"And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah."
So now Zedekiah regins in Judah, but why did Babylon decided to change his name? What does his name means? The name Zedekiah or Tzidkiyahu means "My righteousness is Yahweh [God of Abraham]". Wait a minute, did the king of Babylon fear the Lord? Even the king of Babylon respected their true God, and I think he even encouraged Zedekiah by changing his name!
The irony is that Zedekiah "did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. according to all that Jehoiakim had done" and even he "rebelled against the king of Babylon"! It's a double rebellion! He rebelled to God and to the king of Babylon who respected their God! And the worst consequence came! "The famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land... and he [king of Babylon] burned the house of the Lord and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem."
Zedekiah is still Mattaniah! He earned the second chance from the king of Babylon, but he doesn't deserve this name! Do the people know your name as your name reflects God? But your name can only reflects God in your obedience.
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