BibleProject | One Story That Leads to JesusSample

When Josiah reads the lost scroll of the Torah, he realizes his kingdom is off the rails. Josiah spends the rest of his reign working to get Judah back on track. He renews the people’s covenant partnership with Yahweh in a public ceremony. He burns down all wooden idol poles he can find, then grinds their ashes to dust for good measure. He even celebrates Passover for the first time since the days of the judges. Josiah’s wholehearted devotion has no parallel: “There was no king like him who turned to Yahweh with all his heart, all his soul, and all his might.”

But all of Josiah’s efforts are too little, too late. His grandfather Manasseh had already sealed Judah’s fate. When Josiah dies, his reform program dies with him. A few corrupt kings later, the Babylonians invade Jerusalem, burn the temple to the ground, and carry the people of Judah into exile.

The kingdom that was supposed to bring Yahweh’s blessing to the world now lies in smoking ruins. The book’s tragic conclusion leaves us wondering: Is God done with Israel and the line of David?

The final paragraph in Kings jumps 40 years ahead to an odd, short story about Jehoiachin, a descendant of David who would have been king in Jerusalem but now lives in exile. The king of Babylon releases Jehoiachin from prison and invites him to eat at the royal table for the rest of his life. It’s not much, but the story offers a glimmer of hope that Yahweh has not abandoned his promise to David. The wisdom and prophetic books of the Bible further explore this hope.

Reflection Questions

• Meditate on the Jehoiachin story at the end of Kings (2 Kgs. 24:8-17). A victimized Israelite gets taken into slavery in a foreign land. Though imprisoned while there, the king releases him and exalts him above the other rulers in that land. What other biblical character does this remind you of? What does this hyperlink show you about the way God is working to bring good despite all the human evil in Kings?
• Take some time to reflect on the big story of the Bible so far. What have you learned about God’s rescue plan for humanity? What are your new or lingering questions?