2 Kings 25 (Part 3) Bible Study (Gedaliah Governor/Jehoiachin & Prison) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Father, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts that, Lord, we have a promise from you that death is not the final say. We have eternity. We have you, your presence, your glory to enjoy forever and ever. But until then, Lord, we pray that our pilgrimage here on earth would be effective and fruitful. Lord, we don't we don't chase after platforms or notoriety or recognition.

Lord, just make us content in faithfulness. And may we each be absolutely convinced that we are walking in the center of your will. And Lord, may we know true contentment and longevity in that pursuit, in that discipline, in that calling that has been clarified to each of us. Lord, we pray that you would use this final study in second Kings to help us draw closer to you and to know your will for our lives. We trust that you will use it.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Well, ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, tonight marks the final installment in our study of the book of second Kings. And I'm sure that you can agree that this book has presented us a series of dramatic studies as we've been carefully observing the decline of a nation who had a unique relationship with God unlike any other nation in its day. And for the first time reader, it may seem that there's nothing more to say after the last statement of the final verse in our previous study.

If you don't remember, look quickly at verse 21 of second Kings 25, and notice what the writer records. The last sentence there. So Judah was taken into exile out of its land. What more do you need to say after that? The Babylonian conquest is complete.

Jerusalem lies in ruins. The majority of God's people are now removed from the promised land and will endure the height of heavenly discipline for many decades ahead. What more can be said after this? Well, clearly, the Holy Spirit has more to say. And as we are prepared to read this new section, I have a feeling that the opening verses of it will not surprise us, sadly.

But the final part, the final portion might because it offers incredible encouragement to us, especially when we consider this being Israel's darkest hour. But before we get to that hopeful closing, we have to engage with the disappointing commentary that comes before it. So let's read now second Kings 25 beginning in verse 22 down to verse 24. And over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed Gedalia, the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, governor. Now when all the captains and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedalia governor, they came with their men to Gedalia at Mizpah, namely Ishmael the son of Nathania and Johanan the son of Kareah and Sariah the son of Tanumeth the Nethophathite and Jahazania the son of the Machathite.

And Gedalia swore to them and their men saying, do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. We noted last week that after the Babylonians came in and orchestrated their final deportation, they had left behind some vine dressers and plowmen to tend the land. But even that small remnant required some kind of oversight in leadership. Nebuchadnezzar was wise enough to recognize that.

So what does he do? He appoints a governor. He raises up a man by the name of Gedalia to fulfill that role. Now we don't know much about Gedalia, but there's something about his father and his grandfather that helps us know a little bit of his background in history. He is the son of Ahikam.

Now Ahikam was one of Josiah's top officials. We remember Josiah, the great reformer. He played a role in helping bring reform. And more than that, when you read Jeremiah carefully, Ahikam actually protected Jeremiah from being killed by the king. So this meant Ahikam was a righteous person, and it seems like his son Gedalia was following in his steps.

And it could be that Nebuchadnezzar, though a pagan himself, recognized something noble about Gedalia. That's why he granted him and appointed him as a leader in this respect. And Gedalia's instructions to the remnant that remained reflects his submissiveness and his integrity. What did he tell the people? He said, look, don't be afraid of the Chaldeans.

As long as we remain here and don't cause trouble, it will be well with you. He's echoing what Jeremiah had prophesied for years. And so we see that this man was also an ally to the prophet in many ways, including in what we see here with his exhortation. But although the Babylonians were not the ones to fear in the story, there is someone else, and he's not associated with the Chaldeans. Let's read now here in verse 25 to verse 26.

But in the seventh month, Ishmael, the son of Bethania, son of Elishama of the royal family came with 10 men and struck down Gedalia and put him to death along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. It's hard to imagine how this can be true. Are you kidding me? Jerusalem has fallen.

Babylon has conquered. Thousands have died, and thousands more have been removed from their homes. And it hasn't been very long until we learn of a murder case among the remnant who are kept back. This is absolutely absurd. This is mind numbing.

This is yet another case, I believe, that helps us make a little bit more sense of Jeremiah's words when he famously said that the heart is deceitfully wicked. Above all things, desperately sick, and he ends it by saying, who can understand it? Who can understand it? Indeed, who can understand? I can't understand this.

You guys have been brought so low and you still have it in you to kill each other? This is demented. This is twisted. This is the human heart. And we cannot fully comprehend just how depraved and twisted this heart really is.

Why did this happen? Why was Gedalia assassinated? Well, with a little investigation, we could learn exactly why. The culprit of the assassination is who? A man by the name of Ishmael.

Ishmael. Now Ishmael according to verse 23, was among who looked back again. Now when all the captains and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedalia governor he's one of the captains. Who are these captains? Very likely, some of the military leaders or guerrilla leaders who were successful in evading the Babylonian conquest and exile.

So they they must have escaped, they must have hidden themselves, and when they saw that the air had cleared, the fury of Babylon had subsided and new leadership was established. They come out of the woodworks, and they make their way back to the people. But there's more to his background. Read slowly verse 25 once more. But in the seventh month, Ishmael, the son of Nathania, son of Elishama, of the royal family if you underline your bible, underline that part.

What does it mean that he's of the royal family? What does that indicate? He's a descendant of David. He's from the royal line. This is now beginning to make sense.

Think about it. How would you feel if you were a descendant of David and someone outside the royal line was elected and appointed to be the leader of the people who remained in Judah? It's easy to see how someone like Ishmael might have felt like he deserved to be that leader. He's one of the few that remain from David's line. And so even though Gedalia was not made an official king, he was a governor, you can see how this man Ishmael was convinced that he deserved to be the leader, and it disturbed him to the core.

What do you have here? You have selfish ambition at work. Read closely. Read between the lines. Look more carefully.

Ask more questions. If he's of the royal family, why do we need to know that? Because that's the motive behind his murderous plot. But there's more details. See, these two verses that we just read, that's just a summary.

We have a detailed account of all that took place here in Jeremiah's writing. And though we can't touch on every point, I want you to see with me how Ishmael's plan was exposed beforehand. It was made known, and it shows us a little bit more of the behind the scenes of why this happened. Let's go to Jeremiah 40 now. This is quite interesting.

Jeremiah 40 in verse 13. Now Johanan or Johanan, the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces in the open country came to Gedalia at Mizpah and said to him, do you know that Ba'alice, the king of the Ammonites, has sent Ishmael the son of Nathania, to take your life? But Gedalia, the son of Ahikam, would not believe them. Interesting. So now we are introduced to another man by the name of Johanan.

He's there in second Kings 25, and he is also one of the captains, captains, perhaps of a different band of soldiers or mercenaries. And he somehow uncovers Ishmael's plan to assassinate Gedalia. And so he approaches Gedalia. Faithfully, he says, look, you have to understand. This man wants to kill you, and he was actually hired by the Ammonites to do it.

Now here's my question. Why would the Ammonites be interested in the death of Gedalia? I'm actually asking, does anybody have an idea? Why would the Ammonites be interested? What does this have to do with them?

I think the best answer is that we saw earlier how the surrounding nations recognized, earlier in our study of second Kings, how they recognized the the the very dangerous and concerning uprising and and powerful entity Babylon was becoming. And so they attempt on many occasions to create a coalition to try to figure out how they can push back and resist this new empire. And I believe the Ammonites understood that Gedalia's willingness to work with the Babylonians, undermine their efforts to try to keep them in place. And so it's likely that Ishmael, in knowing this, actually approached the Ammonites and said, look, I'll take care of Gedalia. Yeah.

He's a puppet. Let's get rid of him because he's obviously gonna be an obstacle in our attempt to try to hold Babylon back. And so he probably got a price for it. And at the same time, this would serve his personal interest. We have a profound spiritual lesson before us, brothers and sisters.

You have now a foreign entity, an enemy of Israel and Judah, working through a descendant of David to kill someone who is innocent, to kill someone who is actually obeying God and submitting to Babylon. Jealousy and selfish ambition opens the door for Satan to enter and cause civil war among God's people every time. You think that's an exaggeration? I'm here to tell you that the New Testament says it in a very plain and obvious way. Go to James chapter three.

We have looked at these verses throughout our study of kings more than once. You know why? Because we've seen jealousy and selfish ambition at play in more than one occasion. And I just find it amazing that this is one of the final lessons that god's want god wants to give us in our conclusion of this study. Look at James chapter three in verse 14.

He's speaking to many Christians in different areas. And notice what he says. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice, end quote, including murder including murder.

Wanna talk about vile practice? Murder is on that list. But did you notice how the word demonic is sandwiched between the two references to jealousy and selfish ambition? It's mentioned there in verse 14 and in verse 16. And what's tucked between?

Demonic. So it's not an exaggeration to say that where pride and self entitlement is harbored and justified, not resisted, not fought against, not brought before God in his presence, you make a way for demonic activity to intensify and to destroy anything that is good, anything that is holy, anything that is righteous like Gedalia represents. Brothers and sisters, be careful of these things in your heart and in my heart. Because if you let them have free range, it will ravage a marriage. It will disintegrate any friendship.

It can shut the doors of a church until nothing remains. I mean, Israel has already been brought so low. And I mean Israel, I'm talking about Judah specifically. And yet because of Ishmael's selfish ambition, he brought it even lower. I mean, how much lower can you get?

Everything's in rubble. Everything is still burning, and yet you still have it in you for your own sake, for your own name, for your own ego to destroy it further. It's hideous. It's it's terrifying, and it's something that we should be warned about. Here's what moved me.

One of the final lessons in our study of second Kings is a warning about jealousy and selfish ambition. Kill it. Fast about it. Starve it out of your heart if you have to. Come before God and take time away from everything else until that thing is eradicated from your soul because it won't stay in your heart.

It will make a way for Satan to come in and do things that you never thought was possible. Now there's more that can be said about Gedalia and his refusal to believe the report. We can spend a lot of time there. Like, leadership can't afford to be naive. That's one lesson.

He refused to believe that Ishmael was capable of killing him. If you're a leader in this place, you gotta be more discerning than that. You gotta be more careful than that. You gotta be willing to investigate even those that you you think are not capable of doing certain things. And he refused to do that.

But we have to move on and look at what's mentioned here in the rest of second Kings. Come back with me. Look again at verse 26 of second Kings 25. After Gedalia has murdered, we read, then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. Egypt?

What's going on here? Here's what's happening. So remember, we read about that man who reported to Gedalia what Ishmael was up to. Johanan. Well, when you read later on in Jeremiah, he actually scares Ishmael away.

Ishmael attempts to take the remnant captive and to bring him to the Ammonites. And who comes to the rescue? This individual. And so he keeps the remnant. He brings him back home.

But everybody now is afraid of the Babylonians. Why? Because the man that Nebuchadnezzar had appointed was just assassinated. So you can imagine what they're thinking. You You can imagine the fear.

Oh, Nebuchadnezzar, if he hears this, he's gonna take us all away now. And so what did they decide to do? Okay. Let's just go to Egypt. He won't come to Egypt.

Let's flee there. Let's stay there for a little while, and then we'll come back to our hometown. And what's so amazing I mean, if you wanna look at this in detail, go to Jeremiah 41 to chapter 43. You don't have to turn there, but read it on your own time. They actually approached Jeremiah.

They say, Jeremiah, can you ask God if this is his will for us to go to Egypt? And Jeremiah says, okay. Give me some time to pray. A few days go by. Jeremiah gets a word from the Lord and tells the leaders and the remnant, don't.

Trust God. Stay put. He'll take care of you. Babylon will do nothing. What do you think the people did?

You're a liar. They actually called Jeremiah a liar. And so this man now who seemed to be righteous, I mean, he reported Ishmael's plot, he actually rescued the remnant. Now he leads the effort of bringing the remnant into Egypt, and he even forces Jeremiah to go. Yes.

Jeremiah had some ministry time in Egypt. And so while they're in Egypt, God gives Jeremiah a word, and here's the summary. Hey, Jeremiah. Tell everybody who went down to Egypt that they're gonna die in Egypt and that they will never return to their homeland. That's their punishment for not trusting in me.

This is heavy. This is disheartening. It it you almost feel like, when is this gonna end? Well, it's almost over. And as deeply disturbing this is, thankfully, it doesn't end there.

Look now at verse 27. This is where we're ending because we have no choice. It's ending here. Let's read the rest of it, shall we? This is gonna be a much shorter bible study because we have a quiz coming up.

And in the thirty seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah in the twelfth month, on the twenty seventh day of the month, evil Merodah king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments, and every day of his life, he dined regularly at the king's table. And for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king according to his daily needs as long as he lived. A little bit of a strange way of wrapping things up, don't you think?

And before we try to make sense of this, let's deal with the facts that are clear. The Holy Spirit fast forwards in time and brings us into Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar is no longer on the throne. His descendant, Evo Merodach, is. And what this man chooses to do in the first year of his reign should shock us.

He removes one of the last kings who went into exile, takes off his prison garbs, elevates him to a prominent position, allows him to regularly dine at the royal table, and takes care of him plentifully for the rest of his life until his dying day. No explanation is given, and that's intentional. Without notice, as you come to the end of this record, it's as though the Holy Spirit wants to stun the reader by providing a final demonstration of grace. By not just saying it, but by demonstrating it. By providentially working in a different country altogether.

The very instrument of judgment now becomes the means of relief and grace to a king who represented the people. See, what's happening here is that God is providing a message of hope for the people of God. That after all the things that they've done, after their nauseating disobedience that we just saw in the preceding verses, he wants to reveal that he is absolutely faithful to his promise to David. I have not forgotten my covenant with David. And he also wants to show in a very practical way that he is intensely merciful and kind.

And as you and I look at this, we can realize that message even more by the wider context. What's the very last word of second Kings? In the ESV, it's the word lived. If you have any other translation, especially a word for word translation, it's the word life. That's the last word that we have in second Kings, life.

Does anybody remember how second Kings begins? Go to chapter one verse one. I'll wait for you to get there. After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel. So the very first statement of this book contains the word death, and the very last word is life.

What's the point? God can rewrite your story. Even though your history, your background is riddled with death, darkness, perversion, cycles of evil and disobedience, indifference to the things of God, calloused to the warnings around you, he can change the ending. The punctuation mark of your life can be life, not death, if you allow him to. So I'm putting these thoughts together midweek, and here's a thought that comes to me.

Remember, there are three kings who go into exile. Jehoiakim, Jehoiakin or Hen. Who's the last one? Zedekiah. Three deportations, one for each.

Now you can make a case that the first one, Jehoiachin, didn't actually get all the way to Babylon. Though he was arrested and though he was chained and though he was brought. Some argued that he died along the way, but he was still planned to go to Babylon. And here's the thing that I was thinking about. Out of all the three, why was this undeserved kindness granted to the middle one?

Why not the first? Why not Zedekiah? I'm meditating. I'm thinking. I'm comparing.

Then it hits me. Jehoiachin did something that the first and the last king did not do. Can I show it to you? Go to second Kings 24 verse 12. And Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself and his mother and his servants and his officials and his palace officials.

The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign. You see it? The first king, Jehoiakim, did not give himself up. Zedekiah tried to escape the Chaldeans and they paid a price for it. The main difference, though each of them a rebel in their own way, is that the middle king surrendered.

He surrendered, which was in alignment with God's will. Surrender to Babylon. Stop resisting. Stop thinking and believing the lies that you're gonna be rescued from this agent of judgment. Let's put all this together.

Do you want God to rewrite your story? Are you sick and tired of sin? Are are you are you deflated yet? Because the trajectory of your life is disaster. It has been, and it looks like that's where you're going.

You have to give up. You have to give up. You have to surrender. That's the only way God can rewrite the story. You can't hold on to your pride.

You can't hold on to your stubbornness. You can't hold on to your lust. You can't hold on to that person that God told you so many times to get rid of. You can't hold on to that occupation that you know dishonors the name of Jesus Christ. You can't hold on to anything God says give up and expect God to rewrite your story.

It'll never happen. Only when you completely surrender do you have the possibility of God changing the script of your life. So it's really up to you. And that's one of the last messages. In fact, you can say it's the very last message of second Kings.

Give up. Give up not because you're just told to and there's no promise on the other side, because there is so much promise. You gotta imagine, that's what the people reading this originally and for all time were supposed to were supposed to put together. Why Jehoiachin? Because he gave up.

And look at how God was kind to him. He even used an enemy to be kind to him. What about Zedekiah? Most likely died in Babylon a blind man. What about Jehoiakim?

He died a donkey's death and had received a donkey's burial according to Jeremiah. So here's how we're ending second Kings. Do you have anything you need to give up? Have you been here since second Kings one and you're still holding on to that sin, and you haven't learned a thing about these kings and what happens when you live in disobedience? Have you not been moved once by God's incredible mercy from one scenario to the next?

One administration after the other. If your heart is not moved by what we see here in these final verses, god help you. This is unbelievable. And the same god who did this for this king is the same god who can do it for you, but you have to surrender. How do I know if I surrendered?

You know. No. I don't know. Okay. Let me help you.

Do some inventory. Examine your own life. Actually, ask these questions. If God were to ask me to get rid of this, would I be able to let go of it? Go every over every compartment of your existence.

Everything. Believer, even your ministry, even good things. And have an honest conversation with your own heart. If God tells me to give this up, am I willing to give it up? If you can't, ding, ding, ding.

My friend, you have identified an idol. But if you can say, Lord, all that I am and all that I have is yours, Lord, if there's anything that I'm blinded to, if there's anything that I'm not aware of, if you were to highlight to me and tell me I need to repent of it, I will repent of it. That's how you know you have given up to the lordship of Jesus Christ. And you are promised way more than whatever your little plan, your little blueprint promised you. Oh, I I I wanna just say it one more time.

Let tonight really be the turning point as you see this gracious example provided to you and me to surrender truly and completely. Lord, we thank you for second Kings. What an amazing book. As dark as it has been, it ends with life. And, Lord, if there's one person in this place who's clinging to death because they're deceived or they're afraid or or or whatever the reason may be, we ask, Lord, that you would use these truths to shatter any of those shackles and that they would know true freedom.

Thank you that you are a God filled with hope. Thank you that no matter what kind of a mess that we've made of our lives, like Jehoiachin, you can change it all. You can do a miracle with our mess. And, lord, we believe that you are the same god that we are studying and we have been studying week after week. Lord, may our hearts come alive in thanksgiving for how you've spoken to us through first and second Kings.

May you receive all the glory, oh, lord, in how we apply these truths and share them with others so that they too may surrender to the kingship of Jesus Christ. You are our all in all, and, lord, we, in a fresh way, tell you we give up. We give up. Have everything. You are worthy of it.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen and amen. If you need to stay seated, you stay seated. If you wanna stand, you can stand. But let's wholeheartedly worship the Lord.

The study is not over yet, but let's just take this moment to engage with God directly before we do what we're planning to do next. So however you are comfortable, as long as you're not distracting, just engage with these truths and seek God and pour out your heart to him. He is here. He he is hearing us. Praise him.

Come on up. Thank you.