Daily Devotions
Jeremiah
"Now King Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned"
Text: Jeremiah 37:1
THE PROPHETIC JUDGMENT MADE AGAINST JEHOIAKIM
The judgment against Jehoiakim was grim and severe. The LORD declared that his son would not ascend the throne after him. The chroniclers noted the following details.
“Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king,
and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him,
and bound him in bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar also carried off some of the articles
from the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, the abominations which he did,
and what was found against him,
indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
Then Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.
Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days.
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD.
At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar summoned him
and took him to Babylon,
with the costly articles from the house of the LORD,
and made Zedekiah, Jehoiakim’s brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem.”
2 Chronicles 36:5-10
1. Briefly, the following facts maybe stated:
a) Jehoiakim was 25 when he became king.
b) He was an evil king who reigned for 11 years.
c) He was arrested and brought to Babylon.
d) He died in captivity; he was not mourned for by anyone.
e) His son was put on the throne briefly but was soon deposed.
f) The prophecy of Jeremiah was fulfilled;
Jehoiakim would not have any of his sons to reign after him.
2. Zedekiah was the youngest son of king Josiah; he was the brother of Jehoiakim.
“Now King Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned
instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim,
whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land
gave heed to the words of the LORD which He spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.”
Jeremiah 37:1-2
1. “Now King Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim,
whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah”
a) Zedekiah was a son of king Josiah.
b) Coniah was the name Jeremiah used to describe Jehoiachin.
i) The name “Jehoiachin” is similar in pronunciation with “Jehoiakim”.
ii) That could be a possible reason why Jeremiah called him “Coniah”.
c) There was a solemn prophetic judgment against Jehoiakim and Coniah
(Jeremiah 22:18-30).
d) Zedekiah was the last king of Judah.
2. “But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land
gave heed to the words of the LORD which He spoke by the prophet Jeremiah”
a) A grim and sad reality noted.
b) Zedekiah had learned nothing from the disastrous fate of Jehoiakim.
c) Judah did not respond to Jeremiah who proclaimed the word of God.
i) Zedekiah did not obey.
ii) Neither did his servants.
iii) Nor the land of Judah give any heed to the word of God.