Judah’s End

In Sunday School, we are at the end of II Kings which tells of the fall of the southern kingdom of Israel – Judah.  Looking at her last years and God’s comments made me think of our country.

II Kings 18:1-4, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done. He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; 

in his seventh year – 18:11, Then the king of Assyria carried Israel away captive to Assyria…
13 And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.

II Kings 19:1, And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.  35 And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand

Then Hezekiah nearly died, but God answered his prayer.  20:6, And I will add to your days fifteen years.

Hezekiah’s son became king. 
II Kings 21:1-6, Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; he raised up altars for Baal, and made a wooden image, as Ahab king of Israel had done; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 He also built altars in the house of the Lord…
6 Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft…

Because of Manasseh:
21:12, Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah.”
16, Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem [Jewish history says that Manasseh cut the prophet Isaiah in two. 24:3-4, because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the Lord would not pardon.]

Son Amon was made king.
II Kings 21:20, He did evil in the sight of the Lord as his father Manasseh had done.

II Kings 22:1-2, Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years… And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 

11 Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes.
19 because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, 

II Kings 23:16, As Josiah turned, he saw the tombs that were there on the mountain. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them.

Josiah’s son, Jehoahaz, was made king – 23:32, And he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 

Another son, Jehoiakim, was made king and did evil, 23:37.

A grandson was made king and did evil, 24:9.

A third son, Zedekiah, was the last king and also did evil, 24:19.

The last kings were all bad. God withdrew His protection and brought in enemies who destroyed the city and took the people captive.

A prophet of God left in the country after its fall had this message from God: Jeremiah 2:1-3, Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord:  “I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothal, when you went after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holiness to the Lord,

5-7, Thus says the Lord: “What injustice have your fathers found in Me, that they have gone far from Me, have followed idols, and have become idolaters.  Neither did they say, ‘Where is the Lord, Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt’…I brought you into a bountiful country,”

WOW!