2Ki 24:18 | KingComments | STEP | Nebuchadnezzar made Mattaniah, a son of Josiah, king instead of Jehoiachin, whom he had carried away to Babylon. He gave Mattaniah another name calling him Zedekiah. Zedekiah means ‘my righteousness is Yahweh’. He acted in complete conflict with that name in his actions, for he brought the iniquity of Jerusalem to a climax. As for the righteousness of Yahweh, we see that He acted with Zedekiah in accordance with that name. Because of Zedekiah, the judgment on Israel was an expression of the LORD’s righteousness. Although he could have been warned by what happened to his three predecessors, he continued to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD, following Jehoiakim. Zedekiah was a weakling. He listened to what seemed reasonable to him (cf. ). He did not listen to the warnings of the LORD by his prophets. There was no faith in him. In his stupidity he rebelled against the king of Babylon and broke the oath he had sworn. Therefore he would perish ( ). He resorted to Egypt to cast off the yoke of Babylon, thinking he would not become a servant of Egypt. He did not know history; he was blind to it. A man without God is so stupid!

‏ 2 Kings 24:18

Zedekiah King of Judah

Nebuchadnezzar made Mattaniah, a son of Josiah, king instead of Jehoiachin, whom he had carried away to Babylon. He gave Mattaniah another name calling him Zedekiah. Zedekiah means ‘my righteousness is Yahweh’. He acted in complete conflict with that name in his actions, for he brought the iniquity of Jerusalem to a climax. As for the righteousness of Yahweh, we see that He acted with Zedekiah in accordance with that name. Because of Zedekiah, the judgment on Israel was an expression of the LORD’s righteousness.

Although he could have been warned by what happened to his three predecessors, he continued to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD, following Jehoiakim. Zedekiah was a weakling. He listened to what seemed reasonable to him (cf. Jer 38:4-6). He did not listen to the warnings of the LORD by his prophets. There was no faith in him.

In his stupidity he rebelled against the king of Babylon and broke the oath he had sworn. Therefore he would perish (Eze 17:15). He resorted to Egypt to cast off the yoke of Babylon, thinking he would not become a servant of Egypt. He did not know history; he was blind to it. A man without God is so stupid!