Then the city was broken through (2 Kings 25 note)

 

2 Kings 25

Key Verses  3 By the the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. 4 Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city.

1.      [1-7] How long did Nebuchadnezzar siege Jerusalem (1-3; Jer 39:1-4)? How did it end (3-4)? How was King Zedekiah captured and treated (5-7)? Why?

So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siegeworks all around it. 2 The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 3 By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat.

The Siege lasted total of 18 mon [ 10^th day 10^th month(Jan) of 9^th yr (588 bc) to 9^th day of 4^th month 11^th year of Zedekiah (586 bc)]  During this time,  The people of the city were totally cut off from the outside and there was no food left for them.  So long resistance was owing, not to the superior skill and valor of the Jewish soldiers, but to the strength of the city fortifications, on which the king too confidently relied, (cf. Jer. 21; 37; 38) pitched against it; and … built forts—rather, perhaps, drew lines of circumvallation, with a ditch to prevent any going out of the city. –their confidence in what they had: fortified city. This was a clear misplacement of their confidence, not in the Lord but in what they had established. (Jer 21:13 I am against you, Jerusalem, you who live above this valley on the rocky plateau, declares the LORD-- you who say, "Who can come against us? Who can enter our refuge?" –the message given to Zedekiah; Jer 36:6 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet: 7 “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of me, ‘Pharaoh’s army, which has marched out to support you, will go back to its own land, to Egypt. 8 Then the Babylonians will return and attack this city; they will capture it and burn it down.’ –this word was given to Jehoiakim: God gave him an opportunity to come in repentance and if he would do so, God would relinquish his decision to destroy Judah. But Jehoiakim did not. He stood firm in his pride and obstinate arrogance.

Jer 37: 17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live. 18 But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians and they will burn it down; you yourself will not escape from them.’ ”—This was a repetition of the message given in ch 21:13.)

Zedekiah vacillated between the desires and understanding of his staff and the word was given through Jeremiah.  Eventually, he sat on indecision and fell to the trap of unbelief and its tragic outcome. (Jer 38:14-17)

They were defeated by the thing that they had built their confidence in. The way that God led them to defeat—‘siege’ which was used by King Nebuchadnezzar. This seems to indicate that the siege was God intended.

This siege depleted all the resources of all that they conjured up.  At the end of the siege, they had nothing but their lives. They were to determine to surrender or to make an attempt of a method of life and death. They chose the latter, still refusing to believe the word delivered through Jeremiah: if they would surrender to Nebuchadnezzar they would live.

What was the purpose of God’s rendering these people to such helpless conditions? How can the Lord bring the change of their heart to the Lord by faith? God gave the word to Daniel:

Dan 12:6b “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?” 7 The man clothed in linen, .., saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.

4 Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole the army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city. 5 but the Babylonian army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. was captured, taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where a sentence was pronounced on him.

All that escaped were captured including Zedekiah: there is a sense of justice—‘sentencing’; though it was delivered by King Nebuchadnezzar, actually it was God who delivered His justice to the one who disobeyed.  The punishment of unbelief and disobedience was too costly;

7 They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.

Killing two sons and blinding his eyes give a message to him that though he was the holder/inheritor of the dynasty of God’s chosen people, he and any of his descendants shall not sit on the throne.  Other Assyrian sources mention the blinding of one eye of prisoners of war, in order that they could still be used as a workforce but would have been rendered incapacitated in war. (BBC) – in other words, blinding of his two eyes was a measure to offset or to cure his rebellion. The last king of Judah was utterly humiliated, by plugging out his two eyes; which spoiled his spiritual discernment and by decimating his children that no one of his descendants could inherit the kingdom. The gave him ample opportunity to turn his heart. He took God’s warning lightly and suffered ‘utter punishment’

What does this tell us? When God gives warnings, we must turn our hearts positively and decidedly. We must not linger in between the wisdom/knowledge from the people of the world and the word of truth from our Lord.

2.      [8-17; Jer 39:8-10] When and what did Nebuzaradan do to the temple, city Jerusalem, and its people (8-12; Jer 39:9)? What articles of the temple were taken to Babylon (13-17)?

a.      8 On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. 10 The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem.

                                             i.      The temple fell a week after the breakthrough (7th or 10th Ab. c. 5 August, 587) and the whole city fell about a month later.

                                           ii.      More attention is paid to the temple than to the city: Here describes thorough destruction of the temple and removal of all the articles of the holy places. : Zedekiah and many of his followers had a doubt on the message delivered by Jeremiah: that doubt was rooted in the understanding that the temple was the house of the Lord and He would not let His temple be invaded by pagan forces and all the more so, He would not let His temple be destroyed where He put His name on by an evil king. This was a failure to accept God’s word given in Lev 26: 31 “I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings.”
This was an expression of their unbelief in God and His Word and as a replacement, they held on what they had, the temple and its rituals.

                                          iii.      Here we see ‘failure to repent (unwillingness to accept their sin) à pride in what they had (the temple and its rituals): God had no choice but to destroy the false foundation of their righteousness.
We saw similar findings in the leaders of Israel during the time of Jesus. (Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves because they had not been baptized by John. NIV)

13 The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands, and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the LORD and they carried the bronze to Babylon. 14 They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes, and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. 15 The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—all that were made of pure gold or silver. 16 The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the LORD, was more than could be weighed. 17 Each pillar was eighteen cubits high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was three cubits high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar.  (see also Jer 52:17-23)

All valuable things of the temple and palace were taken down to be transported to Babylon. This was the second deportation of the treasures from the temple after 24:13. This rendered the temple and its worship meaningless. Also, it’s likely that during this time, Israel lost the trace or the fate of the tabernacle or of the ark.

3.      [18-21; Jer 39:5-7] Whom did the commander of the guard take to Riblah (18-20)? There, what did King Nebuchadnezzar do to them (21)? 

18 The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers. 19 Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men and five royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was the chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of the conscripts who were found in the city. 20 Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21 There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.

These were the ones who stood firm in resistance against Babylon. –is it similar to what happened to Israel?  All these were executed.

Jer 39:9 Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people.;
2 King 25:11 Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon. 12 But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

But all the others who were not involved directly with the king were taken as captives to Babylon. This is the fulfillment of what God said to Jeremiah

Jer 24: 4 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 5 "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians.1 6 My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. 7 I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. 8 "' But like the bad figs, which are so bad they cannot be eaten,' says the LORD, 'so will I deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the survivors from Jerusalem, whether they remain in this land or live in Egypt. 9 I will make them abhorrent and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a reproach and a byword, a curse1 and an object of ridicule, wherever I banish them. 10 I will send the sword, famine, and plague against them until they are destroyed from the land I gave to them and their ancestors. (Jer 24:1 NIV)

4.      [22-26] When Nebuchadnezzar appoint Gedaliah as the governor, who came to him (23)? What did he tell them (24)?  Who killed him (25)? Why? Then what did they have to do (26)?

23 When all the army officers and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maakathite, and their men. 24 Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.”

a.      Gedaliah was Jeremiah’s friend (Jer. 26:24). He probably fled from the city and surrendered himself to the conqueror (Jer. 38:2, 17). Many of the fugitive Jews, as well as the soldiers of Zedekiah who had accompanied the king in his flight to the plains of Jericho, left their retreats (Jer. 40:11, 12), and flocked around the governor, who, having counseled them to submit, promised them, on complying with this condition, security on oath, that they would retain their possessions and enjoy the produce of their land (Jer. 40:9).

b.      Gedaliah assured them and their men of their safety as he accepted the message of God through Jeremiah. “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.” He did this by making an oath in order to assure them of their security.

c.       This was a reinforcement of what God had said repeatedly. But in the seventh month (prob, the same year of the fall of Jerusalem, 4^th month 586/587), Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.

Jer 40:13 Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.

He was incited by Baalis the king of Ammonites. Though Gedaliah gave his trust to this man, he went ahead and assassinated him at Mizpah.   This is an expression of a self-righteous act in its full force.

For these people, their lives, and their pride were of the utmost importance for which they would do anything. Their hearts were open wide to those who would boost their pride and their wellbeing as shown through Ishmael and his men. Such mind is squarely against God’s will and they won’t survive in God’s blessing.

They had no choice but to escape to Egypt.

5.      [27-30] When was Jehoiachin released from prison (27)? How was he treated by the Babylonian king? Discuss how Jehoiachin’s life reflect God’s purpose and hope for Judah.

27 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. 28 He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table. 30 Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.

a.      The thirty-seventh year of Jehoiachin’s exile was 560 B.C. Evil-Merodach (Babylonian, Amel- Marduk, “the man of Marduk”) ruled Babylon from 562 to 560.

b.      Daniel went to exile in the third year of Jehoiakim (606-605 BC: at the age of 16?).  Evil-Merodach succeeded his father Nebuchadnezzar in October of 562 B.C. This means that what Daniel did with his father Nebuchadnezzar was well known to this king and Daniel was highly respected in the nation. It is not unlikely that Jehoiakim’s life in Babylon was much favored because of what God did on the kingdom through Daniel. In other words, God did what he promised to do, to protect and to prosper in the land where they were taken to exile( Babylon)

6.      Review these events in view of God’s word given to Jeremiah and discuss what God’s purpose was. 

First, God gave these kings repeated warnings and yet they stood on their pride and upheld their will above God’s word given through Jeremiah.

Second, they held up against Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar and they were all captured: those who joined in rebellion were all executed while the rest were taken to Babylon. It is reasonable to assume that they were far better off there than in Jerusalem or Egypt. This gives us a stern warning: when God’s grace is rejected, the outcome will be treacherous. God is the God of grace but his grace has its limit and boundary. We must have courage in our commitment to the Lord against all pressures from the people of the world.

Third, the worship in the temple and the pride in what they could do in the temple could not help them from God’s judgment on the evil things against the Lord/the law of God. The relationship with the Lord was the essence of what it means to be His people. This relationship could not be established by neglecting God’s word or disobeying His word. More often than not, our pride or our preference or our own wisdom overrides the word of the Lord and this is detrimental to His people. Be humble before His word!

The Lord thrust them from His presence (2 Kings 23-24 note )

 

2 Kings 23:31-24:20

Key verse 24:20 It was because of the LORD’S anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end, he thrust them from his presence.

Today’s passage covers the reign of the last four kings of the kingdom, Judah.  Their reigns bespeak of what it would be when God was not with them. This served them as a warning of coming exile and as a revelation of how God’s judgment would be actualized in their lives.

1.      [31-35] Find the facts of Jehoahaz’s reign (31-32). What did Pharaoh Necho do to Judah (33-34)?

31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for three months. Though he was the fourth son of Josiah, the people of the land took him and made him king. This seems to say that by the consensus of the leaders of the nation, he was chosen over the first three sons of Josiah. The reason for this selection by the people might be because Josiah was killed by Egyptian King Necho and though he was evil in the eyes of the Lord, the anti-Egyptian sentiments of the group prevailed among the leaders of the nation and have influenced this choice (AYBD). Soon Necho attacked the nation and took him away as a prisoner. He was imprisoned at Riblah, far north of Damascus. And he died there, ending three months of his reign. Also, he put a heavy levy on the nation. The burden for the nation was enormous. 

Here we are to think three things: first, the majority of the people or the leaders of the nation held a strong ant-sentiment against Egypt, esp. King Necho. Out of this came a choice of Jehoahaz though he was evil in the eyes of the Lord. They did not give their thought to what the will of God was. Instead, they chose for themselves or their purpose within the frame of their mind. It seems that their primary goal was how to get off of the oppression by Necho.

Necho did take Jehoahaz not because he had an intention to kill but that he might not reign in Jerusalem (v33).  Jehoahaz died, and the cause of his death was unmentioned (34b); most likely by natural death, though it is not certain, subtly suggesting that it was the Lord’s hand. Jeremiah gave them a message;

Jer 22:10 Do not weep for the dead king or mourn his loss; rather, weep bitterly for him who is exiled, because he will never return nor see his native land again. 11 For this is what the LORD says about Shallum son of Josiah, who succeeded his father as king of Judah but has gone from this place: “He will never return. 12 He will die in the place where they have led him captive; he will not see this land again.”—Shallum(Jehoahaz)

As we noted in the previous lessons, it was an honor to be buried in the city;

1 Kings 15:8 And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.

2 Kings 16:20 Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

2 Kings 20:21 Hezekiah rested with his ancestors. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king. 2 Chronicles 32:33 Hezekiah rested with his ancestors and was buried on the hill where the tombs of David's descendants are. 

2 Kings 21:18 Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son succeeded him as king. 2 Chronicles 33:20 Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.

2 Kings 21:26 He(Amon) was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza. And Josiah his son succeeded him as king. (2 Chr has no mention of his burial)

  2 Kings 22:20 Therefore I will gather you (Josiah) to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace.  2 Chronicles 35:24 So they took him out of his chariot, put him in his other chariot, and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his ancestors, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him.

 In the description of the burial site, the word “city of David” is missing after Ahaz. From Hezekiah, the phrase “the city of David’ changes to descriptions of burial place:

buried on the hill where the tombs of David's descendants are. (Hezekiah)

buried in his palace garden (Manasseh)

buried in the tombs of his ancestors (Josiah)

Amnon was an exception to this: he was buried in his tomb in the Garden of Uzza.

After Josiah, Jehoahaz came. About him, Jeremiah prophesied that he would be taken to a foreign land and he could not come back to the land (died in Egypt). 

This suggests that he was excluded from being buried in the land of God’s blessing, particularly in the city of David. Also, this serves as an ominous sign that the following kings, as well as the nation, would suffer a similar fate unless they would take drastic action in repentance.

How did Jehoiakim do then?

At the age of twenty-five years, he was made king of the nation by Necho. He had to tribute Egyptian King Necho hefty sum of gold and silver. To do so, he heavily taxed the land and exacted silver and gold from the people of the land.

  And he did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his predecessors had done.

What did it mean?                

Jeremiah 22: 13 "Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his own people work for nothing, not paying them for their labor. 14 He says, 'I will build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms.' So he makes large windows in it, panels it with cedar, and decorates it in red. 15 "Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. 16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the LORD. 17 "But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion."

18 Therefore this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: "They will not mourn for him: 'Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!' They will not mourn for him: 'Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!' 19 He will have the burial of a donkey-- dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem." (Jer 22:11 NIV)

As we have seen in this passage, the people of Judah had hope for Jehoahaz to come back. But Jeremiah warned that that hope would be in vain. An effort to be independent or to get off of the pressing hand of Necho was totally failed.

They were so disappointed in the death of Josiah and failed to see God’s will in it or failed to see the spirit of Josiah who willed to suffer and committed even to death in the battle, i.e., his trust in the righteousness of the Lord. Simply the king of the choice of the people lasted just three months.

Eliakim was the second son of Josiah, the older brother of Jehoahaz.  He was chosen, not by the people of the nation but by King Necho as the replacement of Jehoahaz at the age of twenty-five years old.  Nevertheless, his name was changed to Jehoiakim (‘YHWH establishes’).   But he did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his predecessors had done and reigned in Jerusalem eleven years.

Both sons of Josiah did evil in the eyes of the Lord just as his predecessors done: Josiah’s godly reign did not make any impact on these sons; instead, they were influenced by their predecessors—grandfather Ahaz, and  (m) ..

23: 25 Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.26 Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to arouse his anger. 27 So the LORD said, “I will remove Judah also from my presence as I removed Israel, and I will reject Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, ‘My Name shall be there.—shutting off of His favor or grace to these kings; they were forced to seek within the means and ways that they had—no choice but to suffer or only choices were: to be independent, to rely on Egypt or Babylon. None of them would give them peace or security of the kingdom

24: 5 As for the other events of Jehoiakim’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 6 Jehoiakim rested with his ancestors. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king. 7 The king of Egypt did not march out from his own country again, because the king of Babylon had taken all his territory, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Euphrates River.

Jehoiakim was the last king that suffered the attack from Egypt.

2.      [23:36-24:4] When did Jehoiakim rebel against Nebuchadnezzar (1)? What did the Lord do(2a) Why (2b-4; Ref. )?

a.      36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah. 37 And he did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his predecessors had done.
24:1 During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he turned against Nebuchadnezzar and rebelled. 2 The LORD sent Babylonian, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders against him to destroy Judah, in accordance with the word of the LORD proclaimed by his servants the prophets. 3 Surely these things happened to Judah according to the LORD’s command, in order to remove them from his presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done, 4 including the shedding of innocent blood. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD was not willing to forgive.
2 Chr 36:6 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the LORD and put them in his temple there. 8 The other events of Jehoiakim’s reign, the detestable things he did and all that was found against him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.

                             i.           After the decisive Babylonian victory at Carchemish (605 BC), Nebuchadnezzar returns to Babylon for his coronation. He mounts another invasion in 604 BC, during which Ashkelon is taken and ‘all the kings of the Hatti-land came before him and he received their heavy tribute’ (Wiseman 1956: 69). It is during this year that Jehoiakim becomes a Babylonian vassal. Three years later (601 BC) Babylon suffers a defeat at the hands of Egypt, subsequently withdraws and remains in Babylon for a whole year to regroup (A)

Jehoiakim 609-598 (11 years): During this time, Necho was defeated by Babylon in 605. At this time, Jehoiakim became a vassal to Babylon. But three years later(602), he rebelled against Babylon prob he foresaw the weakness of Babylon. As he anticipated, Necho came back and defeated Babylon in 601.  After Babylon’s defeat (601), Jehoiakim attempted to be independent from Babylon.

                           ii.          

3.      [8-17] Find the facts on Jehoiachin’s reign (8-9) When did Nebuchadnezzar attack Judah (10-11)? How did Judah respond to (12a)? Then what did Nebuchadnezzar do to her (12b-17)?

a.      8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. 9 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father had done.

                             i.           18 ys old he became king and ran for 3 months. (598-597)
He did evil in the eyes of the Lord as his father had done.

b.      10 At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, 11 and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it.

                             i.           Now, Assyria is gone and Babylon is the super power of the region.

c.       12 Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles, and his officials all surrendered to him.

                             i.           After taking Jehoahaz, Egypt never came back.

                           ii.           Jehoiachin was the only king in this period to surrender to Babylon; this was in line with God’s command through Jeremiah: after all, he was the only one who survived among the last four kings from the attack of Babylon (25:27-30)

                          iii.           Only the one who submits to the commands of God or only who accepts God’s disciplines in obedience to His will remain as a remnant. To such remnants, the sign of God’s blessing comes.   

d.      12b In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. 13 As the LORD had declared, Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasures from the temple of the LORD and from the royal palace and cut up the gold articles that Solomon king of Israel had made for the temple of the LORD. 14 He carried all Jerusalem into exile: all the officers and fighting men, and all the skilled workers and artisans—a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest people of the land were left. 15 Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother, his wives, his officials, and the prominent people of the land. 16 The king of Babylon also deported to Babylon the entire force of seven thousand fighting men, strong and fit for war, and a thousand skilled workers and artisans. 17 He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.

                             i.           Zedekiah was the brother of Jehoahaz (uncle of Jehoiachin). Like two kings before him, he was evil in the eyes of the Lord:

                           ii.           He was a puppet king of Nebuchadnezzar and in order to make him look good and genuine, he changed the puppet king, Mattaniah to Zedekiah (‘righteousness of God’).

                          iii.           Nebuchadnezzar depleted the source of spiritual (temple articles) and political power (7k fighting men) from Judah; signifying that these two power were not in with Jerusalem but in Babylon. 

4.      [18-20] How did Zedekiah reign the kingdom (18-19)? Why did all these things happen to Jerusalem and Judah (20a)? What was the purpose of his anger after all (20b)? 

18 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 19 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done. 20 It was because of the LORD’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end, he thrust them from his presence.

a.      Zedekiah reigned 11 years and did evil in the eyes of the Lord; He was not much different from Jehoiakim: In other words, he followed the way of his brother, not his father. Jehoiakim’s reign was marked by his rebellion against “Babylon” (24:1). As his brother did, Zedekiah also rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar (24:20b). This tells us that the desire to be independent or reluctance to go under the authority of Nebuchadnezzar, whom God established as the lord of the region (God’s servant) to disciplines first Judah and then the other kings of the region.

b.      Out of the four kings, only Jehoiachin listened to the message delivered by Jeremiah and in submission to God’s will, surrendered to Babylon.

c.       The depth of rebellion is well revealed in Jer 27.     

                             i.           Jer 27:1 Early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 This is what the LORD said to me: “Make a yoke out of straps and crossbars and put it on your neck. 3 Then send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 Give them a message for their masters and say, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: 5 With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. 6 Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him. 7 All nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate him. 8 “‘“If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation with the sword, famine, and plague, declares the LORD, until I destroy it by his hand. 9 So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums, or your sorcerers who tell you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’ 10 They prophesy lies to you that will only serve to remove you far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish. 11 But if any nation will bow its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let that nation remain in its own land to till it and to live there, declares the LORD.”’”

                           ii.           Jer 44:30 This is what the LORD says: ‘I am going to deliver Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hands of his enemies who want to kill him, just as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the enemy who wanted to kill him.’”

                          iii.           As we noted here, this message was given to Judah during Zedekiah: this indicates what God would do through Nebuchadnezzar: i.e., making him the representation of God’s lordship over all the kings/nations mentioned in v 2 as well as Egypt (Jer 44:30). This certainly includes Judah as well. It would not be agreeable to the minds of Judah; his people as well as her leaders that i) Their Lord would not be the Lord of Israel only but also take care of all these nations which clearly would provoke her people to jealousy ii) certainly Judah would suffer under the reign of Babylon; Both of these understanding did not go well with Jeremiah and Judah intensely challenged the truthfulness of Jeremiah’s prophecy. At its root was their unwillingness to submit to God’s discipline.

 

Josiah (640–609)
Jehoahaz (609)		Necho took him to Egypt and died there?
Jehoiakim (609–598)	605 Babylon defeats Necho 601 Egypt defeat Babylon	Necho placed him as king? Rebel against Nebuchadnezzar;
Jehoiachin (598–597)	Nebuchadnezzar(8th yr)  conquer Judah	Jehoiachin and all his family surrendered  to Babylon
Zedekiah (597–587)		rebel against Babylon

5.      Discuss God’s will and His purpose in all that He did on these kings of Judah.

Diagram from Bible Knowledge Commentary 

Two things to consider.

First, the last kings of Judah were told to submit to God’s purpose; His discipline under Babylon. Surely it was hard to accept because their suffering would be sure to come and it would be far difficult to bear. The most troubling thing would be losing God’s undivided attention to her and she would be leveled to the nations surrounding her. Here how Jesus took his suffering from arrest, sentencing and crucifixion gives us a good example of how we are to go about with God’s discipline; instead of refuting God’s word of warning, accepting by faith and daring to go through suffering 

Second,  This was the time to recognize that their Lord is the Lord of all nations and their failure to function according to God’s purpose, God would use even pagan kings/nations for His purpose. This is applicable to us as well as our hearts are much attached to the nations that we were born from and are living in. We are born with nationalism and it may work against the work of God as it was with Judah. In this respect, we must be willing to entertain and understand, and adopt God’s view, not only on Korea, and the USA, but also far more importantly, on all the nations of the world because we must discern God’s perfect will and purpose for the nations of the world. In this respect, it might be good to study and learn God’s will regarding this time, i.e., eschatological messages of the Bible; Daniel, Ezekiel, end time warnings in the Gospels, and the book of Revelation. We are to establish a firm worldview according to the word of God. 

My God, My God why have you forsaken me! (Mark 15b note)

 

Mark 15:16-41

Key verse 34: And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)

 

1.               The blasphemous and arrogant king must be stripped of any respect and honor (16-20)

2.                The blasphemous and arrogant king must be pinned down and impaled to the crucifixion (21-28)

3.                The true King/ Messiah, Jesus took upon himself all the charges made against the blasphemous and arrogant king (29-32)

4.                The true king/Messiah paid full price for blasphemy and arrogance of the false kings. (33-37)

5.                God the father accepted the payment; men and women of faith came to senses and accepted Jesus as the son of God. (38-41)

As we learned from the last week's passage, Jesus was condemned as a blasphemer by the religious leaders of Israel. And then, he was sentenced to crucifixion because of his treason against the Roman Emperor/claiming to be the king of the Jews.  In this way, there were two charges against him; blasphemy against God and treason against Roman authority. If we look into the depth of each of these charges, we can understand that blasphemy is a sin against God; it is a spiritual; rebellion against God; treason is against the authority of the king or kingdom. It is a violation of the law of the land/people of the kingdom. One brings judgment on eternal death and separation from God; the rebellion against the king must bear death; this is physical death. In these two ways, what Jesus committed was worthy of death, spiritual and physical.

Each of these charges amounted death sentence. How much more punishment for the one who committed both? The worst form of punishment was rightly due to him. That was crucifixion. Pinning down one’s body to a crossbar of logs; simply impaling one’s body to a cross; let the spirit on one’s mind subdued and dissipate slowly, At the same time, the body of sin and rebellion must bear agonizing pain and dissipate, or saps away; no matter what he does, he is totally helpless, being bound to the crossbars;

Mark described most succinctly facts with much reservation. As we go through, I like to unearth the true meaning and purpose of all that entailed in this passage, the facts that speak of the spirit that ran through these events.  

Today’s passage focuses on Jesus’ suffering and death.

1.                Blasphemous and arrogant king must be stripped of any respect and honor (16-20)

Upon the decision to crucify Jesus, Pilate ordered flogging of Jesus in the midst of a large crowd. According to Josephus, the prisoner was stripped and bound to a post and beaten with a leather whip woven with bits of bone or metal. No maximum number of strokes was prescribed. The scourging lacerated and stripped the flesh, often exposing bones and entrails. One of its purposes was to shorten the duration of crucifixion, but scourging was so brutal that some prisoners died before reaching the cross. Pilate’s purpose was clear: to satisfy the crowd (15). Pilate saw in them the hate and disdain against Jesus. It was so strong and could not be mitigated unless they saw the blood and mutilation of the flesh. In other words, men living by upholding self-righteousness could not be appeased unless they see the blood of the righteous. Jesus prophesied this in 10:34 and also Isa 53:5 alludes to ‘crushing’ of the Messiah. After flogging, the back of Jesus was denuded, lacerated, and even torn apart and blood was trickling down from every wound.  People saw in Jesus what their hearts were eager to see;

After this, Jesus was handed over to the soldiers.

Now Jesus, at the hands of the soldiers were moved to the private quarter of Pilate and his soldiers—the praetorium. In their hand was a man sentenced to crucifixion, on the charge of treason against the Roman empire. They could do anything to him as they desired not only because he was to take all the abuses but also their hearts had great disdain and contempt for this so-called king of the Jews. were with the true king Roman emperor.

First, they made a mockery of his kingship: Jesus was led to the palace of Herod/Pilate and it was their world; there was no one but themselves.  They were given the authority to do anything to him. They love to exercise their power and authority; it is more exhilarating to discharge all that power over the one who had once held power and authority over their head. Jesus was the one, respected by many and honored far above them by many. Now, he is before them as a helpless, powerless man in chains.

They put a theory crown on his head and dressed him up with a purple robe; gave him a homage as the king: ‘hail King of the Jews'. The term ‘king of the Jews’ was not used by the Jews. It was the term used by the Roman Empire. King Herod was called King of the Jews. It might be a derogatory remark, esp. when it was addressed by Romans. This is particularly true when the king was a Jew!

Is it possible that a Jew can have a king? Or Can Jews set themselves up a king? No! as long as Roman Empire stands tall among all nations of the world; to have a king for their own is an impossible thing; How can a mere man in the chain be the king of Jews? It is an unthinkable and unreasonable dream or it was just a fantasy; This was the theme of the mockery of these soldiers. A mere man cannot match against the Mighty power of the Roman Empire. 

This ridicule was the antithetical them to what God prophesied through Daniel. The last superpower of the world kingdom will be the Roman Empire (Dan 2:44-45)). The Antichrist will come out of the Roman Empire at the end of ages. He will establish one unified kingdom over the entire world. Can a king of the Jews be established? Or can Jesus, so-called King of the Jews, become the King of the God’s chosen nation Israel to set herself against the world Superpower Roman empire?  This is being ridiculed then and even now.  But the prophetic word given through Daniel was clear; Dan 2:45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold to pieces.

By making a mockery of his kingship, Jesus’ glory and honor of the king of the world was denied, degraded, and totally discredited. The son of God, the king of the world was lowered to a mere man that must succumb to judgment and death.

In this ridicule is the unbelief that no man of such humility and meekness can be the king of the world. Only the mighty in power that is able to subdue and destroy the enemies can be the king!

2.                Blasphemous and arrogant king must be pinned down and impaled to the crucifixion (21-28)

After playing out their mockery in the praetorium, Jesus was led to the place of Golgotha, where the crucifixion will take place. He had to carry the cross for several hundred yards.  But by this time, flogging had much debilitated Jesus’ body and he could not carry the heavy load of the crossbar. Depending on the severity of flogging beforehand, the victims may survive on crosses for long or for a short hour; since flogging causes no damage to major arteries and death came not by blood loss, but from hypovolemic shock or exhaustion asphyxia or heart failure, or a combination of the above. By this time Jesus’ body was extremely weakened by flogging and he might have fallen down again and again on the way. Seeing this, the soldiers caught a man Simon from Cyrene.   He was coming to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. But this crowd caught his attention and saw Jesus was driven to carry the heavy cross. While he was watching at Jesus with empathy, he was forced to carry the cross to unburden Jesus’ load. If Jesus was unwilling to carry the cross, then it would not be a good thing for him to carry on behalf of Jesus. But Jesus was willing and yet simply he was not able to do so. In this regard, Simon was a great help for Jesus, though it would hasten his crucifixion. we know that Later he became a firm follower of Jesus. He came to know Jesus only when Jesus was crucified. But ‘in this short period’ of his encounter with Jesus, he came to believe that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah. How could that be possible? A certain Rufus is mentioned in Rom 16:13. If the Rufus of Mark 15:21 and the one of Rom 16:13 are the same person, and if Rom 16 was written to Rome, there is additional evidence for a Roman provenance for Mark’s Gospel. While he was praying at Gethsemane, Jesus talked to his disciples “Mark 14:38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mar 14:38 NIV). 

On arrival to Golgotha, the soldiers offered Jesus wine mixed with myrrh. This seems to be a routine for those who were to be crucified; it would reduce the pain and ease one’s mind by obtunding mental acuity. But when this was offered to Jesus, Jesus refused to take it. Here he expressed his firm will take all the pain and anguish. He not only did not want to lose his sharp mind and will to sustain his integrity but also an expression of his will to take the pain that God the father assigned to him as his portion. How many are willing to take any pain at his or their will? At the hospital, the patients have the right to get relief from any pain as long as life can be sustained. Near the end of their lives, either by terminal illness due to cancer or other debilitating diseases, they were given as much narcotics as their body could tolerate. We human beings do anything to ease our pain, whether it is physical or mental. But here Jesus was willing to take the pain no matter how severe it might be; which pain is more excruciating than being nailed on one hand and feet?  “pain” control has become a booming business: many doctors garnered fortunes by those who are caught as a hostage to various kinds of pains. This speaks of one thing about our lives: Pain robs our peace, our happiness. But in essence, it is a warning of forthcoming damage to our body and threatens our lives. It is a prelude to coming death!

I have a lower back pain; it is common among the old because lumbar disc aging process. It comes and goes and gnawing; it disturbs my mind and makes my spirit unsettled. I cannot concentrate my mind and spirit on one thing; At the same time, it is a perpetual reminder of the deterioration of my body that must succumb to the power of death.

Jesus willed to take the pain!  When we decide to take the pain that would come from the weaknesses and sins of others, we can do much greater things; but how hard it is! More often than not, we even cannot take the pain of our own wrongs, mistakes and Then how can it be possible to even for us?

As Jesus rejected the offer, this routine was bypassed; Jesus was crucified; nailing him at his hands and feet to the cross. He was nailed down and was totally impaled. Though he was the son of God, he remained there as if he was utterly helpless. It was nine in the morning. On each side of Jesus were two others crucified. They were those who really joined in rebellion against Roman power.

3.                The true King/ Messiah, Jesus took upon himself all the charges of the blasphemous and arrogant king (29-32)

Here three responses are noted: the passersby, the chief priest, and the teachers of the Law, and the soldiers who crucified him. To them, one thing was very clear; Jesus was impaled on the cross and he could not do anything; death is the sure thing and there won’t be any more for him; no chance to become the king of the Jews, and no chance to become the Messiah/Savior. All things of his were ending that no further consideration of all that Jesus said and claimed was worthy or necessary.

When they saw the end of Jesus life, they uttered their sarcastic remarks;

First; the passersby said, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!” Most likely this person was at the deliberation at the court of Sanhedrin. Some came and presented this claim of Jesus. But as we know Jesus was talking about his own body. But this man did not understand what Jesus said; he thought that Jesus was proud of his power to raise a temple in three days. Either way, whether it was about his body or the temple, one thing was clear; Jesus talked about an enormous power that no man can display. How can a man impaled on the cross do such a thing as raising the temple in three days? First, he must save himself from the crucifixion. Can he come down from the impalement?  It was beyond the scope of this man’s understanding or sphere of thinking.

On the other hand, now the time has come to fulfill what Jesus said, John 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” This man’s ridicule of Jesus opened a big question, ”Can Jesus do what he had said?”

Can he not come down from the cross? Can he undo all these powers that impaled him? Does he have the power to undo all these? Or is this the final for his life or something more? 

Second the high priests and the teachers of the Law: “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”

Strikingly these religious leaders were more or less thinking the same as the one of those in the crowd; to them, since Jesus was totally impaled on the cross, he cannot do anything about it and he cannot save himself through he had saved others. They acknowledged that Jesus had the power to save others; one of the prominent examples was raising Lazarus from death. If Jesus had such power and that power was genuine, then he must be able to come down from the cross; four nails on his hands and feet can be easily undone and come down in power. But they did not believe he could. So they ridiculed him. If he does so then, they would believe him as the Messiah and the true king of the Jews.

What do the taunts of these people say about these people?

a)     Since Jesus was crucified on the cross and he could not much about it no matter how much power and authority he had. In other words, they took control over Jesus. They had the upper hand and powered over him; they succeeded; Jesus failed.

b)     Crucifixion is the end of his life and he cannot any more anything. All the words that Jesus said including what they knew; if they destroy the temple, he will raise it up in three days- is false and all the promises will turn out to be false.
Jesus the night before, Jesus told them that he could come back in glory, 14: ⁶² “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

4.                The true king/Messiah paid full price for blasphemy and arrogance of the false kings. (33-37)

This paragraph details the moment of his death on the cross. We will explore the details of his death to find why and how Jesus died and what kind of responses his death was brought up.

Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” –Jesus called His father God at 3 pm on the Day of Passover. The reason for his calling his father was why God the Father has forsaken him. Up to the last minute of his life or as the power of death was about to take its toll on his life, he called His father; had trusted and believed that the father would rescue him but up to this moment God the father did not. Up to the last minute of life, he trusted the father and entrusted his life on the father’s hand.--

Also his loud voice is very difficult if he was gasping for air at the last minute of his strength. Most commonly the cause of death is asphyxia, which is not being able to breathe; His loud voice speaks otherwise. He gave up his spirit or he gave up his life on God’s hand. He trusted His father in his death. Simply he did not succumb to the power of death; instead, he gave up his spirit by entrusting his life in God’s hand. This was the utmost expression of his willing submission to God the father.

Jesus’ crying out to the Father is short and hard to capture the full meaning: but the same cry is found in Ps 22:1. Ps 22 is a Psalm of David, the holder of God’s promise of Messiah. Psalm 22 as a whole depicts a struggle that David went through in his quest for God’s mercy in times of life crisis. In this respect, the entire theme of this psalm hangs on v1 and the rest verses elucidate the meaning, and significance of v1  (v1-21) as well as the outcome of this cry (v22-31).   

a)     The author, David, was in a desperate situation because of attacks from his enemies:

                            i.           12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. 13 Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. 16 Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. 17 All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.

b)     He was worn out of his strength and there was no help available

                            i.           14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. 15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.

c)      I am seeking your help because

                            i.           you are the holy one; (3)

                           ii.           you have delivered my ancestors when they desperately asked for help (4)

                         iii.           All make a mockery of me because I put my trust in you.(8)

d)     Please come quickly and deliver me from my enemies

                            i.           Because I am in dire condition: 15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. 17 All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.

                           ii.           Because you are not far from me

                         iii.           Because you are my strength 

As a whole, this is a picture of a cry of a sinner who looks for God’s help as all the punishment of sin comes upon his life.  He demands God’s help first as God helped his ancestors when they asked for His help—God is God of mercy and grace; second I am totally helpless against the accusers and attackers; third I am totally depend on you and your help;

This is expressed in poetry—unveiling what went through one’s heart, fully charged with emotions.

Long before this, God was looking ahead of this coming in Lev 26 and again gave a promise through Isaiah 8. And Daniel 12.

Lev 26:

Lev 26: 40 “ ‘But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors—their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward me, 41 which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin,

42 I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land… . They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees. 44 Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am the LORD their God. (Lev 26: 42-44)

Confessing their sins and paying for their sins were the two requirements for God’s coming back to help and to restore the relationship. On the cross, Jesus showed his all-out commitment to the Father. This was what God was looking for from a repentance sinner who comes back to Him. Also, God let Jesus’ life dissipated by the load of the cross, the punishment heaped upon him by the evildoers.   This happened in this way; as he was crying out to the Father God, he was committing his life to God’s hand despite of all the burdens of sins of men makes their toll on him.

When God said that they are to pay for their sins, and repeating it twice, he was not just threatening to help us not to sin. He meant it what he said; sin must be paid off and he must seek Him with all his heart. Paying of all of what is due for our sins and unbridled commitment to God’s mercy are the two essentials that God required of His blessing. This demand is noted in two more places:

Isa 8

Isaiah 8:6 "Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoices over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates-- the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks 8 and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck. Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land, Immanuel!" (Isa 8:6-8)

Isaiah gave God’s warning to Judah. Because they rejected their God and chose to rely on Aram, God would punish them by the floodwaters of the mighty army of Assyria.  This army would sweep the entire land and the nation Judah would be swallowed up by the flood. In this dire condition, there would be only one solution; Immanuel God. By this prophecy, God was teaching Judah to call for the help of Immanuel God. On the verge of the death of the nation Judah, she was to call out for help from the Immanuel God!

The same theme of the requirement of paying off of their sin and repentance more explicitly expressed in His word to Daniel.

Dan 12:7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time.  When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.

Daniel asked the one who delivered him how his nation Israel would be restored in the future. At the end of his prophecy concerning the restoration of Israel, he asked when the full restoration would come to his nation Israel. He said that it will take a time, times, and half a time because this time is needed until the power of the holy people is to be broken. God mandated His people to be broken before the restoration of them back to Him again.

On the cross, taking upon humanity in sin, Jesus was totally broken. In His brokenness, he made a loud cry, my God, my God why have you forsaken me! Not just Israel, but all men must be broken first, and then he/she has to seek the Lord’s help.   

Our sins will make its toll as we face imminent death. This would be the most critical and most vulnerable time of life. All the sins that we have committed against the Lord would come and hunts us as if all the punishment of those sins are flooding on my/our lives choking our breath of our life and death is a sure thing. Can, at this crisis, you or I can cry out for God’s help? Or can we trust the Lord’s mercy? Or can we entrust our lives in His hand?

He submitted his life in God’s hand: he entrusted his being God’s hand

Then with this loud cry, he breathed his last: gave up his spirit (matt 27:50; John 19:30)
The verb ‘gave up’ is in Greek tense aorist indicative; that speaks of his voluntary will. This more explicit in Luke

Luke 23:46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”  When he had said this, he breathed his last.

In general, those who are crucified die of exhaustion or asphyxia because they lose their ability to breathe.  But here Jesus cried out loudly! His voice rang out so loudly while darkness overshadowed the entire area. It was a surreal and thundering moment for all those who were there; many felt the power of Jesus exceeding above all.

Though he had strength, though he had the power to sustain his life, he entrusted his life in God hand and breathed his last breath. By covering the area with darkness, God the Father turned his countenance away from His Son suffering on the cross.  To this father, he entrusted his life in God’s hand for He trusted father’s love and father’s power and father’s faithfulness to His word.

Then, how did the power of Jesus’ death come about?

5.                God the father accepted the payment; man and women of faith came to senses and accepted Jesus as the son of God. (38-41)

Jesus died and he gave his life unto His father God. Soon after Peter’s confession of his faith in Jesus, Jesus told them about what he would go through: he must suffer and must die. He repeated three times. At the last Passover meal, Jesus gave his disciples;

22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” (Mark 14:22-23)

As he had said, Jesus gave his life for them. What happened then? What happened as Jesus gave up his life to the Lord on behalf of his followers? There came two powerful responses to Jesus’ death. The first one was from the LORD and the second one was from the centurion.

a)     God, the father accepted Jesus’ sacrifice of his life. over the temple curtain:

v37 and 38 happened simultaneously.  That is to say that Jesus’ loud cry and his last breath were immediately followed by the tearing of the temple curtain. It was torn from top to bottom, indicating that it was the work of God. Some believe that the curtain between the holy and the Most Holy place was torn. Others believe that the curtain between the court and the Holy place was torn which was easily visible to many from outside. The author of Hebrews understood differently:

11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, v he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. (Heb 9)

As we know, no one but the priest could enter the holy place. Also, the Most Holy place was reserved only for the high priest on an exclusive occasion, with the blood of a lamb once a year. The curtain to the holy place could be seen easily from outside. If this was torn apart, then anyone could enter the holy place and this renders the holy place unholy or meaningless. So is true to the curtain that leads to the Most Holy place. The holy place becomes accessible by any person. What do these things suggest? The author of the Hebrews understood that this was the sign of Jesus’ sacrifice of his body entering to the heavenly temple. In other words, God the Father accepted Jesus’ sacrifice unto Himself at the heavenly temple and there would no need of the earthly temple. Retracing back to the torn curtains, it was not Jesus' cry that tore apart the curtain of the temple but the LORD, who accepted Jesus’ body as the good and ultimate sacrifice. It was all-sufficient to Him that there should be no need of earthly temple or sacrifices of lambs or goats.  So, the author of Hebrews concludes this theme:

24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. (Heb 9)

Simply, the torn curtain speaks for one thing: the LORD accepted Jesus’ life-giving sacrifice good and pleasing and He would not require any more sacrifice for the purpose of redeeming sinners! No more need to come to Me with the blood of lambs and goats! The LORD was declaring loudly and yet with a quiet voice.  

b)     The centurion confession

The centurion executed many and saw how they respond to the execution, esp. crucifixion. More or less the responses of ordinary people were very similar from one to the other: The response is something of intense anger and rage or frustration and hopelessness, begging for mercy. But in Jesus, he saw something remarkably different response.  i. He was calm unlike any other; in this calmness, he saw invisible quality—Jesus’ willing commitment to God the Father, do not struggle or fight or sadness or anger. ii.  there was no bitterness and anger in all his demeanors; His demeanor was filled with grace and mercy for His people.  iii.  All these tamed demeanors shined to or exuded out of His invisible trust and his strong commitment to God, especially the last and most important call that he made, “my God! my God! why have you forsaken me!” iv. He saw in Jesus the power that prevailed over the power of death. This was revealed in his power to endure the pains, power to sustain his undeterred will, and power to sustain his commitment to God the father.  v. lastly, he sensed the power of God being with him; the darkness came upon him from noon to his death. He felt God’s ominous threat and signal for all those who participated in murdering His innocent son, Jesus.

When he came to a keen realization that Jesus was truly the Son of God, in one sense, it was a dreadful feeling because he himself was at the center of this heinous act. He ordered and controlled how and where to crucify him.  But on the other, he felt a peace that transcends all the treachery of crucifixion and death of which he could have never got easy. But at this time, out of this peace came a confession, he was truly the Son of God.

The moment of one’s death speaks much of what the person is about. Because of this, the last word at death bed sums up what the life of the man was.  In a time of crisis in life, whom will you call? How will you hand the pain and anguish from the power of death? Here Jesus’ death speaks to us the truth of what it means to live by faith. Our faith shall shine like the shining star in the middle of the night when we face the final moment of our lives. When Jesus was crucified, all those who believed in him, despite of the condemnation and judgment laid upon him, and despite the treacherous death on the cross, there were some who still believed his innocence. They were the ones who would not exchange Jesus with anyone else. Who were they?

c)      Women: followed Jesus from Galilee.

They took care of his needs. They believed him in all of his teachings; they were of God. Their hearts did not sway. They had no fear, no runaway, no cry, but in silence, their hearts were filled with empathy for all the pains of their loved Lord. They did not understand and could not make anything out of this. But at the death of Jesus, the power of death, all anxiety, uncertainty, and frustration dissipated. Only one thing lingered in their hearts. What was Jesus doing? Why did he let these treacheries happen to himself? What was the Lord His father doing in this?

Jesus’ death brought the death of all that sinful men’s heart carries; fears, worries, and anxieties that arise from the condemnation and judgment. Paul said this concerning our unification with Jesus:   

3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? (Rom 6:3 NIV)

In Jesus’ death, we bring our death in him so that we may rise with him!  How amazing it is that we don’t have to carry around the body of sin anymore! May the Lord bless you richly as we partake in his suffering and death!! By joining in His death, we are come to the certainty of the Heavenly father’s approval and assured of our access to the heavenly sanctuary. As Jesus’ death was the beginning of the power of God Almighty, so is our death with him the beginning of the power of God in our lives!!  Amen