Jer 22:13-19 | KingComments | STEP | Jeremiah pronounces woe on someone because of the unbridled lust for luxury that this person shows and that in a time of the greatest disaster ( ). Further on we read that it is Jehoiakim ( ). The people are impoverished ( ) and few in number. Yet this king wants to live in opulence. To do so, he commits injustice and demands from his subjects what he needs for his self-indulgent life. His subjects are here tellingly called “his neighbor”. To God, king and subject are equal. Both are subject to His will and law. But Jehoiakim thinks otherwise. He makes his subjects work for him without paying them the wages they deserve. By such a course of action, he brings the judgment of the LORD upon himself ( ; ; ). In his delusions of grandeur, he says he will build a house for himself of great dimensions and with spacious upper rooms ( ). Everything must serve him and give him prestige. The material must be indestructible and the colors must attract attention. Jeremiah ironically points out to him how he exercises his kingship ( ). Surely he wants to be king in handling cedar and show that he is the best at it? Then he points him to his God-fearing father Josiah, but without mentioning his name. He did not lack food or drink, because he did “justice and righteousness”. This is what God expects of the king who rules over His people. Like a shepherd, such a person must pasture the flock and not exploit it for the satisfaction of his own lusts. And look how it went with Josiah: “Then it was well with him.” Jehoiakim would do well to follow that example. Josiah cared for the socially weak and stood up for their rights ( ). His course of action brought blessing not only to himself but also to the whole people. Therefore it sounds again, but now in a general sense, with reference to the whole people: “Then it was well!” The LORD’s appreciation follows immediately when He questions that whoever acts as Josiah did shows that he knows Him. This is not a mere lip confession, but an act according to His will. It takes more than ordinary courage for a simple priest like Jeremiah to look a haughty king like Jehoiakim sternly in the eyes and declare: “But your eyes and your heart are [intent] only upon your own dishonest gain” ( ). The man who is in a position of power pursues with his eyes and his heart only gain. His eyes follow his heart. To possess the coveted, he does not shy away from using violence. Jeremiah also confronts him with his murdering, oppressing and exploitation. This king will stop at nothing to satisfy his unbridled lust for pleasure. To him, to rule means to dominate and exploit. He rules like a tyrant. Without waiting for anything of a response from the king, the LORD informs Jehoiakim of his end ( ). Like Shallum ( ), he is again ( ) emphatically linked to his God-fearing father and his privileged and also responsible position of king of Judah. This makes the evil that he does so great and the judgment so righteous. Not only does God’s judgment strike him, but the judgment of his people on him is harsh as well. No one will shed a tear for him. His death will be a relief, for his government is a reign of terror. No one will lament for him. Two categories are mentioned of whom it is said that they will not lament for him. The first category is his family. No one from his family will lament for him: “Alas, my brother!” Nor will there be any pity for his wife. None of the relatives will groaningly say to her, out of pity that her husband is dead: “Alas, sister!” His subjects are the second category. None of them will say: “’Alas for the master!’ or, ‘Alas for his splendor!’” Not a single tear of sorrow flows, either among his family or his subjects. At the death of Zedekiah, who is after all also a wicked king, at least people will still cry “Oh, [my] lord!” ( ), but for this man there is no respect. Not only will he not receive an honorable burial, but “he will be buried with a donkey’s burial”, that is, he will have no burial at all ( ). This is a huge disgrace. When a donkey dies in the city, the animal is dragged away and thrown outside the gate. With the same contempt they will deal with the corpse of Jehoiakim. Not having a burial means not being connected to the coming of the Messiah. “Beyond the gates of Jerusalem” means far away from the center of blessing for the whole earth. Jehoiakim is called, challenged, by the LORD to climb the heights and call for help ( ). Lebanon and Bashan are high mountains. When he gets there, he will see that those from whom he expects his help have been broken. All covenants with other peoples he has relied on are to no avail. Peoples whom he has approached with love and who have helped him for wages have perished. The LORD did speak to him ( ). He did so while Jehoiakim was in carefree rest. Here we see how dangerous such rest is. He was absorbed in it without any need of the LORD, but rejected Him. Very deliberately, he has told the LORD that he will not listen. The LORD knows him and knows that he is like that from his youth. Never has he listened to His voice. How dramatically hopeless is the situation of such a person. Judgment also comes on the false shepherds of Jehoiakim ( ). Instead of caring for the people, they, like Jehoiakim, oppressed the people. They themselves will be shepherded by wind, that is swept away by a storm wind. As a result, they will experience what their actions as shepherd lead to. And the lovers, the peoples on whom Jehoiakim has relied for protection, will go into captivity, so that their support will fall away. Yes, then he will have nothing left but shame and disgrace. That is the result of the evil he has committed. With almost biting irony, Jeremiah holds out to Jehoiakim that he can imagine himself on Lebanon, because he lives in a house made of the cedars of Lebanon ( ). He has nestled there like an eagle, under the delusion of being untouchable (cf. ). But that will change dramatically. False comfort and haughty pride will be broken when the siege and destruction will become reality. Then the man who has set himself in a high and luxurious place will cringe because of the disasters that will come upon him. The contrast between his life of luxury and prosperity and his life under the calamities that befall him is evocative. Nothing of his opulence will give him any relief. This is how he will come to his end.

‏ Jeremiah 22:13-19

The Condemnation of Jehoiakim

Jeremiah pronounces woe on someone because of the unbridled lust for luxury that this person shows and that in a time of the greatest disaster (Jer 22:13). Further on we read that it is Jehoiakim (Jer 22:18). The people are impoverished (2Kgs 23:35) and few in number. Yet this king wants to live in opulence. To do so, he commits injustice and demands from his subjects what he needs for his self-indulgent life.

His subjects are here tellingly called “his neighbor”. To God, king and subject are equal. Both are subject to His will and law. But Jehoiakim thinks otherwise. He makes his subjects work for him without paying them the wages they deserve. By such a course of action, he brings the judgment of the LORD upon himself (Deu 24:14-15; Lev 19:13; Jam 5:1-6).

In his delusions of grandeur, he says he will build a house for himself of great dimensions and with spacious upper rooms (Jer 22:14). Everything must serve him and give him prestige. The material must be indestructible and the colors must attract attention. Jeremiah ironically points out to him how he exercises his kingship (Jer 22:15). Surely he wants to be king in handling cedar and show that he is the best at it?

Then he points him to his God-fearing father Josiah, but without mentioning his name. He did not lack food or drink, because he did “justice and righteousness”. This is what God expects of the king who rules over His people. Like a shepherd, such a person must pasture the flock and not exploit it for the satisfaction of his own lusts. And look how it went with Josiah: “Then it was well with him.” Jehoiakim would do well to follow that example.

Josiah cared for the socially weak and stood up for their rights (Jer 22:16). His course of action brought blessing not only to himself but also to the whole people. Therefore it sounds again, but now in a general sense, with reference to the whole people: “Then it was well!” The LORD’s appreciation follows immediately when He questions that whoever acts as Josiah did shows that he knows Him. This is not a mere lip confession, but an act according to His will.

It takes more than ordinary courage for a simple priest like Jeremiah to look a haughty king like Jehoiakim sternly in the eyes and declare: “But your eyes and your heart are [intent] only upon your own dishonest gain” (Jer 22:17). The man who is in a position of power pursues with his eyes and his heart only gain. His eyes follow his heart.

To possess the coveted, he does not shy away from using violence. Jeremiah also confronts him with his murdering, oppressing and exploitation. This king will stop at nothing to satisfy his unbridled lust for pleasure. To him, to rule means to dominate and exploit. He rules like a tyrant.

Without waiting for anything of a response from the king, the LORD informs Jehoiakim of his end (Jer 22:18). Like Shallum (Jer 22:11), he is again (Jer 22:15) emphatically linked to his God-fearing father and his privileged and also responsible position of king of Judah. This makes the evil that he does so great and the judgment so righteous. Not only does God’s judgment strike him, but the judgment of his people on him is harsh as well. No one will shed a tear for him.

His death will be a relief, for his government is a reign of terror. No one will lament for him. Two categories are mentioned of whom it is said that they will not lament for him. The first category is his family. No one from his family will lament for him: “Alas, my brother!” Nor will there be any pity for his wife. None of the relatives will groaningly say to her, out of pity that her husband is dead: “Alas, sister!” His subjects are the second category. None of them will say: “’Alas for the master!’ or, ‘Alas for his splendor!’”

Not a single tear of sorrow flows, either among his family or his subjects. At the death of Zedekiah, who is after all also a wicked king, at least people will still cry “Oh, [my] lord!” (Jer 34:5), but for this man there is no respect.

Not only will he not receive an honorable burial, but “he will be buried with a donkey’s burial”, that is, he will have no burial at all (Jer 22:19). This is a huge disgrace. When a donkey dies in the city, the animal is dragged away and thrown outside the gate. With the same contempt they will deal with the corpse of Jehoiakim. Not having a burial means not being connected to the coming of the Messiah. “Beyond the gates of Jerusalem” means far away from the center of blessing for the whole earth.

Jehoiakim is called, challenged, by the LORD to climb the heights and call for help (Jer 22:20). Lebanon and Bashan are high mountains. When he gets there, he will see that those from whom he expects his help have been broken. All covenants with other peoples he has relied on are to no avail. Peoples whom he has approached with love and who have helped him for wages have perished.

The LORD did speak to him (Jer 22:21). He did so while Jehoiakim was in carefree rest. Here we see how dangerous such rest is. He was absorbed in it without any need of the LORD, but rejected Him. Very deliberately, he has told the LORD that he will not listen. The LORD knows him and knows that he is like that from his youth. Never has he listened to His voice. How dramatically hopeless is the situation of such a person.

Judgment also comes on the false shepherds of Jehoiakim (Jer 22:22). Instead of caring for the people, they, like Jehoiakim, oppressed the people. They themselves will be shepherded by wind, that is swept away by a storm wind. As a result, they will experience what their actions as shepherd lead to. And the lovers, the peoples on whom Jehoiakim has relied for protection, will go into captivity, so that their support will fall away. Yes, then he will have nothing left but shame and disgrace. That is the result of the evil he has committed.

With almost biting irony, Jeremiah holds out to Jehoiakim that he can imagine himself on Lebanon, because he lives in a house made of the cedars of Lebanon (Jer 22:23). He has nestled there like an eagle, under the delusion of being untouchable (cf. Hab 2:9). But that will change dramatically. False comfort and haughty pride will be broken when the siege and destruction will become reality.

Then the man who has set himself in a high and luxurious place will cringe because of the disasters that will come upon him. The contrast between his life of luxury and prosperity and his life under the calamities that befall him is evocative. Nothing of his opulence will give him any relief. This is how he will come to his end.