Justin Houtz

2 Kings 24, Hebrews 6, Joel 3, Psalm 143

DateVersionReading Plan
@November 11, 2024ESV (2016)M’Cheyne Plan 2024

2 Kings 24

2 Kings 24:3–4 (ESV) 3 Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the LORD, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4 and also for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD would not pardon.

“The author makes it clear that Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon are fulfilling Yahweh’s word. Earlier, the sins of Manasseh were given as the reason for Judah’s defeat and the exile (see 21:12–15 and note).” (FSB)

Although Josiah made great strides toward reform and right worship of the Lord, judgment would still come to Judah because the sins of Manasseh and the innocent blood that he shed.

2 Kings 24:7 (ESV)
7 And the king of Egypt did not come again out of his land, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates.

According to Jer. 22:19, Jehoiakim would receive “the burial of a donkey” and “dragged and dumped beyond the gates of Jerusalem”.

2 Kings 24:17-20 (ESV)
17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah. 18 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20 For because of the anger of the LORD it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence.
And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

“The king of Babylon appointed Mattaniah, an uncle of Jehoiachin, as king in his place. The king of Babylon changed Mattaniah’s name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah made a treaty with Nebuchadnezzar, agreeing to serve as his puppet. But then he broke the agreement, rebelled against the king of Babylon, and sought the help of Egypt. Zedekiah’s treachery in breaking his oath and God’s subsequent judgment upon him are recorded in Ezekiel 17:11–21.” (BBC)

The CSB Notes on Ezek. 17:19-21 provide additional insights on these events and God’s punitive response to Zedekiah’s transgression:

“Nebuchadnezzar had forced his vassal covenant on King Zedekiah of Judah (2Ch 36:13). The oath had been sworn to the God of Israel, so a violation of the agreement would bring the anger of the Lord. The king’s most serious transgression was not against Nebuchadnezzar but against his responsibility and loyalty to God. As a consequence, God would carry out the impending punishment of exile and imprisonment in Babylon (2Kg 25:7, 11–21).” (CSB Notes)

Hebrews 6

Hebrews 6:4–6 (ESV)
4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

“Those who reject Christ become like those in the Gospel accounts who publicly dishonored Him and put Him to death. Such people have rejected God’s truth—and thus are acting in league with forces that oppose Him. (A similar sentiment is expressed in 10:29). These people have been offered salvation once and for all and have instead chosen to act as if salvation comes at no cost—to act as if they could kill Jesus repeatedly, to achieve their own desires (compare 10:10–14).” (FSB)

“The enormous guilt of apostates is indicated in the words since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame (v. 6b). This signifies a deliberate, malicious spurning of Christ, not just a careless disregard of Him. It indicates a positive betrayal of Him, a joining of forces against Him, and a ridiculing of His Person and work.” (BBC)

How powerful are the words, “crucifying once again the Son of God”. They denote an active antagonism toward our Lord and a heart in radical enmity against Him.

Hebrews 6:11–12 (ESV)
11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

The author admonished his readers (and us as the church of the modern day) to steadfastly adhere to the sure promise of salvation in Christ. This is achieved through diligence and intentionality, not to be sluggish but to follow in the footsteps of those before who inherited the promise through faith and patience. As the FSB points out, the inheritors of the promise “Refers primarily to Abraham (Heb 6:13) and the company of the faithful in ch. 11.” (FSB).

Joel 3

Joel 3:1–3 (ESV)
1 “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, 3 and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it.

“God will gather the Gentile nations to the Valley of Jehoshaphat and will judge them there for their treatment of the Jews. Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia will be recompensed for plundering and enslaving God’s people. The people in those cities would in turn be sold as slaves—a fitting punishment for their crime.” (BBC)

Joel 3:18–21 (ESV)

18  “And in that day
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
and the hills shall flow with milk,
and all the streambeds of Judah
shall flow with water;
and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the LORD
and water the Valley of Shittim.
19  “Egypt shall become a desolation
and Edom a desolate wilderness,
for the violence done to the people of Judah,
because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
20  But Judah shall be inhabited forever,
and Jerusalem to all generations.
21  I will avenge their blood,
blood I have not avenged,
for the LORD dwells in Zion.”

“But the Lord will bless His people with deliverance, safety from invaders, and abundant supplies. The land of Israel would become fruitful and well-watered: the mountains shall drip with new wine, the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water. Egypt and Edom will become a desolate wilderness, … but Judah will be inhabited forever. God will also acquit her of her guilt of bloodshed.” (BBC)

These verses are rich in God’s faithfulness and righteousness. In the end, justice will be done and His people restored, receiving cleansing from their sins through the blood of Christ that they may dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 143

“In this individual lament psalm, the psalmist begs Yahweh to rescue him from his enemies. He begins by asking Yahweh to listen to him and rescue him rather than judge him (vv. 1–2), explaining that his enemies have pursued him and he fears for his life (vv. 3–4). He recalls Yahweh’s past deeds of rescue and reaches out to Him in his desperation (vv. 5–6), requesting Yahweh to rescue him so that he does not die (v. 7). The psalmist desperately pleads that he might see the next morning because of Yahweh’s help, and he asks that Yahweh guide him out of the crisis he now faces (v. 8). He then restates his request for deliverance and implies his hope in Yahweh (v. 9). He commits himself to doing God’s will in the future (v. 10) and connects his request for help to Yahweh’s reputation and character (v. 11). The psalmist closes by reaffirming his relationship with Yahweh and emphasizing his trust that Yahweh will destroy the enemies of His servant (v. 12). This is the last of the early church’s penitential psalms (Pss 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130).” (FSB)

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