Why was Jehoahaz chosen as king by the people of Judah in 2 Chronicles 36:1? Historical Backdrop: Josiah’s Death and a Power Vacuum Josiah fell at Megiddo (609 BC) resisting Pharaoh Neco II, who was marching to aid the crumbling Assyrian Empire against Babylon. With the godly king suddenly gone and the Egyptian army still on Judean soil, Judah was momentarily without a monarch. The royal court had no time to consult foreign alliances or Babylonian forces; the “people of the land” (a phrase denoting influential Judean elders, militia leaders, and local landholders) acted immediately to prevent Egyptian interference by installing a successor. Popular Continuity with Josiah’s Reforms Jehoahaz (also called Shallum, cf. Jeremiah 22:11) had publicly embraced his father’s sweeping covenant reforms (2 Chron 34) and was perceived as the son most likely to preserve the revived worship of Yahweh and the newly rediscovered Torah. Josiah’s elder son Eliakim (later renamed Jehoiakim) showed little zeal for such reforms and was considered politically pliable. By elevating Jehoahaz, the populace aimed to safeguard the temple-centered revival and maintain national independence under a king sympathetic to prophetic faithfulness. Genealogical and Age Factors Although Jehoahaz was younger (age 23, 2 Kings 23:31), both kingdom and covenant law allowed the people to recognize a son other than the firstborn when circumstances demanded (cf. Deuteronomy 17:15). His mother, Hamutal of Libnah (Judah proper), gave him a stronger Judean identity than Jehoiakim, whose mother Zebidah hailed from Rumah near the former Northern Kingdom—an area many Judeans still viewed with suspicion after the Assyrian exile. Political Defiance of Egypt Jehoahaz’s accession signaled resistance to Pharaoh Neco II. The nation hoped that a quick coronation would pre-empt Egyptian appointment of a vassal. This explains Neco’s swift reaction: “Pharaoh Neco imprisoned him at Riblah… and imposed on Judah a levy of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold” (2 Kings 23:33-34). Jehoahaz’s three-month reign ended when Egypt deposed him and installed the compliant Jehoiakim. Prophetic Backdrop and Divine Sovereignty Jeremiah, active throughout these events, had warned that covenant unfaithfulness would bring foreign domination (Jeremiah 22:8-9; 25:4-9). The people’s well-intentioned choice of Jehoahaz could not overturn Yahweh’s declared judgment for national apostasy during Manasseh’s long reign (2 Kings 23:26-27). Thus, Jehoahaz’s brief reign fulfilled Jeremiah’s oracle: “He will never return but will die in the place where they have exiled him” (Jeremiah 22:11-12). Comparison with Jehoiakim Jehoiakim proved the fears of the reform party correct. He reinstated idolatrous practices (2 Kings 23:37), taxed the land heavily to pay Egypt’s tribute (23:35), and burned Jeremiah’s prophetic scroll (Jeremiah 36). By contrast, nothing in Scripture charges Jehoahaz with overt wickedness; his downfall arose from external geopolitics rather than personal apostasy. Archaeological and Extra-Biblical Data 1. The Babylonian Chronicle (BM 21946) records Neco’s campaign in 609 BC and Babylon’s rise, corroborating the biblical chronology. 2. Excavations at Megiddo reveal late-7th-century fortifications consistent with Josiah’s final battle site. 3. Ostraca from Arad and Lachish show increased Egyptian influence in Judah during Jehoiakim’s reign, aligning with the biblical narrative of Neco’s economic control. Theological Implications and Lessons The episode displays the tension between human agency and divine sovereignty. Judah’s leaders rightly sought a godly successor, yet national sin had already set in motion divine discipline through foreign powers (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). Faithfulness remains the duty of God’s people, but outcomes rest in His providence. Key Cross-References • Deuteronomy 17:14-20 – Principles for choosing a king • 2 Kings 22-23 – Josiah’s reforms and death • Jeremiah 22:10-12 – Prophecy concerning Shallum/Jehoahaz • 2 Chron 34-35 – Covenant renewal under Josiah • 2 Kings 24:1-7 – Jehoiakim’s later Egyptian/Babylonian entanglements Summary Jehoahaz was chosen because the people of Judah sought a king who embodied Josiah’s covenant fidelity and national independence. Though their choice was politically and spiritually motivated, Egypt’s superior force and God’s sovereign judgment quickly overturned their decision, illustrating both the value of godly leadership and the inevitability of divine decree. |
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