January 10, 2010: Introducing Habakkuk

Introducing Habakkuk

Icebreaker: Is there something that you can pretty well predict that will happen in this year?

Here we will take a look at the historical backdrop for the book of Habakkuk

2 Kings 23:31-24:7

31Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done. 33Pharaoh Neco imprisoned him at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and he imposed on the land a fine of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

Jehoiakim Made King by Pharaoh

34Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim But he took Jehoahaz away and brought him to Egypt, and he died there.

35So Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land in order to give the money at the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land, each according to his valuation, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. 36Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.

2 Kings 24: Babylon Controls Jehoiakim

1In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. 2The LORD sent against him bands of Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites So He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken through His servants the prophets. 3Surely at the command of the LORD it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the LORD would not forgive. 5Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

Jehoiachin Reigns

6So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son became king in his place.

7The king of Egypt did not come out of his land again, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates.

  1. 23:31 – Read 2 Kings 8:20-22. What was peculiar about Jehoahaz’s mother Hamutal?
  2. 23:32 – What does this verse have to do with intergenerational sin?
  3. 23:33-35 – When did Egypt take control of Judah? (2 Kings 23:29) What role did Egypt (Neco) have with Judah (Jehoiakim)? Who gave Jehoiakim his name? Who crowned him King?
  4. 24:1-What role did Jehoiakim (Judah) have with Nebuchadnezzar(Babylon)?
  5. 24:2 – Read 2 Chronicles 35:20-24. What do we find out about Josiah, the father of Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim?
  6. 24:3,4 – (Background on Manasseh) Read 2 Kings 21:10-16
  7. Read 2 Chronicles 36:1-8 What does this account tell us that 2 Kings did not?

This then is the historical backdrop for the book of Habakkuk.