1. Divided Kingdom II; Judah Alone Lesson 22
Jeremiah and the Fall of Jerusalem
(2 Kings 24-25; 2 Chron. 36; Jeremiah (various))

2. 586 B.C.; Judah falls, Jerusalem destroyed
Jeremiah – Daniel – Ezekiel: Timeline (B.C.)
640
536
586
593
605
571
627
Jeremiah
Daniel
Ezekiel
Reminder that during this time frame that Jeremiah is prophesying in Jerusalem, Daniel is in Babylon, and Ezekiel is with the captives.
586 B.C.; Judah falls, Jerusalem destroyed

3. The Fall of Jerusalem
(2 Kings 24:20b-25:21; 2 Chron. 36:13-21)
Zedekiah served Nebuchadnezzar for 9 years and then rebelled. Soon the Babylonians were laying siege to Jerusalem. This was the 9th year & 10th month of his reign.
In Babylon, Ezekiel was informed by Jehovah that the army of Babylon was drawing near to Jerusalem.

4. The Fall of Jerusalem
(2 Kings 24:20b-25:21; 2 Chron. 36:13-21)
“Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Son of man, write down the name of the day, this very day--the king of Babylon started his siege against Jerusalem this very day” (Ezek. 24:1-2)

5. Jeremiah & The Fall of Jerusalem
(2 Kings 24:20b-25:21; 2 Chron. 36:13-21)
During the siege, Jeremiah continues to convey the message from God…
“He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out and defects to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be as a prize to him. For I have set My face against this city for adversity and not for good," says the Lord. "It shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire." (Jer. 21:9-10)

6. Jeremiah & The Fall of Jerusalem
(2 Kings 24:20b-25:21; 2 Chron. 36:13-21)
Zedekiah had hopes of getting help from God…
“Perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all His wonderful works, that the king may go away from us." (Jer. 21:2)
But God had other plans. (Jer. 21:3-10)

7. Nebuchadnezzar sets out again against Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar raised the siege of Jerusalem long enough to repulse a effort by Egypt to support Jerusalem (Jer. 37:5)
Late 598 B.C.
Nebuchadnezzar sets out again against Jerusalem

8. Jeremiah & The Fall of Jerusalem
(2 Kings 24:20b-25:21; 2 Chron. 36:13-21)
Egypt comes to fight the Chaldeans and this gives the people a glimmer of hope as the Chaldeans pulled away. But Jeremiah tells them that the Chaldeans will return and burn the city. Even if the entire army of the Chaldeans was smitten and all that was left were wounded me, they would get up out of their tents and burn the city. (Jer. 37:6-10)
“And the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire” (Jer. 37:8)

9. Jeremiah & The Fall of Jerusalem
(2 Kings 24:20b-25:21; 2 Chron. 36:13-21)
God tells Zedekiah that he would see Nebuchadnezzar’s eyes with his own eyes & speak to him face to face. He would be taken to Babylon where he would die in peace. (Jer. 32:4; 34:1-7)
About this same time, God tells Ezekial in Babylon that the prince of Jerusalem (Zedekiah) would be brought to Babylon but he would not see Babylon (Ezek. 12:13)

10. Jeremiah in the Dungeon
Jeremiah has been warning the people in the city to surrender and live.
"Thus says the Lord: 'He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes over to the Chaldeans shall live; his life shall be as a prize to him, and he shall live.' Thus says the Lord: 'This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it.‘ (38:2-3)

11. Jeremiah in the Dungeon
The princes of the city did not like it and asked Zedekiah if they could put him to death. Zedekiah tells them that “he is in your hand.”
They throw him into the dungeon of Malchiah. There was no water, but there was a mire in the bottom. Jeremiah sinks into the mire.

12. Jeremiah in the Dungeon
Ebed-Melech, a eunuch in the king’s house, goes to Zedekiah and tells him that Jeremiah will die because there is no food in the dungeon.
Zedekiah commands Ebed-Melech to take 30 men and to lift Jeremiah out of the dungeon.

13. Jeremiah in the Dungeon
Ebed-Melech takes old clothes & rags from the house of the treasury and let them down by ropes to Jeremiah. He told Jeremiah to put the old clothes & rags under his arm pits. They lift Jeremiah out of the dungeon. He remains in the court of the prison.

14. The siege continues…
(Jeremiah 38:14-28)
Zedekiah speaks to Jeremiah in a secret conversation and ask him to hide nothing from him. Jeremiah urges him to surrender to the king of Babylon.
“Please, obey the voice of the LORD which I speak to you. So it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live” (38:20)
Zedekiah refuses, again, to listen to Jeremiah and the warnings from God.

15. The walls are breached…
(2 Kings 25:3-4; Jeremiah 39:2-4)
The Babylonians breach the wall (9th day, 4th month, 11th year of Zedekiah). The princes of Babylon come and sit at the middle gate. Rather than surrendering to the Chaldeans as Jeremiah had warned, Zedekiah flees from them.

16. Zedekiah flees…
(2 Kings 25:5-7; Jeremiah 39:5-7)
The Chaldeans pursue them and overtake them in the plains of Jericho. They are taken back to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah where their sentence is passed upon them:

17. Riblah; Nebuchadnezzar’s headquarters
Jerusalem

18. Zedekiah flees…
(2 Kings 25:5-7; Jeremiah 39:5-7)
The Chaldeans pursue them and overtake them in the plains of Jericho. They are taken back to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah where their sentence is passed upon them:
He kills Zedekiah’s sons while he watches.
He puts out Zedekiah’s eyes.
He was bound in fetters and taken to Babylon (approximately 700 miles away).

19. Jerusalem is destroyed
(2 Kings 25:5-7; Jeremiah 39:5-7)
They burned the king’s house, the houses of the people, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.
Many people were killed. Many taken away captive.
All the vessels of the temple, of the king, and of the princes were carried to Babylon.

20. Jeremiah laments over Jerusalem
(2 Kings 25:5-7; Jeremiah 39:5-7)
Jeremiah writes about it in Lamentations (1:1-2a)
“How lonely sits the city That was full of people! How like a widow is she, Who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces Has become a slave! She weeps bitterly in the night, Her tears are on her cheeks;”

21. Jeremiah’s decision
(2 Kings 25:5-7; Jeremiah 39:5-7)
Nebuchadnezzar commands that no harm comes to Jeremiah. Jeremiah is placed in the care of Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard.
He was given the option to go to Babylon or stay in Judah. He decided to stay.

22. Till there was no remedy…
(2 Chron. 36:15-21)
His messengers mocked, His words despised, His prophets scoffed…“until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy” (2 Chron. 36:16)
The city has fallen. There is no more Judah.

23. Gedaliah Appointed Governor
(2 Kings 25:22-26; Jeremiah 40:5-44:30)
Gedaliah, grandson of Shaphan, was appointed governor by Nebuchadnezzar to govern the people remaining in the land. He set up his headquarters in Mizpah.
Those Jews that had fled and where hiding in the fields and among other nations came back when they heard the Gedaliah had been appointed Governor.
He tells them to “serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”

24. Gedaliah Appointed Governor
(2 Kings 25:22-26; Jeremiah 40:5-44:30)
Baalis, king of Ammon, sends Ishmael to kill Gedaliah. Johanan goes to Gedaliah privately and begs him to let him kill Ishmael, but Gedaliah refuses to believe him.
Within 2 months of being appointed governor, Ishmael rises up and kills Gedaliah. He also kills 70 men on their way to worship. He fills a pit with the slain. He takes captives and heads back to Ammon.

25. Gedaliah Appointed Governor
(2 Kings 25:22-26; Jeremiah 40:5-44:30)
Johanan hears what was happening and gathers men together to fight against Ishmael. He recovered the captives but failed to catch Ishmael.
Johanan, his men, and the captives move to a place near Bethlehem getting ready to flee to Egypt. They were afraid the Chaldeans would come and take revenge for the death of the governor that they had appointed.

26. Gedaliah Appointed Governor
(2 Kings 25:22-26; Jeremiah 40:5-44:30)
All the captains came to Jeremiah to inquire of the LORD for them. They would do whatever the LORD instructed them to do.
God instructs them to stay in the land. (Jer. 42:10-17).
'If you will still remain in this land, then I will build you and not pull you down, and I will plant you and not pluck you up. For I relent concerning the disaster that I have brought upon you…”

27. Gedaliah Appointed Governor
(2 Kings 25:22-26; Jeremiah 40:5-44:30)
When the people heard this, they said, “No!” We will go to the land of Egypt!”
Once again, its what the people want rather than what God wanted.

28. Lessons God sets before man the way of life and the way of death
(Jer. 21:8-10); Deut. 30:15, 19; Mt. 6:24; 7:13-14
Be doers of God’s word and not “sayers” only
(Jer. 42:3-6; 43:2-3); James 1:22
Salvation comes through trusting in God
(Jer. 39:16-18); Prov. 3:5-6
The names Hosea, Joshua, and Jesus are all derived from the same Hebrew root word. The word “hoshea” means salvation but Joshua & Jesus include an additional idea: “Yahweh is Salvation”. As God’s messenger, Hosea offers the possibility of salvation if only the nation will turn from idolatry back to God.