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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Thursday, 23 October 2025:
2 Kings 24:1-2 — In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldeans and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the Ammonites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servants the prophets.
Jehoiakim’s reign marks the beginning of Judah’s end. The once-glorious kingdom of David, preserved for centuries by God’s covenant mercy, now faces the full consequence of its rebellion. Babylon’s invasion was not merely a geopolitical event, it was divine judgment executed through human instruments. God’s Word, long rejected by kings and people alike, now comes to pass with frightening precision. As 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 records, “The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people… but they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets.” When people resist correction long enough, God eventually confirms their decision by removing His protection. Jehoiakim’s rebellion against Babylon was, at its core, rebellion against the Lord who had warned him through Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:8-9). The spiritual principle is timeless: defiance of God’s Word always leads to destruction, no matter how strong the nation or self-assured the leader.
2 Kings 24:3-4 — Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the LORD, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD would not pardon.
Judah’s fall is traced back to the sins of Manasseh, whose idolatry and bloodshed had polluted the land and hardened the people’s hearts. Though Josiah’s reforms were sincere, they could not undo generations of rebellion. God’s justice demands reckoning for sin; His patience, though long, is not endless. This sobering reality reveals the cumulative effect of national sin — when a people continually reject truth, they become desensitized to evil and eventually invite judgment. Psalm 106:38-39 laments this same corruption: “They poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan…. Thus they became unclean by their acts.” The phrase “the LORD would not pardon” underscores that forgiveness cannot be presumed without repentance. Grace is abundant, but it is not cheap.
God will hold nations, including ours, accountable for the shedding of the innocent blood of babies, including unborn ones.
- Exodus 21:22-25 — When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
2 Kings 24:5-7 — Now the rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place. And the king of Egypt did not come again out of his land, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates.
Jehoiakim’s death and Babylon’s dominance mark the shift of world power. Egypt’s influence vanishes, and Babylon becomes God’s appointed instrument of discipline. The fall of Judah’s earthly allies reveals the futility of trusting in human strength rather than divine protection. Isaiah had warned generations earlier, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help… but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the LORD!” (Isaiah 31:1). Those who trust in worldly power inevitably fall with it. God alone is the sure refuge and the unshakable foundation when nations crumble.
2 Kings 24:8-12 — Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem…. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it, and Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon….
Jehoiachin’s brief reign is the story of capitulation, both politically and spiritually. He “did what was evil” even in crisis, showing that desperation alone does not produce repentance. He surrendered to Babylon but never surrendered to God. The external collapse of Judah mirrors its internal corruption. Without repentance, surrender to the world becomes inevitable. This echoes James 4:4: “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” Jehoiachin’s submission to Babylon was the outcome of long spiritual compromise, a vivid warning that the person or nation that refuses to bow before God will one day bow before its conqueror.
2 Kings 24:13-14 — And he carried off all the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house…. He carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives… none remained, except the poorest people of the land.
The treasures of God’s temple, once filled with offerings of thanksgiving and worship, are now taken as plunder. The outward loss mirrors the inner reality: when the glory departs, the gold no longer matters. This desecration fulfills the warnings of Deuteronomy 28:47-48, where God said that disobedience would lead to captivity and loss of abundance: “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart… you shall serve your enemies.” The carrying away of the people leaves behind only “the poorest of the land,” showing how sin impoverishes both soul and society. Wealth, wisdom, and power vanish when righteousness departs.
2 Kings 24:15-17 — And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. The king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land he took into captivity…. And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
The changing of the king’s name to “Zedekiah” by Babylon’s ruler is symbolic — the earthly king’s identity is now controlled by a foreign power. The once-independent kingdom of Judah has become a vassal state. Yet, even here, God’s sovereignty remains unshaken. Though Babylon rules by force, it still operates within God’s providence. As Daniel, a captive of this very exile, later testifies, “He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings” (Daniel 2:21). The world’s thrones may rise and fall, but the Lord remains enthroned forever (Psalm 93:1-2).
2 Kings 24:18-20 — Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem…. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. For because of the anger of the LORD it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
Zedekiah’s reign represents the final stage of Judah’s downfall. Though placed on the throne by Babylon, he refuses submission both to God and to man. Jeremiah’s prophetic counsel to submit to Babylon as God’s appointed chastening (Jeremiah 27:12-15) was met with arrogance and unbelief. The phrase “He cast them out from His presence” is one of the most tragic statements in Scripture. It is the reversal of the priestly blessing — instead of God’s face shining upon His people, it turns away in judgment. This is the spiritual reality of sin unrepented: separation from the presence of God (Isaiah 59:2). Zedekiah’s rebellion, like his predecessors’, demonstrates that without true repentance, even divine discipline cannot produce righteousness.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 23 October 2025: Let today’s reading remind you that God’s Word always comes true, both His promises and His warnings. When we harden our hearts, we forfeit His presence; when we humble ourselves, He restores it. Examine your loyalties: are there areas where you’ve trusted worldly security, personal strength, or human alliances more than the Lord? Repent and return to Him today. Let no rebellion remain, however small. Surrender to God before you are forced to surrender to the world. True freedom comes only through full obedience to His Word.
Pray: “Righteous Father, teach me to see that rebellion against You is the root of all ruin. Keep me from trusting in the strength of men or in my own understanding. I repent of every alliance of the heart that draws me away from You. Let me bow before Your throne willingly, not under judgment. Restore in me a humble and contrite spirit, and let Your Word reign over my thoughts and actions. When I am tempted to resist Your will, remind me that Your ways are perfect and Your judgments just. May I walk in the fear of the Lord and find safety in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
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