2 Kings 24

Bible Passage: 2 Kings 24

How often do we hear the above words in our lives?

Maybe if we have young children or are teachers, we might hear it more often. But let us ask ourselves, even if we do not say these words explicitly, do we think them or act in ways affected by them?

What do these words or questions have to do with our chapter for today?

This chapter is the second last in the book of 2 Kings and records the last three kings of Judah as well as the plunder of the temple and palace by the Babylonian king.

Strangely, even though destruction and captivity was before them, the kings mentioned in the chapter did not show any inclination of turning back to God. This is something that I can’t help but wonder why and also why I brought up the earlier questions.

Could it be that the kings did not care anymore? Is that why they continued doing evil in the sight of the LORD even though their enemies were upon them?

Let’s now take a look at them.

Don’t Care About God

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. (2 Kings 24:9)

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. He also did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. (2 Kings 24:19)

Quite clearly, the kings no longer had any fear of God. They also did not seem to believe in God’s deliverance or protection anymore. After all, God already had delivered them into the hands of the enemies, why should they care about a God that does not care about them?

Do we have such thoughts at times? Maybe when we are really down and things just keep going wrong? Do we feel that God does not care about us anymore at such times?

When I’m feeling down and things just don’t go right, I always encourage myself by singing or thinking of hymn 336

Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched with my grief;

When the days are weary, The long night dreary, I know my Saviour cares.

How can we not care about this loving God who care so much for us?

More importantly, can we afford not to care about Him?

Don’t Care About Others

Surely at the commandment of the LORD this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the LORD would not pardon. (2 Kings 24:3-4)

When one starts not to care about God, one will also start not caring about others.

We see from the previous chapter, how Jehoiakim exploited his people and we read in the verse above one of God’s reason for casting away Jerusalem. It would also be quite safe to infer that the other kings did not take good care of their subjects as well.

This is a danger of the end times that Jesus and Paul had already warned us about (Matt 24:12, 2 Tim 3:2). Have we filled our hearts with the love of Jesus in order to guard against this danger?