The Chronicler describes in great detail the Passover and the prominent part played by the Levites in its rites. Can you imagine such a holy day celebrated by the whole community, secular and religious, with 100% participation? Josiah meets his death when he offers military opposition to Pharaoh Neco at the pass of Megiddo. How is the Chronicler going to justify defeat and death of the ideal young king? According to his orthodox dogma of retribution Josiah must have sinned. The Chronicler explains that the sin is to ignore a divine oracle which forbade Josiah to oppose the pharaoh in battle. Jehoahaz(Shallum), a younger son of Josiah, is crowned by the people of the land. Neco disposes of him after three months to set up his brother Jehoiakim(Eliakim) as king while demanding a large tribute. Nebuchadnezzar defeats Neco, and soon after, he succeeds to the Babylonian throne. He lays seize to Jerusalem during which time Jehoiakim dies, probably by assassination. The new king, Jehoiachin(Jeconiah), is surely not eight years old since he has wives and children. Jehoiachin, in protest to the siege of Jerusalem, is deported with his family to Babylon. Zedekiah, his uncle, the final king of Judah, in his ascent to power, refuses to heed the words of Jeremiah the prophet. The wrath of the Lord rises against his people in the form of further exiles to Babylon and destruction of the temple. This deportation will last until the completion of the second temple over 20 years later. The last few verses of 2 Chronicles have been added from Ezra. Thus, it ends on a hopeful note. The hope for us, as for these ancient people, is that when the temples of our lives are destroyed we know that they were but physical structures, visible signs, of an invisible Presence of Grace in our lives.
The Chronicler describes in great detail the Passover and the prominent part played by the Levites in its rites. Can you imagine such a holy day celebrated by the whole community, secular and religious, with 100% participation? Josiah meets his death when he offers military opposition to Pharaoh Neco at the pass of Megiddo. How is the Chronicler going to justify defeat and death of the ideal young king? According to his orthodox dogma of retribution Josiah must have sinned. The Chronicler explains that the sin is to ignore a divine oracle which forbade Josiah to oppose the pharaoh in battle. Jehoahaz(Shallum), a younger son of Josiah, is crowned by the people of the land. Neco disposes of him after three months to set up his brother Jehoiakim(Eliakim) as king while demanding a large tribute. Nebuchadnezzar defeats Neco, and soon after, he succeeds to the Babylonian throne. He lays seize to Jerusalem during which time Jehoiakim dies, probably by assassination. The new king, Jehoiachin(Jeconiah), is surely not eight years old since he has wives and children. Jehoiachin, in protest to the siege of Jerusalem, is deported with his family to Babylon. Zedekiah, his uncle, the final king of Judah, in his ascent to power, refuses to heed the words of Jeremiah the prophet. The wrath of the Lord rises against his people in the form of further exiles to Babylon and destruction of the temple. This deportation will last until the completion of the second temple over 20 years later. The last few verses of 2 Chronicles have been added from Ezra. Thus, it ends on a hopeful note. The hope for us, as for these ancient people, is that when the temples of our lives are destroyed we know that they were but physical structures, visible signs, of an invisible Presence of Grace in our lives.
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