2 Chronicles 36:1–23 (October 31, 2025)

Judah's Decline

36 The people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and made him king in his father's place in Jerusalem. 2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3 Then the king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 4 And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Jehoahaz his brother and carried him to Egypt.

5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. 6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried part of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his palace in Babylon. 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and the abominations that he did, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.

9 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 10 In the spring of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the precious vessels of the house of the Lord, and made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.

11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. 13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel. 14 All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of the Lord that he had made holy in Jerusalem.

15 The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.

Jerusalem Captured and Burned

17 Therefore he brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or aged. He gave them all into his hand. 18 And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon. 19 And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels. 20 He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

The Proclamation of Cyrus

22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’”

From Ruin to Renewal: God’s Faithfulness in the Fall of Judah

Summary

The closing chapter of Chronicles brings both sorrow and hope. After the death of Josiah, Judah quickly descended into political chaos and spiritual decay. The people installed Josiah’s son, Jehoahaz, as king, but the Egyptian King Necho took Jehoahaz captive and installed Jehoahaz's brother, Eliakim, as king, renaming him Jehoiakim (vv. 1–4).

Who was Jehoiakim?

He also rebelled against Babylon, and his son Jehoiachin reigned briefly before being taken to Babylon with the treasures of the temple (vv. 6–10).

Finally, Zedekiah, Josiah’s youngest son, was made king, but he was not any better. The Bible remembers him:

And, under Zedekiah, Judah’s covenant unfaithfulness reached its climax:

The Lord, in mercy,

But they mocked the prophets and despised His Word until there was “no remedy” (v. 16). So God brought the Babylonians against them. Jerusalem was burned, the temple destroyed, and the people carried into exile (vv. 17–20).

And yet, the book does not end in despair. In its final verses, light breaks through judgment:

Cyrus decreed that the temple should be rebuilt and the exiles return to Jerusalem — “that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled” (v. 21).

The story that began with David’s throne ends with Israel in exile, but God’s promise is still active and effective. God's covenant did not fail. It's the covenant people who failed. But God’s Word remained unbroken.

Who is God

God is faithful to His covenant, even in the face of our rebellion. God graciously warns through the prophets that idolatry and disobedience would bring covenant judgment. In the end, He fulfills His Word with both justice and mercy.

The Bible repeats the words, “as the Lord had spoken,” to reveal that God is sovereign not only over salvation but also over discipline. His holiness demands judgment, yet His mercy provides the way of restoration.

Our God can and will stir our hearts. Just as He “stirred up the spirit of Cyrus” to rebuild His house (v. 22), so He moves the hearts of rulers and nations to accomplish His redemptive purposes. His covenant promises never fail because of our sin. Even when His people are scattered, His Word and Spirit continue to guide all human history toward redemption.

What is our Guilt

Our guilt mirrors Judah’s: persistent unfaithfulness and hardened hearts.

Like them, we often confuse God’s patience with permission. The chronicler’s lament could easily describe our age:

We have the Scriptures, the gospel, and the witness of countless servants, and yet we often grow indifferent to the Word and numb to conviction. We mock the prophetic voice not so much with laughter but with apathy and indifference.

We also defile the "temple"—our hearts and our worship. We turn holy things into tools of self-expression. Instead of surrendering to God, we become spectators who demand satisfaction in worship.

Ultimately, our guilt is that we trust in human thrones rather than in God’s kingdom. Each of Josiah’s sons reigned in compromise, and we, too, look for hope in leaders, systems, and strength apart from God’s sovereign rule.

How does Grace Shine

Grace shines through the Word fulfilled and the exile reversed.

Even in judgment, God’s purpose was redemptive. The exile was not the end. It was the furnace through which God would purify His people and prepare them for a new covenant.

Grace shines through the “stirred spirit” of Cyrus, a pagan king moved by the Spirit of God to restore what Israel’s kings had destroyed. The same divine hand that tore down Jerusalem’s walls now opened the gates for return. History is not random; it is redemptive.

This grace finds its fullness in Jesus Christ, the true Temple and everlasting King. Like Jerusalem, His body was destroyed, but on the third day God raised Him up. The exile of sin ended in the resurrection of the Son.

In Christ, we see that God’s mercy outruns our rebellion. The chronicler’s story ends with a call to rebuild, and the gospel begins with a greater call:

The covenant remains unbroken because it is fulfilled in Him.

The throne of David is not lost; it is exalted in heaven.

Prayer

Father,

You are faithful even when we are faithless. You discipline us in love and restore us in mercy. We confess that we have mocked Your Word by neglect and hardened our hearts in pride. Forgive us, Lord, for treating Your patience lightly.

Teach us to hear Your voice in both judgment and grace. Let the ruins of our disobedience become the place where Your Spirit stirs renewal.

Thank You for the King greater than Josiah, greater than David! The King is Jesus Christ, who bore our exile and rebuilt the temple of our hearts.

May we live as Your restored people, walking humbly under Your Word until the day You dwell among us forever.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our true Temple and eternal King, we pray. Amen.