2Ch 36:14 | KingComments | STEP | Then Zedekiah becomes king of Judah ( ; ; ). Zedekiah means ‘the LORD is my righteousness’. Zedekiah does not honor his name, for he tramples on the righteousness of the LORD. As a result he shall experience that righteousness personally. He is the last king of Judah. Zedekiah is a weak figure and an evil man. He also “did evil in the sight of the LORD his God” ( ). He does not humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah. This can be said, because Jeremiah speaks “for the LORD”, literally, “out of the mouth of the LORD” (cf. ). Zedekiah does let him come, but does not listen to his words. That he ignores the word of Jeremiah means that he lives in rebellion against God. The result is that he rebels against Nebuchadnezzar, breaking the oath that Nebuchadnezzar made him swear ( ; ). As a result, something is said of him that is not said of anyone else. It is said of him that he both stiffened his neck and hardened his heart. Such a combination appears only here in Scripture. He has a stubborn neck and a toughened heart. By deliberately hardening his own heart, he deprives himself of the chance of repentance. Wickedness is not limited to Zedekiah. It is ‘so king, so people’. All the leaders of the priests and the people were very unfaithful ( ; Ezekiel 8-11). They join in the abominations of the nations and defile the house which the LORD has sanctified for Himself in Jerusalem. They transgress in all things that the LORD has abhorred. They take over the whole form of life of the nations. We see in this end time of Judah a striking picture of the end time of professing Christianity in which we live. Christians increasingly live in a way that resembles that of people who live without God. The last days are characterized by loving oneself and loving pleasure more than God ( ).

‏ 2 Chronicles 36:14

Zedekiah King of Judah

Then Zedekiah becomes king of Judah (2Chr 36:11; 2Kgs 24:18-20; Jer 37:1). Zedekiah means ‘the LORD is my righteousness’. Zedekiah does not honor his name, for he tramples on the righteousness of the LORD. As a result he shall experience that righteousness personally. He is the last king of Judah.

Zedekiah is a weak figure and an evil man. He also “did evil in the sight of the LORD his God” (2Chr 36:12). He does not humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah. This can be said, because Jeremiah speaks “for the LORD”, literally, “out of the mouth of the LORD” (cf. Jer 1:6-9 ; Jer 37:2). Zedekiah does let him come, but does not listen to his words.

That he ignores the word of Jeremiah means that he lives in rebellion against God. The result is that he rebels against Nebuchadnezzar, breaking the oath that Nebuchadnezzar made him swear (2Chr 36:13; Eze 17:13-19). As a result, something is said of him that is not said of anyone else. It is said of him that he both stiffened his neck and hardened his heart. Such a combination appears only here in Scripture. He has a stubborn neck and a toughened heart. By deliberately hardening his own heart, he deprives himself of the chance of repentance.

Wickedness is not limited to Zedekiah. It is ‘so king, so people’. All the leaders of the priests and the people were very unfaithful (2Chr 36:14; Ezekiel 8-11). They join in the abominations of the nations and defile the house which the LORD has sanctified for Himself in Jerusalem. They transgress in all things that the LORD has abhorred. They take over the whole form of life of the nations.

We see in this end time of Judah a striking picture of the end time of professing Christianity in which we live. Christians increasingly live in a way that resembles that of people who live without God. The last days are characterized by loving oneself and loving pleasure more than God (2Tim 3:1-5).