“And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.” — 2 Chronicles 36:15-16

When warnings go unheeded, catastrophic consequences may result. That was the case in 1889, when a record-breaking storm hit the Johnstown-South Fork area of Pennsylvania. In twenty-four hours, nearly ten inches of rain fell. Local streams became raging torrents that poured tons of water into Lake Conemaugh, a reservoir created by the South Fork Dam. 

Early on the morning of May 31, the president of the private club that owned the dam was alarmed to see the water had risen so high that the dam was in imminent danger of collapse. He and others tried to relieve the pressure by increasing the height of the dam, and then by attempting to dig spillways, but their efforts proved futile. At last, they telegraphed a warning to cities in the valley below that the dam could fail at any moment. They begged people to take to the hills. 

Tragically, that warning was not heeded. For years, the dam had been poorly maintained, causing frequent speculation among the people living below it that it might not hold in a flood. However, there had been many warnings in the past when the water level was high, and each time the dam had held, so the supposed “danger” of its collapse became a joke around town. 

That joke became a grim reality on May 31, 1889. A historical website describes: “At approximately 3:00 p.m. the South Fork Dam gave way. In less than forty-five minutes, twenty million tons of water poured into the valley below. Roaring down the narrow path of the Little Conemaugh River, a seventy-foot wall of water filled with huge chunks of dam, boulders, and whole trees, smashed into the small town of Mineral Point and swept away all traces of its existence. Next in line was Woodvale, a town of about one thousand, that the torrent smashed with equal ferocity. Scouring its way towards Johnstown, the flood picked up several hundred boxcars, a dozen locomotives, more than one hundred houses, and a growing number of corpses. 

“The residents of Johnstown heard the speeding wall of death, a roar like thunder. Next, they saw the dark cloud and mist and spray that preceded it and were assaulted by a wind that blew down small buildings. Next came the great wall of water, . . . that smashed into the city, crushing houses like eggshells and snapping trees like toothpicks. It was all over in ten minutes.”¹ Ultimately, the flood killed 2,209 people, making it the worst disaster in United States history at that time. 

The people of Judah had adamantly refused to submit to God and obey His commandments. In today’s focus verses, we read that they mocked the messengers who warned of God’s impending judgment and “despised” their words. Consequently, God fulfilled His word and sent judgment. Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, and the people carried into captivity. 

We want to learn from the judgment that befell the people of Judah and make certain we heed the instructions and warnings given in God’s Word. Sometimes obedience may be “inconvenient” or even painful. However, the price we ultimately pay for neglect is catastrophic! How much better to obey now. In eternity, we will be ever so glad that we did!

^1. Nathan Daniel Shappee, “A History of Johnstown and the Great Flood of 1889: a study of Disaster and Rehabilitation,” (Pittsburgh,PA:Nathan Daniel Shappee 1940), 241-283.

BACKGROUND

The final chapter of 2 Chronicles is a greatly abbreviated version of 2 Kings 23:31 through 25:30. It summarizes in verses 1-13 the reigns of the final four kings of Judah: Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim (also known as Eliakim), Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah (also known as Mattaniah). Verses 14-16 concern the corruption of the priesthood. The last, chaotic years of Judah as an independent nation are covered in verses 17-21, which describe the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the people at the hands of the Babylonians. The final two verses of chapter 36 concern the decree of Cyrus regarding the rebuilding of the Temple. 

After the death of King Josiah in battle, the reforms he had instituted were soon set aside and the people reverted to the wicked ways they had followed during the reign of Manasseh. They made Josiah’s fourth son, Jehoahaz, the king, but he only reigned for three months before Pharaoh Necho of Egypt forcibly removed him from the throne. According to verse 4 and 2 Kings 23:34, Jehoahaz (also known as Shallum) was imprisoned in Egypt, where he died just as the prophet Jeremiah foretold in Jeremiah 22:11-12. 

Necho changed the name of Eliakim, Josiah’s older son, to Jehoiakim, and put him on the throne. Jehoiakim reigned for eleven years, and according to verse 5, “He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God.” His eleven-year rule was marked by injustices, oppression, greed, and murder. 

Babylon was fast becoming the new world power, and after overthrowing Syria in 612 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar waged war against Necho and defeated him at Carchemish in 605 B.C. 

While Jehoiakim was king, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah, taking away hostages from the nobility and royal families, including Daniel and the three Hebrew children. Jeremiah had prophesied this seventy-year captivity (see Jeremiah 25:11-12). While Babylon invaded Judah twice more in following years, this specific attack is documented by the Babylonian Chronicles, a collection of tablets discovered in the nineteenth century that are currently stored in the British Museum. 

According to 2 Kings 24:1 Jehoiakim initially submitted to Nebuchadnezzar but then rebelled against him. In response to Jehoiakim’s rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar again came up against Jerusalem. Verse 6 of today’s text records that the king was captured and “bound in fetters.” 

Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim, became the next ruler of Judah. The statement in verse 9 that he was “eight years old when he began to reign” likely should read “eighteen years old,” according to the record in 2 Kings 24:8. Eighteen is the most probable, due to his having wives (see 2 Kings 24:15). He too “did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord,” and ultimately surrendered to the Babylonian assault in just three months and ten days. At that time, the Temple was looted and thousands more of the people of Judah, including the prophet Ezekiel, craftsmen and artisans, and royal personnel were deported to Babylon, with King Jehoiachin among them. This exile occurred in 597 B.C. 

Verse 10 records that after Jehoiachin surrendered, Nebuchadnezzar placed his uncle, another of King Josiah’s sons, on the throne of Judah. According to 2 Kings 24:17, his name had been Mattaniah, but was changed to Zedekiah. This final king of Judah reigned for eleven years, and continued the evil practices of his predecessors. According to verses 14-16, the priests and the people joined in the wickedness and rejected the strong warnings of Jeremiah and other messengers of God. 

Verses 17-21 describe the resulting death and destruction that came upon Jerusalem; the account in 2 Kings 25:1-12 provides a more detailed record. It indicates that the city of Jerusalem was besieged for eighteen months and then destroyed in 586 B.C. The Temple vessels were taken to Babylon, and the Temple itself was burned. Nebuchadnezzar had King Zedekiah’s sons killed in his presence and then put out his eyes. Then Zedekiah was carried to Babylon along with the remnant of the Jewish population, except for the poorest of the people who remained in the land. 

The final two verses of this chapter are essentially repeated in Ezra 1:1-4. Most Bible scholars agree that these verses were probably added later, in order to indicate that the history of Israel found in 1 and 2 Chronicles was continued in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah.

AMPLIFIED OUTLINE

III. The history of the kings of Judah
     Q. The reign of Jehoahaz (36:1-3)
     R. The reign of Jehoiakim (Eliakim) (36:4-8)
     S. The reign of Jehoiachin (36:9-10)
     T. The reign of Zedekiah (36:11-16)
IV. The captivity of Judah (36:17-23)
     A. The destruction of Jerusalem (36:17-21)
          1. The annihilation of the inhabitants (36:17)
          2. The destruction of the Temple (36:18-19)
          3. The captivity of the refugees (36:20-21)
     B. The decree of Cyrus (36:22-23)

A CLOSER LOOK

1. According to verse 18, what happened to the treasures in the Temple when Jerusalem was overthrown?
2. What were some of the evidences of the Jews’ lack of submission to God?
3. How can we maintain an attitude of receptivity to God’s warnings?

CONCLUSION

God judged the Jewish people because they failed to heed His messengers who warned of the consequences of continuing in disobedience. Let us purpose in our hearts to pay close attention to the instruction given in God’s Word so we avoid the judgment of God.