Friday 2021.08.27
This morning I begin reading the book of the prophet Jeremiah in the OT, covering the first five chapters.
Chapter One begins by introducing the reader to the prophet Jeremiah ben Hilkiah, a priest from Anatoth in the land of Benjamin. Jeremiah ben Hilkiah was called by the LORD to prophesy to the people of Judah during the reigns of the last five kings of Judah, among whom, in particular, were King Josiah ben Amon, King Jehoiakim (Eliakim) ben Josiah, and Zedekiah (Mattaniah) ben Josiah, right until the end of Zedekiah's reign when Jerusalem was captured by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar.
Jeremiah 1:1 - 3 GNB
1This book is the account of what was said by Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests of the town of Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
2The LORD spoke to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah,
3and he spoke to him again when Josiah's son Jehoiakim was king. After that, the LORD spoke to him many times, until the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah. In the fifth month of that year the people of Jerusalem were taken into exile.
The last five kings of Judah were as follows:
- Josiah ben Amon, reigned 31 yrs
- Joahaz ben Josiah, 3 months
- Jehoiakim (Eliakim) ben Josiah, 11 yrs
- Jehoiachin ben Jehoiakim, 3 months
- Zedekiah (Mattaniah) ben Josiah, 11 yrs
In particular, Jeremiah ben Hilkiah prophesied about the fall of King Joahaz ben Josiah (Jer 22:10 - 12), the doom befalling King Jehoiakim ben Josiah (Jer 22:12 - 19), the judgment of God on King Jehoiachin ben Jehoiakim (Jer 22:24 - 28), and the capture of King Zedekiah ben Josiah by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (Jer 21:1 - 7)
A list of all the kings of the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel can be found in my devotional blog:
