Nebuchadnezzar Attacks And Jerusalem is Destroyed

II Chronicles 36:11–23
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At the death of Josiah, his son Jehoahaz was crowned king (v. 1) He was 23 years old at the time and only ruled three months (v. 2). He was captured by King Neco from Egypt, who forced Judah to pay 3.4 tons of silver and 34 kilograms of gold as taxes (v. 3). Neco made Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king of Judah and changed his name to Jehoiakim (v. 4). Jehoahaz was sent to Egypt as a prisoner.

Jehoiakim was 25 years old when he was appointed king and he ruled 11 years from Jerusalem (v. 5). Jehoiakim disobeyed the Lord and was an evil King. During Jehoiakim’s rule, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia invaded Judah, arrested him and put him in chains, and then sent him to the capital city of Babylon (v. 6). Nebuchadnezzar carried off many of the things in the Lord’s temple and put them in his palace in Babylon (v. 7). All of the disgusting and evil things Jehoiakim did are written in the book of 1^st and 2^nd Kings (v. 8). His son Jehoiachin then became King.

Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king of Judah and he ruled only 3 months and 10 days from Jerusalem (v. 9). He also disobeyed the Lord by doing evil (v. 10). King Nebuchadnezzar had Jehoiachinarrested and taken to Babylon with many valuable items in the temple.

Application

I never like to see things destroyed that the Lord has made. However, it may be God’s way of purifying things just as he did with the flood in Noah’s day. He will never destroy my salvation.