Fri.’s Devo - The Last Kings of Judah

Read: Jeremiah 51:54-52:34; Titus 3:1-15; Psalm 100:1-5; Provers 26:18-19 God promises that when he punishes he repays in full and Babylon was the nation he was punishing. Her wall would be leveled and her gates burned. All the work of building the city would have been in vain. It would go down in flames. This was the message God gave Jeremiah while he was in Judah. He was told to send it to Zedekiah’s staff officer, Seraiah, who had been taken to Babylon. It was written on a scroll and he was to read it aloud to the people of Babylon. Then he was to tie it to a stone and throw it into the Euphrates River and say that this was the way Babylon and her people would sink and never rise again. This was Jeremiah’s last prophecy. Here is the history of the last kings of Judah. Josiah was the last good king. When he died, his younger brother Jehoahaz was made king by the people. The Egyptians invaded the land and deposed Jehoahaz and placed Eliakim on the throne. They changed his name to Jehoiakim. Babylonians defeated the Egyptians and then came and took Jehoiakim to Babylon along with Daniel and his three friends. The next year, King Nebuchadnezzar sent Jehoiakim back to Judah to be his vassal king. Jehoiakim was evil and returned to the idolatry that Manasseh had done and God sent Jeremiah to write a message for him to repent or God would destroy Jerusalem. Jehoiakim listened to the message and cut it up and threw it in the fire. Jehoiakim rebelled and stopped obeying and paying Babylon tribute three years later. Babylon responded with an army of troops who came and killed Jehoiakim. Nebuchadnezzar set Jehoiakim’s son, Jehoiachin on the throne of Judah. Jehoiachin was only eight years old and reigned 100 days before he was taken captive to Babylon. His uncle Zedekiah then reigned in Judah. Young Jehoiachin grew up in Babylon and when he was 45 years old, Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon and he showed Jehoiachin favor. He gave him a higher place than all the other exiled kings. He gave Jehoiachin new clothes and he was allowed to dine at the king’s table for the rest of his life. In Titus, Paul reminded them that we should be obey their government and its officials. (The government that are legally elected.) We must be humble and kind to everyone. Jesus was humble and kind to us when we didn’t deserve it. He gave us salvation and poured out his Spirit upon us giving us confidence that we will have eternal life. We should try to live our lives doing good to others, not arguing over silly disagreements about works. If people cause division, they should be warned two times and then have nothing to do with them. Their own sins will condemn them. Lord, may we walk in love and good deeds. Thank you for your Spirit that enables us to walk in righteousness.