n The Kings of the Divided Kingdom n

The King Who Despised God’s Word n n Jehoiakim of Judah

(2 Ki n g s 2 3 : 3 4 – 3 7 ; 2 4 : 1 – 7 )

Jehoiakim, one of the last kings of Judah, was through His servants the prophets. Surely at the command of the Lo r d it came upon Judah, a son of Josiah. Josiah had been a good man, but to remove them from His sight because of the none of the four kings who succeeded him—three sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had of whom were his sons and one his grandson— done, and also for the innocent blood which he followed his example; all were evil, and Jehoia­ shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the Lo r d would not forgive. Now the rest kim may have been the worst of the four. This of the acts of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are king’s life may be summarized by saying that he they not written in the Book of the Chronicles despised God’s word. His disrespect for God’s com­ of the Kings of Judah? So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son became king mands can be seen in several facts recorded in his place. The king of Egypt did not come about him. 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 He Despised God’s Precepts (2 Kings 23:34—24:7). First, we find that Jehoiakim despised God’s precepts. The Scriptures describe his reign in the Jehoiakim “did evil in the sight of the Lo r d ,” following words: just as his forebears had done (23:37). Like most of the other kings of Judah who came before him, Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed he refused to follow the laws of God. his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz The consequence was that God began to away and brought him to Egypt, and he died execute justice on Judah by sending bands of there. So Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land in order to Arameans, Moabites, and Ammonites against give the money at the command of Pharaoh. Judah. Probably, these raids on Judah were He exacted the silver and gold from the people ­initiated by the Babylonians after Jehoiakim re­ of the land, each according to his valuation, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. belled against Babylon. Nevertheless, behind the Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when scenes, the One who was responsible for punish­ he became king, and he reigned eleven years in ing Jehoiakim and Judah for their disobedience Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. He did evil was God! in the sight of the Lo r d , according to all that his fathers had done. He Despised God’s People In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon Second, Jehoiakim showed his disdain for came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled God’s word by despising God’s people. He taxed against him. The Lo r d sent against him bands the people heavily in order to pay the tribute of Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands of imposed on Judah by the Egyptian king. In Jere­ Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. So He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to miah 22:13–19, the prophet Jere­miah delivered the word of the Lo r d which He had spoken an oracle condemning Jehoiakim for (1) building

1 his house “without righteousness” by taking but Baruch and Jeremiah escaped because “the advantage of the poor and needy (22:13–16) and Lo r d hid them” (36:26). (2) “shedding innocent blood and . . . practicing The fact that Jehoiakim was capable of kill­ oppression and extortion” (22:17). Apparently, ing Jeremiah is obvious, for on another occasion even during the hard times Judah was experienc­ he put the prophet Uriah to death for preaching ing, Jehoiakim built himself a beautiful palace a message similar to that delivered by Jeremiah by using his power to tax the poor people of the (see Jeremiah 26:20–23).2 Jehoiakim did not just land. He was also guilty of other forms of “op­ ignore the prophets; if he did not like the mes­ pression and extortion.” sage they brought, he killed them! What were the consequences of his despising God’s people? Jeremiah concluded his oracle with He Despised God’s Predictions these words about Jehoiakim: Fourth, Jehoiakim’s distaste for God’s word is especially obvious in his destruction of the “They will not lament for him: ‘Alas for the master!’ or, ‘Alas for his splendor!’ ­written predictions about the kingdom’s fall. He will be buried with a donkey’s burial, ­According to Jeremiah 36, when the scroll that Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates had been read to the people was brought to the of Jerusalem”1 (Jeremiah 22:18b, 19). king, he destroyed it:

A king over God’s people could not mistreat And Jehudi read it to the king as well as to all those people with impunity! the officials who stood beside the king. Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire burning in the brazier He Despised God’s Prophets before him. When Jehudi had read three or four Third, Jehoiakim showed that he despised columns, the king cut it with a scribe’s knife and God’s word by treating God’s prophets disre­ threw it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was spectfully. Jere­miah spent much of his ministry in the brazier. Yet the king and all his servants warning God’s people—and the two kings Jehoia­ who heard all these words were not afraid, nor kim and Zedekiah—that the kingdom was about did they rend their garments. Even though Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah pleaded to be destroyed because of their sins. with the king not to burn the scroll, he would How did Jehoiakim react to this message? not listen to them (Jeremiah 36:21b–25). The answer is found in Jeremiah 36. There we learn that God told Jeremiah to write on a scroll The scroll included predictions that the king­ all He had “spoken [to Jeremiah] concerning . . . dom of Judah was doomed because of its sins. It Judah,” in the hope that the people might turn was intended to cause those who read it to fear from their evil ways (36:1–3). Jeremiah dictated the coming destruction and to “rend their gar­ the words of God’s message to the scribe Baruch ments” in a show of repentance. The prophecies (36:4) and sent Baruch to the temple to read the were designed to encourage the people to repent. scroll (36:5–7). When Baruch did so, the first Instead, they produced in Jehoiakim nothing but people who heard the message told Baruch and rage against the prophet who had uttered the Jeremiah to hide themselves (36:8–19). Why? prophecies. He arrogantly showed his disdain for Because they knew that the king, Jehoiakim, the prophet’s words by taking the scroll, cutting would try to seize and kill them when he heard it up, and burning it in the fire! He so despised the words read. The king did try to seize them, the word of God that he destroyed the pages on which it was written! 1No one knows for sure how Jehoiakim died. The fact Did it do Jehoiakim any good to burn the that 2 Kings says he “slept with his fathers” only means that scroll? No! At God’s direction, Jeremiah had the he died; it does not necessarily mean that he was buried with his fathers. (Herbert Lockyer, All the Kings and Queens of the same words written down again, “and many Bible [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, similar words were added to them” (Jeremiah 1961], 145.) Second Chronicles 36:6 says that Nebuchadnezzar 36:32). God showed Jehoiakim and the Jews of “came up against [Jehoiakim] and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon.” Some have speculated that he died on the way to Babylon, and his body was simply 2At that time Jeremiah’s life was saved because Ahikam, thrown beside the road. If so, he had “a donkey’s burial,” a prominent leader in Judah, protected him. (See Jeremiah since donkeys were not buried. 26:24.)

2 that day that His word could not be destroyed! Refusing to Obey the Commands Even though Jehoiakim had burned the scroll, Of the Bible the truths it had contained remained true! The We may be inclined to think at this point, predictions of doom still came to pass! When “I thank God that I am not like other people! I Jehoiakim died, no one mourned his death (Jere­ accept the Bible as God’s Word, and I accept all miah 22:18)! of its plain teachings.” Perhaps we should not be so smug. Accepting the Word of God accom­ CONCLUSION plishes nothing if we do not obey it! We must What was Jehoiakim’s fault? Perhaps his at­ prove ourselves to be “doers of the word, and titude can be summarized by saying that he was not merely hearers” (James 1:22). James wrote, typical of the people of his day; for 2 Chronicles 36:16 says that Judah was destroyed because For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural the people “continually mocked the messengers face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself of God, despised His words and scoffed at His and gone away, he has immediately forgotten prophets.” Despising the words of God leads to what kind of person he was. But one who looks destruction! intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does (1:23–25; see Matthew 7:21). Lessons for Us In Jehoiakim’s day, the reading of God’s Ways to “despise” God’s Word ­message was intended to produce repentance. Jehoiakim was not alone in despising the word Likewise, we should be moved by what we hear of God. Throughout the ages, people in various when the Scriptures are read and taught— ways have shown disregard for God’s com­ moved to change our lives and bring them into mands. We today can show a similar dislike: harmony with what God wants us to be and do. Refusing to Recognize the Bible Are you trying to do what the Bible tells you As God’s Word to do? Ask yourself, for instance, “When I read Some show their disdain for God’s author­ that I am to give my body as a living sacrifice to ity by refusing to recognize the Bible as God’s God [Romans 12:1], does that inspire me to do Word. To them, the Bible is simply a collection of it?”; “When I read that I am to carry the gospel writings by men. They may view some of those to others [Matthew 28:18–20], does that cause me writings as truthful or historical or helpful, but to try to do so?”; “When I read that I am to keep they consider them no more inspired than the myself pure or free from sin [1 Timothy 5:22b], works of William Shakespeare. do I resolve to do my best to remain ‘unstained The Bible claims something else for itself. It by the world’ [James 1:27b)]?” claims to be the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16, Most of us own Bibles and treat them with 17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21). Those who refuse to accept respect, and we like to see others do the same. the Bible as God’s Word given to man—His com­ However, it is far more important for us to treat mands which must be believed and obeyed—are the ­message it contains with respect! We can do making the same mistake Jehoiakim made and that by lis­tening seriously to what God has can expect to be punished by God as he was. to say, applying it to ourselves, and then doing our best to obey His commands for us! Refusing to Accept the Teachings Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, Of the Bible but My words will not pass away” (Matthew Others accept the Bible as God’s Word but 24:35). Peter spoke of “the living and enduring choose which parts they will believe. If a doctrine word of God” which “endures forever” (1 Peter does not correspond to their preconceived notions 1:23, 25). Regardless of what its enemies or de­ about what the Bible ought to teach, then they tractors may think or say about it or do to it, reject that doctrine. When they come to a passage God’s Word is indestructible. It will live for­ they do not like, they discard it. ever! Coy Roper © Copyright, 2011 by Truth for Today. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 3