2 Kings 25 (Part 1) Bible Study (Fall and Captivity of Judah) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Meet me in second Kings chapter 25. As many of you know, maybe you don't know, tonight marks the final chapter of our study of the kings of Israel and of Judah. And as I was preparing a couple of days ago, meditating on these things, I thought let me go back and see how many Fridays we spent together when we combine our study in first and second Kings. And it looks like we spent over 80 Fridays looking at these chapters carefully. And I hope that these sessions have been a blessing to you just as they have been to me.

But I don't wanna make it sound like tonight is the finale. Yes. This is the concluding chapter we'll be examining. However, we'll only be covering part of it. And the reason for this is because as we look at the final ruler of Judah, whose name was Metaniah, but had his name later changed to what?

Zedekiah by king Babylon, there is much coverage about him. And you would only know the extent of what's mentioned about Zedekiah if you have read the book of Jeremiah. So tonight, we're going to rely heavily on Jeremiah. There's gonna be different, cross references presented here, and it might be scripture heavy, but my goal is in Bible study, one of the goals at least is for you to see how the Bible compliments itself. How these different books enrich your readings in a particular passage.

And if we do take the time to visit those texts in Jeremiah, I assure you that it will deepen your understanding of the verses that we will cover here in chapter 25. But before we do that, let's begin I ask you to go to chapter 25, but let's scroll back to verse 18 of chapter 24 because this is where Zedekiah is introduced to us. And we will read down here in chapter 25 up to verse two. And as we're going there, if the sound team can help with the buzzing a little bit, you may not hear it, but I hear it. And it was gone for a long time, but it's come back to harass me again.

Thank you for that. Second Kings 24 verse 18. Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king and he reigned 11 in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutel, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 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. And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. And they built siege works all around it. So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

Father, we ask as we've already prayed and as you've been faithful to us in our previous studies, Lord, that as we come to this last chapter, that we would experience a greater measure of your grace and wisdom. We pray Lord that in your power you would apprehend every hint of distraction. That not one thing would be missed. That we would all emulate the attitude of Cornelius who said when Peter came into his home, we have all now gathered together in the presence of God to hear all that the Lord has commanded you to say. Lord, we want everything that you have to say, and we trust that you will help us in your power to achieve it.

We pray these things in the precious and matchless name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen and amen. There are many ways that we can approach and explain the text that is before us tonight, But I wanna take a different approach. I wanna approach this with a different direction than we have in the past. Since Zedekiah is the final king of the kingdom of Judah, and really his administration is defined by utter destruction.

Unlike anything that we've seen in the history of kings. I wanna use him as a case study. I want us to look at Zedekiah and learn what not to do if we seek to avoid heartache, spiritual ruin, and being the cause of collateral damage in the lives of others. This may not seem like the most uplifting bible study, but it will be valuable nonetheless. And to provide a source of encouragement, I will let you know upfront that the way second Kings ends, actually ends, may surprise us.

Especially with the lasting impression that it will leave us. But before we get there, we have to embrace this portion of scripture the way the Spirit of God intended it to be received. So we will seek to answer this question, what did Hezekiah do to himself to set himself up for such a disastrous future? And the overarching answer is this, he possessed attitudes and made decisions that are easily imitable by any of us. Even if we're not, we're not kings and queens, what Zedekiah chose to do, what his outlook was, what his in look was, is something any of us can follow.

And we want to avoid that. And in my study, I saw at least three things that Zedekiah did to ensure avoidable turmoil. See, what is going to happen to this king did not have to happen, but it did because of three things. The first thing I want us to understand about Zedekiah is that he was unconcerned with God's commands. He was unfazed.

He did not tremble at God's word. Look again at the last sentence of chapter 24. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. You'll remember hopefully that earlier in chapter 24, we learned that Babylon came and controlled Jerusalem. It subjugated this city and this kingdom to becoming a vassal nation.

Jerusalem owed Babylon taxes, and essentially they were surrendered to its superiority and its authority. Whatever Babylon said, they had to do. If Babylon wanted them to have a different king, they couldn't say anything about it. So there was a sense in which there was a level of autonomy in Jerusalem. But in reality, Babylon was controlling it.

And this is what we have to understand. When we read that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon, we might be tempted to approve of this action. Maybe even celebrate it. Yes, shake free. Get your independence again.

This is not the way God designed Jerusalem to function. God is supposed to be ruling over this place, not a foreign people group. But I'm afraid that if we're not familiar with Zedekiah's story, on a wider scale, then we will take this at face value and fail to understand just how profound this action was. For Zedekiah to rebel is greater in significance than what we see in this one sentence. Now, we learn here that he ruled for how many years?

Eleven years. That's how chapter 25 begins. And we are fast forwarded to the ninth year of his reign at the opening of this chapter. However, when you go to Jeremiah's writings, he actually brings us to some events at the beginning of Zedekiah's reign. And this is where we need to turn right away.

Go to Jeremiah with me in chapter 27. Jeremiah 27, and let's go to the verse one. This is very insightful. It says here, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord. Thus the Lord said to me, make yourself straps and yoke bars and put them on your neck.

Send word to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the sons of Amon, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon by the hand of the envoys who who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah, king of Judah. So what do you have here? The word of the Lord comes to the weeping prophet, and he informs him, all these neighboring nations have visited Jerusalem to meet with king Zedekiah, and I need you to say something to them. Now we won't read it, but what's the summary of this chapter? It's essentially this.

God is sovereign over all creation. God is sovereign over all nations. God has raised up Babylon to be the dom dominating power in this region. Submit to him, all you nations and you will live. Resist him and you will surely die.

That's essentially this man's message. And what you have here is these nations with their representatives coming to Jerusalem because they all recognize that this Babylon is now rising with such dominance and force. So they're hopefully seeking to unite now and usurp this new authority. And before they can even devise a plan, Jeremiah receives word from God and he informs these nations, you're wasting your time. Nothing's gonna change.

In fact, to resist what's happening with Babylon in this region is to defy God himself. It's an amazing prophecy. And it's not just made to the nations. Scroll down in Jeremiah 27, look at verse 12. To Zedekiah king of Judah, I spoke in like manner.

Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people and live. Why will you and your people die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence as the Lord has spoken concerning any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? So at the very beginning of Zedekiah's reign, Jeremiah's message was clear. Right? We read that back in verse one.

In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, submit to Babylon. Don't try to escape his rule. Obey his demands. And as long as you do that, you will live along with your people. It can't get any more obvious than this.

But what does he do? We read it back in second Kings 24. Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon. Failing to understand that God was the one behind it. Failing to understand that Zedekiah had to yield to the discipline of the Lord manifested through Babylon.

Did you know that we're actually told one major way that Zedekiah how he rebelled against Babylon? We're told specifically. It's not through Jeremiah's writings though. Which prophet did we touch on in last week's study that's related to this story? Very good Ezekiel.

God actually visits Ezekiel while he's in exile. Remember, when we're talking about the Babylonian exile, we have to understand it the way it's described here in three major deportations. The first one, Daniel was brought out. The second one, Ezekiel was brought out. And now we're about to discover the third and final one.

Ezekiel was taken captive in the second one. And while he's there in Babylon, he's receiving visions and prophecies for both the people who were brought into exile with him and even the people here back in Jerusalem. So there's a one place where God gives him a parable. And then he gives him the interpretation of the parable and it has to do with Zedekiah and how he rebelled against Babylon. Again, I I told you this is gonna be scripture heavy but that's the point of bible study.

So So when you come to Ezekiel 17 and let's begin in verse 11. Earlier in this chapter, God gave the prophet a parable. Now he interprets it. And this is the interpretation of this vision. Ezekiel 17 verse 11.

Then the word of the Lord came to me, say now to the rebellious house, do you not know what these things mean? Tell them, behold the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took her king and her princes and brought them to him to Babylon. He's talking about the second deportation. That's already happened. Verse 13.

And he took one of the royal offspring and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath, the chief men of the land he had taken away. That the kingdom might be humble and not lift itself up and keep his covenant that it might stand. Pause. Self up and keep his covenant that it might stand. Pause.

He's talking about Zedekiah here. He removed Jehoiachin from before Zedekiah's reign. He sets up Zedekiah as the king, and he makes a covenant with Zedekiah. And Zedekiah apparently made a promise to the king of Babylon. But notice in verse 15 what happens.

But he rebelled against him by doing what? By sending his ambassadors to Egypt that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape?

Do you see how the last sentence of chapter twenty four second Kings has so much to offer in other portions of this of scripture? How did he rebel? The major way is that he sent messengers to Egypt and he says, can you help us? Can you help us fight against Babylon? And God says, you broke your covenant.

You made a promise to Nebuchadnezzar, and I saw how you are breaking this vow and you're not going to succeed. In fact, look at verse 16. As I live declares the Lord God, surely in the place where the King dwells, who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant with him he broke, in Babylon he shall die. In other words, Zedekiah, you think that you're going to regain your freedom and your independence. I'm here to tell you that you're actually gonna be brought into Babylon and die there.

Here's the most important part about the interpretation of this vision. Verse 19 of Ezekiel 17. Therefore, thus says the Lord God, as I live, surely it is my oath that he despised, and my covenant that he broke, I will return it upon his head. Do you see how God views this covenant? It wasn't between two nations.

It was ultimately between the king of Jerusalem and God himself. Because God was working behind Babylon. It was God's will that Babylon would overtake Jerusalem. And Zedekiah broke a promise with God. I mentioned all of this to show that Zedekiah's rebellion was not ultimately against Babylon, but against the Lord himself.

And here's the main takeaway at this point. Oftentimes, God's commands usually don't appease or make sense to our flesh. But if it's in his word, it's always right, and it's always for our good. Always. Put yourself in Zedekiah's shoes for a moment.

You can imagine how much he wrestled with this idea of submitting to Babylon. That's humiliating. That's uncomfortable. That's costly, and even terrifying to some degree. You're asking me to yield and to give myself to the leadership of a pagan nation.

And oftentimes, even God's commands may feel like that at first. It jars us. It almost paralyzes us. It makes us reconsider. It makes alternative ways to approach a situation more attractive than what God presents or calls us to do.

And if you and I struggle, maybe you're here even tonight and and you have been facing something that you know God says you have to do, and you can't get yourself to do it, remember Zedekiah's example. Don't forget it because this man shows us that as much as he thought to protect and preserve himself in disobeying, it would cost him way more. So listen, if you know that you've offended somebody and you have not taken Christ's command seriously to approach them in humility and sincerity and to try to figure it out, obey him. Obey the Lord. If you have not been taking the command of the Lord to assemble together with the saints as a priority, and you've been justifying your distance, and you've been downplaying its importance, obey the Lord.

If you know that you're you're being confronted with something and it requires honesty, even if that honesty is costly, obey God. Church leaders, if there is a situation that requires church discipline and it doesn't seem to be a favorable thing in the eyes of others, who are not discerning, whatever the case may be, you have to trust God's protocol. Obey Christ. How many more examples can I give? Many of God's instructions for us, like Zedekiah at first, may not appease the flesh and that's that's to be expected.

Yet it still calls for our trust. Every act of obedience is an act of faith. Over the years, I've heard Christians say strange things. One of the strange things that I've heard, I don't hear it as often lately, thank God. I know the Word of God says this, but.

But what? But what? If it's clear and it's applicable to the situation, it's settled. But what? Like it's not up for negotiation.

I I know, but but but but what? Zedekiah, I'm sure, thought similar things. To willfully disobey what God had clearly made known is a dangerous precedent. No matter what the command entails. And the final chapter of second Chronicles actually summarizes Zedekiah's attitude towards God's word in a much more clear fashion.

Second Chronicles 36 is the last chapter of that book which parallels what we find here in second Kings 25. Look at verse 11 of second Chronicles 36. Zedekiah was 21 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. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet who spoke from the mouth of the Lord.

How did he not humble himself? By not obeying? Sure. But more than that, by not trusting. Just trust me.

I mean, if you read Jeremiah's prophecies over and over again, he he he says it more than once. And although this is a convicting part of this study, I'm also comforted because Jeremiah started this message at the beginning of Zedekiah's reign and he continues to say the same thing throughout the years and this man stubbornly refused to give himself to obey it. So, God is patient even when we're stubborn. But there is a limit and this is really a summary of this man's attitude. He he could not get himself to say, God is right.

I will trust him. I know that this doesn't make sense to me. I know that my flesh doesn't like it. And so he paid for it. One certain way of paving a path of avoidable hardship is by being unconcerned, unfazed, unmoved by God's commands.

We learn in Isaiah that God looks upon the one who trembles at his word. And if I ever find myself no longer trembling at God's word, inevitably I will find myself in trouble at one point or another. I don't know about you, but for me, I think it's appropriate to be scared if I no longer tremble at God's word. I have nothing to fear if I tremble at God's word. I have so much to fear if I don't.

Tremble, imagine that. To actually every time you hear an exhortation, every time you hear some kind of command, it should cause your heart to to jolt to some degree. Like, the Lord is saying this to Christians. I'm a Christian. I'm a follower of Christ.

This is what God almighty asked of me. And when that sense of awe and majesty and weightiness dissipates, That's troubling. So this is where it all began. He was unconcerned with God's commands. But more specifically, and this is the second point of the study, Zedekiah was convinced that there are no consequences for sin.

Let's come back down to our main chapter, second Kings 25. Let's revisit the first two verses. And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. And they built siege work all around it, so the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. So what's happening here?

Well, the way second Kings 24 ends tells us, he rebels. Babylon finds out. Nebuchadnezzar says enough is enough. I was willing to oversee you. I was willing to give you some level of control, but now I have to bring about full control.

I have to now bring you to total surrender. And this is not surprising. But you know what is shocking to me? Zedekiah's initial response to the news that the city now is surrounded by his enemy. It's like jarring actually.

So jarring that we have to make it a point in in this bible study. Jeremiah's book is not precisely chronological. Though there is an overarching theme where you see the beginning of his calling and then you see the end of really Jerusalem, the parts in between are more thematically organized. So, in Jeremiah 27, we read about his prophecy at the beginning of Zedekiah's reign. But when you go to Jeremiah 21, it's actually a prophecy at this point of Zedekiah's reign.

Notice what Zedekiah does when he learns that Babylon is ready to wage war against Jerusalem. Go there with me. Jeremiah 21. Look at verse one. This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent to him, Pashhur the son of Micaiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Messiah saying, inquire of the Lord for us for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us, perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.

Okay. If you read this in isolation without knowing the back story, you might think that Zedekiah is approaching the man of God in good faith and a clear conscience. As though this is like him stepping out because he believes that God can intervene in the same way that Hezekiah believed God when he was surrounded by who? Assyria. When Assyria was at his front step.

But that's not the case. Is that a guy here who is operating with a self perceived faith and purity? So here's the man saying, Jeremiah, inquire of the Lord for us. Maybe God will manifest his wonderful deeds and he'll intervene and save us. And here am I thinking while reading this, you don't deserve it.

What are you talking about? Don't you understand that the reason why Babylon is surrounding you is because of your disobedience? But there's no sense of that. He's not broken. He's not contrite.

He's not coming in repentance. He's coming as though he deserves, that he he's owed this. That if he just comes with this supposed trust that God is gonna say, you know what Zedekiah, I'm gonna help you out here. When you read about Hezekiah's story in second Chronicles, we study this when we looked at his administration. It says that Assyria came to Jerusalem after these acts of faithfulness.

That's second Chronicles 32 verse one. After Hezekiah did his part to purge the land of all the idolatry, then Assyria came. Teaching us what? That many times tests of faith come while we obey the Lord. That does not apply to Zedekiah.

He wasn't faithful and now Babylon's coming so that he can grow and mature in his trust in God. No. He was faithless and God sent Babylon to punish him. Here's a man who has zero awareness that the problems around him are the direct result of his own pride and stubbornness. And please, I don't want any of us to confuse this point with the reality that Christians can make genuine mistakes.

Thank God for his grace and his abundant forgiveness. That's not the point here. I'm using this to address those who show little to no awareness that sin is destructive and carries real consequences. And they're out there. People like this are out there.

What are some of the reasons why professing Christians think this way? That virtually any sin can be committed and it not be followed with dire ramifications. I'll give you one reason. A false sense of security. For some reason, there are many who really don't understand how God deals with mankind in their sin, especially with his own children.

And I believe that was Zedekiah's problem along with his people. We didn't read it yet, but when you come down later in second Kings 25 from verse 13 down to verse 18, that chunk of Scripture gives us an elaborate description of the total destruction of the temple. Like details, what happens to the house of worship. And one of the reasons why that passage is so significant is because for the longest time, the temple was some form of security net for the people of Judah. That in their minds, as long as the temple is here and intact, God will never allow a form power to overtake us.

That's how they understood this. So most of the people in Jerusalem at this time were persuaded that because of the significance and the glory attached to the temple, the Lord will never allow Jerusalem to be taken over. In fact, that's what false prophets used to give false confidence in the hearts of sinners. And this was so paramount, so prevalent that God visits Jeremiah and he says, I need you to challenge this misplaced confidence that these people have. Jeremiah seven.

You need to see it with me. Verse one. Jeremiah seven verse one. The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. Stand in the gate of the Lord's house and proclaim there this word and say, hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord.

Pause here. Can you imagine being commissioned to do this? I want you this is a poor example, but hopefully it'll help to some degree. I want you to stand at the front of Maranatha Bible Church on Sunday morning, And I want you to preach this message as people are walking in. The temple is much more significant in terms of size and occupancy than what we have here on a weekly basis.

So you can just imagine what this demanded of Jeremiah. You're asking me to go to the gate of the temple and preach what? Welcome? No. Not welcome.

Look what he says. Verse three, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in these deceptive words. This is the temple of the Lord. The temple of the Lord.

The temple of the Lord. The people dismissed Jeremiah's warning because they believed that as long as the temple was among them, God would never allow total takeover. They were trusting in those deceptive words. And I want to say similarly, there are professing believers who make the same mistake in how they understand God's dealing with us and our sin. There are far too many stories of servants of Christ who think that the success of their gift or the size of their ministry can be a shield to divine discipline.

It's far too common. And I know that I am speaking to a room filled with people who are serving Christ and long to serve him at greater capacity. So I want to mention this to you. If you and I want to know longevity and you and I want to be strengthened in our resistance to the deception that we can be immune to the consequences of sin, you have to just apply this one thing. You ready for this?

You and I must believe that we are replaceable. I know self improving and self improving gurus will tell you otherwise. Right? But God's economy works differently. You and I are totally replaceable when it comes to serving God.

It's extremely dangerous to believe that a church or ministry won't truly thrive or survive without my presence, without my involvement. Because Satan exploits that kind of mindset. And that is the foothold that breeds the false notion then that I can behave how I want because I am needed. This temple can't be replaced. This temple isn't going to go anywhere.

Surely God won't remove this thing, because of its value, and its history, and its significance. And you know what God says? Actually I can. Scroll down quickly here. Look at verse 12 of Jeremiah seven.

He tells the same group of people, go now to my place that was in Shiloh. Do you remember Shiloh? We studied this in first Samuel. Shiloh was where the tabernacle resided And it was destroyed. Especially after Eli and his sons disobeyed God.

So what is the Lord saying here to the same group? Hey, hey, hey. Do you guys remember Shiloh? Go visit it. It's been abandoned for centuries.

Let's continue. Where I made my name dwell at first and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. And now because you have done all these things declares the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently, you did not listen. And when I called you, you did not answer. Therefore, I will do to the house that is called by my name, and which you trust to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers as I did to Shiloh.

Where did problems ensue for Zedekiah and this population? They thought that the temple was going nowhere. Let's apply it personally. When I begin to think that I am irreplaceable, that I am somehow an anomaly in God's kingdom, the up and coming, the main threat that holds everything together wherever I serve. Brother, sister, a dangerous game.

A dangerous game. Because Satan takes advantage of that and he begins to whisper things in your mind. You know how you and I should think? Lord, I don't deserve to do anything for you. Any opportunity I get to serve you is a complete gift.

You don't need me. I need you always. Lord, I believe wholeheartedly though you are immensely gracious, so forgiving, so patient that you can also in your wisdom, if I continue to sin or sin so grievously to flick me off, whatever platform, whatever presence, whatever influence, and easily raise up somebody else to bring you glory. That will keep you and I on our faces. And unfortunately, Judah did not believe this about themselves.

So God sent Jeremiah to remind them that the temple was replaceable. So when you and I nurture this idea that sin doesn't have real lasting consequences, we open ourselves to greater danger in our future. But that's only the second point. We come now to the last one. Let's come back to second Kings 25 verse three.

On the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. Then a breach was made in the city and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls by the king's garden. And the Chaldeans were around the city and they went in the direction of the Ereba. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the Plains Of Jericho and all his army was scattered from him. So there's an important phrase here in verse four.

There was a famine, that's the natural outcome of a siege. That's the strategy, starve the people out, make them so weak so that they can't fight back. And their intelligent agency understood that this was the case within the walls of Jerusalem. So look at verse four again, then a breach was made in the city. Telling us what?

That Babylon now came and entered into the very walls of Jerusalem. They no longer surrounded it, now they're within it. And once this was learned by the government, you would think naturally that if a kingdom was invaded in this way, that the army would what? Defend the city. That a noble king would even fight on behalf of the people.

But what do we read instead? That the army fled. Why did they flee? To protect and surround the king as he tried to deliver himself by turning his back on his people when they needed him the most. I find it interesting that within this theme of destruction in this passage, Zedekiah's selfishness is highlighted.

Number three, that this is just what the text I believe is saying to us. If we're approaching in this way, a guaranteed ingredient for you and I to pave a path of hardship, collateral damage, spiritual ruin, avoidable heartache is to be self absorbed. To be selfish. To think of me and me alone as my priority. That's what we have with this king.

Now I'm not suggesting that Zedekiah should have stayed back to fight Babylon because he wouldn't have succeeded. In fact, what he should have done is what Jeremiah told him repeatedly to do and what? Surrender. Again, you'll never read the book of Jeremiah the same way again. So many places in that book, he tells Zedekiah, just surrender and you will live and the people will live.

And more than that, this city will be spared. All of this could have been dodged. So he he should have just dug his shield in the earth and just humbly come before the king of Babylon and says, I I surrender. I was a fool. Instead, he runs into the dark.

Who knows where he's going but he's trying to get as fast as possible away from these new invaders. And as I meditated on this, I thought this man, in the final moments of his life, added a final layer of disgrace to his testimony. Be a man. Be noble. Do you have a shred of integrity?

You're the leader of this people. And you abandoned them. And so, I leaned back on my chair earlier today and my mind goes to what Paul told Timothy when he gave him a list of features concerning the last days. And he presents in the span of four verses there in second Timothy three, all these ugly traits that will surface and intensify as we approach the return of Christ. Before you turn there, and we don't even have to turn there, does anyone remember the first thing that Paul puts in that catalog?

After he says, but understand this, in the last days there will come times of difficulty, what's the first thing that Paul mentions to Timothy? People will be lovers of south. Second Timothy three two. That's not accidental. That's not random.

That is strategic. Self love is the swamp in which all these other sins love to swim in. People will love themselves. And we're living in a culture that promotes self love more than any other time. People are addicted to themselves.

Right? This is not just a cultural phenomenon. This is a manifestation, this is a symptom of a deeper problem. Self love. And the reason why it's mentioned first is because it's the foundation by which all these other iniquities are built on.

Everything flows from this. And we even know this since Christ attacks that very thing when he lays out the basic conditions for discipleship. What does he tell us? What do we need to deny if we're gonna be followers of him? Deny who?

Yourself. Totally antithetical to what Paul lists here in second Timothy three. In the last days, everybody will be lovers of self. And Jesus says, if you wanna follow me, you gotta deny yourself. You gotta deny yourself.

So think about it this way, if self denial is the basis for practical holiness and righteousness to flourish and honor God and bless others, then self love surely breeds the opposite. It dishonors God and it will surely injure others in more than one way. And that's exemplified by Zedekiah. It's just all about him. He's not concerned about the people, the families, the children, the reputation of the temple.

No, no, no. It's about my self preservation. And it invited so much trouble. That will be true for your marriage, husband. That will be true in your relationship with your children, mother.

That will be true for you, elder. That'll be true for you leader of that bible study. That'll be true for you and your friend group. You you won't have many friends. At least healthy ones.

You have a toxic group of friends if you are possessed with self love. But oh, if everybody apprehends this attitude of Christ then we'll have the scent of heaven in every atmosphere that we step foot in. This is such an ugly picture. I was actually so disgusted with Zedekiah here. You find this principle throughout the scriptures.

My mind even went to Jesus's description of a false shepherd. John 10 is that well known passage about the good shepherd. But in it you get insight of what a false leader, spiritual leader looks like. We remember this. Right?

He says in John ten twelve to 13, as I paraphrase, that when a hireling, a hired hand, meaning not somebody who owns the sheep, but someone who the owner of the sheep hires to supervise the sheep. When that hired hand sees a wolf coming, what does he do? Grab his staff and fight? What does he do? He flees.

He flees. And Jesus says, not caring for the sheep. What did he care for? His paycheck. What did he sign up for for?

To to to benefit himself. And when real danger comes or when real real problems arise, Jesus mentions, you will know a shepherd, a spiritual shepherd is a false one, when he abandons people in a time where they're needed the most concerning their leadership, their insight and their courage. Fascinating. Example after example. We see it in the Old Testament, we see it in the New Testament.

That self love erodes and destroys so much, including Zedekiah's own life. Let's come to the concluding verses of this. We're gonna end in verse seven tonight. So the king flees. Right?

Look at verse six now. Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence on him. They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon. This is very graphic and very gruesome. I don't wanna be too descriptive here.

I think it's plain. Zedekiah tries to escape. He's captured and a sentence is placed on him. Here's the punishment. I'm gonna take out your eyes.

But I want the last thing you see is me killing your sons. So they slaughter his sons. They gouge out his eyes, they take him to Babylon and he dies a blind man. You're saying, I appreciate the honesty of scripture, but how does that benefit me to know this? I'll tell you how it benefits us.

Long before Zedekiah lost his physical eyes, he was blinded in the eyes of his heart. This blindness came way later on. He was plagued with a different darkness way before. If only Zedekiah had truly perceived and recognized that God's commands are to be taken seriously. If only he had registered that there are real consequences to sin.

If only he had really believed that selfishness is spiritual suicide. He might have been able to keep his eyes, but he lost them. So sad. Always ask God to keep your eyes open and true and he will never fail to do that. Always ask him for discernment concerning his will.

Always ask him to open your eyes in the scriptures. Always ask him ask him to see people the way he sees people. To see ministry the way he sees ministry. To see sin the way he sees sin and he will faithfully refine you and clean your lenses and help you and inspire you and warn you. He is so good.

I'm one of those who firmly believe that whoever starts out as a follower of Christ, whoever even starts out in ministry can actually finish well without any scandal. I believe that. And God has given us examples like Zedekiah to keep us in that place, to keep us dependent on Him. Let me highlight one more thing here. Did you notice where he was arrested while he was in flight?

Look back at verse five. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him where? In the Plains Of Jericho. The Bible is so poetic. Jericho was the very first place that the Israelites experienced victory when they stepped into the promised land.

It's right at the border of the Jordan. And how interesting is it that with the last king of Israel showcasing the ultimate defeat of this very same people, it all happened in the very same place with a new victory. It's amazing to see how the scriptures pulls these things together. Jericho is where it all started, where faith brought about wonderful fruit and now Zedekiah is arrested in the Plains Of Jericho. And following that will lead to the final deportation of the very same people who entered into that land.

The place where it all started is now where it all ends and they will be removed from what was their inheritance. I can assure you that as we come closer to the end of second Kings 25, it will be more encouraging. But I believe it's appropriate to receive the weightiness of a text when it is designed to be weighty. And so I want us to just sit here and deal with what we heard and ask God to make it, make it true for us, make it helpful for us, and make it changes. Lord, we thank you that although this was indeed a difficult text, We are thankful for it.

We are not of those who change the meaning of your words or seek to massage or manipulate your message so that it suits the flesh. We trust that in your infinite wisdom, you have given us Zedekiah's example to help us avoid the same mistakes. So Lord, we think about your commands. Refresh in us a sense of awe of every word you have given us to obey. May we be urgent when we know that we're supposed to do something even though it's challenging.

May we have fresh faith when, when we know you're asking us to go somewhere or approach a situation or surrender a certain right that may not feel good in the moment. Help us believe that such a decision will lead to life. Lord, may we always understand that there are consequences to sin while we rest in your forgiveness, Lord. May we never fall into the trap of thinking that we are invincible or that we are stars in your kingdom or that we are irreplaceable in our service to you. May we always recognize that you are after humility and with humility there is great reward.

And lastly, Lord, expel from our hearts all selfishness. Any tendency to be self absorbed, self pitying. Help us remember that self love is not equal to self respect or self care. But that it speaks of one who elevates one's own desires above everybody else, even at the cost of everybody else's. Oh, Lord, destroy that in our hearts.

And Lord, we believe that if we apply these truths, we will know nothing but victory ahead. Light, joy, and blessing to others. So Lord, give us the ambition and the empowerment to follow in the opposite direction of this poor example of a king. We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen and amen.

Let's stand and worship the Lord together.