DEMISE OF THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH, Brother Kenny Allen, October 4, 2026

Abandoning God leads to destruction. "They mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words, and misused His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy" (2 Chronicles 36:16) THE LESSON OVERVIEW The kingdom founded by David in Jerusalem lasted for about four hundred years. For two hundred of those years, the southern kingdom was separated from the northern kingdom of Israel. During this period there were nineteen wicked and idolatrous kings. As we saw in last week's lesson, God finally brought judgement on Israel and sent the people into exile. It would seem reasonable that by observing what happened to Israel, The people of Judah would learn a lesson and they would turn from their immoral and idolatrous ways and return to the God of David. This did not happen. The prophet Ezekiel paints a graphic image of Israel and Judah in their sinful condition in Ezekiel 23. He notes that Judah did not learn from Israel's destruction but only increased their wickedness (v. 11). God's message to Judah was clear: If you follow the same path Israel follows, you will suffer the same judgement (v. 31). Although there were good kings in Judah, such as Hezekiah and Josiah, every king was self-serving and rebellious. The end finally came. God used the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the land and send the people into exile. The destruction of the temple in 586 BC marked the end of the Davidic kingdom. In this lesson, we will explore the concluding years of the kingdom of Judah and its final ruin. THE LESSON OUTLINE 1. ZEDEKIAH: JUDAH'S LAST KING 2 Kings 24:18-20; 25:1-7 A. Evil and Rebellious 2 Kings 24:18-20 B. Bereaved, Blinded, and Bound 2 Kings 25:1-7 2. THE TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM IS DESTROYED 2 Kings 25:8-21 A. Destruction and Desecration 2 Kings 25:8-17 B. Executions and Slavery 2 Kings 25:18-21 3. WHY JUDAH FELL 2 Chronicles 36:14-21 A. Prophets Ignored, Mocked, and Abused 2 Chronicles 36:14-16 B. The Lord's Word is Faithful 2 Chronicles 36:17-21