Lamentation for the Princes of Israel - Ezekiel 19

Ezekiel 19:2 "And say, what is thy mother? A lioness; she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions. v3 And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men."

This lamentation is concerning two kings who reigned in the latter years of the kingdom. They were both sons of Josiah (who was a good king). The first Johahaz reigned but for a short time and was taken away by the Pharaoh of Egypt. Eliakim was put in his place and his name changed to Jehoiakim by Pharaoh.

v4 "The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt."

Eliakim became king and did as other kings and fought wars, etc.

v8 "Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit."

The scepter is the symbol of power. It tells us here that the 'mother' had many who could hold the scepter and that there were strong rods for the scepters. But then even the mother was destroyed.

v12 "But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit; her strong rods were broken and withered, the fire consumed them."

The first verse tells us who the mother was: Israel. In one place, when the enemy was confronting Israel (when they were coming into the kingdom), someone said they all have the face of a king.

v1 "Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,"

Read also II kings 23:34 and surrounding verses.

Valley

Isaiah 22:5 "For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains."

During the time Hezekiah, a great army came up against Jerusalem to take it. Hezekiah had shown the great treasure they held, to them already. Shebna was the treasurer and secretary to Hezekiah. In part, this chapter is about Shebna loosing his post.

v8 "And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armor of the house of the forest." See I Kings 7:2

There is a lot of emotion in this chapter. It seems the prophet is broken hearted by the message he must deliver.

v13 "And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine; let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die."

This was apparently the attitude of the people for it was called iniquity in verse 14: "And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts."

Also Ezek 24:13 I Samuel 3:14

In Isaiah, the scripture often tells of the things that are to happen in the near future, i.e. the captivity, but also refers to distant events (for those of that day) i.e. the coming of Christ and the redemption of Israel.

v17 "Behold the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee." Referring to Shebna.

Shebna was replaced by the Lord with Eliakim, telling Shebna that the place he had established for himself would be taken away and that he would not even get to use the grave he had dug for himself.

v16 "What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulcher here, as he that heweth him out a sepulcher on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?"

You could say that Shebna was a bureaucrat who like so many in our day are in government. Elected officials may come and go but they are there and are part of the establishment. In Shebna's case he had built himself a little kingdom of his own in the big kingdom of Judah.

Eliakim replaced Shebna and his projected attitude toward his job is revealed in this verse. Also there are hints of the mystery of Christ in the balance of the chapter. We can see those hints now but they were a great mystery when Isaiah was written.

v21 "And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the hosue of Judah."

Those who held office were not placed there to profit themselves but were suppose to be servants for the people.

Johoahaz & Eliakim(johoiakim) II Chronicles 36

II Chronicles 36:1 "Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem. v2 Johoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem."

These are fast moving events, Johoahaz was taken prisoner by the king of Egypt after only three months. He installed the brother of Jehozhaz as king and changed his name to Jehoiakim. So it depends on whose history you read what the kings name will show up as. It is much like those taken in captivity where their names were changed, probably to take away their Hebrew distinction, perhaps to nationalize them.

v5 "Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. "

Nebuchadnezczar came on the scene then. He took Jehoiakim and bound him and carried him away to Babylon. Then came Jehoiachin was made king.

v9 "Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD."

We are seeing the greatness of Israel and Judah disappear. They are easily invaded by other nations and the kingships are short and unproductive. It is what God told them would happen if they turned away from Him. There was another king who reigned. His name was Zedekiah in v11 who reigned 11 years. Jeremiah was sent to him but he did not humble himself.

v16 "But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy."

The Chaldees invaded and killed many. The vessels of the house of God were taken. Those who escaped the sword were carried away to Babylon.

The land is left untended for for its sabbaths. It was 70 years.

v21 "To fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths; for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years."

Jeremiah 2:13 "For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."

We have largely looked at the events that took place under all the various kings of Judah here in Chronicles and Israel in the Kings. In the books of the prophets, we see the seemingly endless warnings given by God to his people to turn from evil and honor Him. In the prophets we can see words that show the disappointment and heartbreak of the LORD over his chosen people's sin.

Jeremiah 25:9 "Behold I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations."

Next we have king Cyrus, king of Persia who has been told to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem and ask for those willing to go up to Jerusalem to do the work. We are going into the book of Ezra next.

v23 "Thus saith Cyrus, king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah, Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up." See Daniel 2:21

Psalm 42:1 "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God."

The last kings and fall of the nation Judah.