And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
The verse belongs to the history of Judah that followed the removal of the ten tribes and continued through the Babylonian captivity. In that history Judah followed the same pattern of departure from God as Israel had, continuing until Judah too went into captivity. It stands in the closing account of the wicked and weak reigns of Judah's kings that end the books of Kings, recounting their downfall and the end of Judah's independent rule.
After Josiah's death Judah soon fell before Nebuchadnezzar, in the record of its kings leading to the Babylonian captivity. The succession around the verse was that Jehoiakim reigned eleven years, Jehoiachin reigned three months and ten days, and then Nebuchadnezzar placed Zedekiah on the throne. The verse records that Zedekiah did evil in the sight of the Lord, following the pattern of Jehoiakim's evil reign.
Zedekiah served Babylon for eight years and then rebelled, leading Nebuchadnezzar to besiege Jerusalem. The final capture of the nation followed that rebellion, many of God's people were carried captive, while a small company under Gedaliah remained in the land. The surrounding chapter gives the history behind Daniel 1:1-2, showing that in the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah Nebuchadnezzar came against Jerusalem, took it, and carried away some of the chief men of the city to Babylon, among whom were Daniel and his three companions.
Zedekiah was false to his trust and did evil even though kingship was important, divinely ordained, and worthy of honor. The holy office did not make him holy, change his heart, or give him the holiness he ought to possess. Confounding the unworthy officer with the divinely ordained office degrades the office by putting position before Christ, for position in His work without Him is mockery and only Christ can save and cleanse.
The verse belongs to the history of Judah that followed the removal of the ten tribes and continued through the Babylonian captivity. In that history Judah followed the same pattern of departure from God as Israel had, continuing until Judah too went into captivity. It stands in the closing account of the wicked and weak reigns of Judah's kings that end the books of Kings, recounting their downfall and the end of Judah's independent rule.
After Josiah's death Judah soon fell before Nebuchadnezzar, in the record of its kings leading to the Babylonian captivity. The succession around the verse was that Jehoiakim reigned eleven years, Jehoiachin reigned three months and ten days, and then Nebuchadnezzar placed Zedekiah on the throne. The verse records that Zedekiah did evil in the sight of the Lord, following the pattern of Jehoiakim's evil reign.
Zedekiah served Babylon for eight years and then rebelled, leading Nebuchadnezzar to besiege Jerusalem. The final capture of the nation followed that rebellion, many of God's people were carried captive, while a small company under Gedaliah remained in the land. The surrounding chapter gives the history behind Daniel 1:1-2, showing that in the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah Nebuchadnezzar came against Jerusalem, took it, and carried away some of the chief men of the city to Babylon, among whom were Daniel and his three companions.
Zedekiah was false to his trust and did evil even though kingship was important, divinely ordained, and worthy of honor. The holy office did not make him holy, change his heart, or give him the holiness he ought to possess. Confounding the unworthy officer with the divinely ordained office degrades the office by putting position before Christ, for position in His work without Him is mockery and only Christ can save and cleanse.