadnezzar encamps against Jerusalem and builds a wall against it, besieging it. A famine becomes severe, and there is no food for the people. The city wall is broken through, and the men of war all flee at night, even though the Chaldeans are encamped around the city. They go by way of the plains, and the Chaldeans pursue them in the plains of Jericho, and their army is scattered. King Zedekiah is brought to King Nebuchadnezzar and is judged. His sons are killed before his eyes, his own eyes are taken out, and he is bound and taken to Babylon. The captain of the guard of Babylon comes to Jerusalem and burns the house of the Lord and the king's house and all the great houses, and the Chaldeans break the walls and carry the rest away captive along with the defectors. He leaves only the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers. They also break the bronze articles in the house of the Lord and carry them away, and they take the gold and silver, too. It says the bronze is "beyond measure." Nebuchadnezzar takes priests and doorkeepers and the king's close associates as well and has them killed. He puts a governor over the people who remain in Judah. When the captains of the army hear this, they come to the governor at Mizpah, who tells them to serve the king of Babylon and dwell in the land, and it will be well with them. However, a man named Ishmael of the royal family comes with ten men and kills the governor along with the Jews and Chaldeans who are with him, and some men are afraid and go to Egypt. In the 37th year of Jehoiakin's captivity, the evil king of Babylon, Merodach, in his first year as king, releases him from prison, speaking kindly to him and giving him favor. It says Jehoikin eats bread with the king all the days of his life.
In 2 Chronicles, it says that Jehoahaz son of Josiah is made king in Jerusalem at the age of 23 and reigns three months. The king of Egypt deposes him and imposes a tribute and makes his brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem and changes his name to Jehoiakim, and he takes Jehoahaz and carries him off to Egypt. Jehoikim is 25 and reigns eleven years in Jerusalem and does evil. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon comes against him and takes him away to Babylon. (The story of the captivity is retold briefly.) His son Jehoiakin reigns in his place and becomes king at eight years old. (It also says that he did evil!) He reigns only three months and ten days. Nebuchadnezzar summons him and takes him to Babylon and makes his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem at the age of 21. He reigns eleven years and does evil in the Lord's sight, "not humbling himself before Jeremiah the prophet." He also rebels against Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear an oath by God. It says he "stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel." It also says that all the leaders, the priests, and the people transgressed more and more," defiling the Lord's house, which He had consecrating in Jerusalem. It says the Lord had sent warnings by his messengers, "rising up early and warning them, because He had compassion on them and their dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people until there was no remedy." Therefore, He brings the king of the Chaldeans against them who kills their young men and women and the elderly with the sword, and they take all the treasures of the house of the Lord to the king to Babylon. They burn the house of the Lord, break down the wall, burn the palaces with fire, and burn all the precious possessions. Those who escape the sword are taken captive to Babylon to serve the king until the rule of the Persians, to fulfill the word of the Lord to Jeremiah, "until the land [has] enjoyed her Sabbaths, for 70 years." In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, at the word of the Lord- "so that the word to Jeremiah might be filled"- the Lord stirs up the king of Persia's spirit so that he makes a kingdom-wide and written proclamation, declaring that the Lord God of the earth has given him all the kingdoms and commanded him to build the Lord's house in Jerusalem; he calls all God's people to go up to Jerusalem. This was also to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken to Jeremiah.
Thoughts/discussion questions:
The 70-year Sabbath rest was ordained to atone for the 70 years of Sabbath rest that the people had missed in not obeying the Lord's command to let the land rest every seven years. The Lord remembers and will bring justice in the end.