Jer 22:28 | KingComments | STEP | Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim ( ) and grandson of Josiah, is as bad as his predecessors. The LORD cannot maintain him on the throne of David. Even if he were a signet ring on the LORD’s right hand (cf. ), because of his behavior He would pull it off. A signet ring is intimately connected to the person and expresses authority. Letters are sealed with a signet ring. The right hand represents power and the place at the right hand is the place of honor. The judgment on him is set ( ). The LORD will no longer protect him. He withdraws His hands from him and gives him into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar and his people. His mother, who will have supported him in his wicked reign, will suffer the same fate ( ). Jeremiah mentions this deportation here for the second time ( ). There is no mention of a return to the promised land, no matter how much they will yearn for it ( ). The LORD asks some questions about Coniah ( ). These questions are meant to provoke thought. What kind of man is Coniah? Is he useless or worthless? How is it that he and his descendants were forcefully removed from their land and ended up in a foreign land? Whoever answers these questions will be warned by them to stay close to the LORD and not become unfaithful to Him, or else he will share in the fate of Coniah. Contrary to this judgment of the LORD, some in their folly do value Coniah ( ). After the probing questions, the LORD calls the whole nation to listen to His word ( ). The LORD calls out three times the name of those He is addressing. If a name is called twice, that is already penetrating. Here it happens three times. Then it is very probing. The LORD’s word for the land is about how “this man” – the LORD does not even mention his name anymore – is to be remembered ( ). It is a man who should be entered in the history books as childless, and who is also not prosperous in his days. His memory is a terrifying example to all who read about him. He does have children ( ), but for his descendants there is no hope of prosperity and no hope of government. There is no connection to the throne of David. How is it, then, that this Coniah or Jeconiah nevertheless appears in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus given in Matthew 1 ( )? Because in Matthew 1 the legal right to the throne is given. If we follow this genealogy, we see that after Coniah, no one from the line of David through Solomon sat on the throne. Zerubbabel, the grandson of Jeconiah ( ), returns from Babylon with the remnant and becomes governor over Judah ( ; ), but is never king. Judah and Israel have never had a king since Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, was taken as a captive to Babylon. With Coniah, the royal line of descendants of David through Solomon who have sat on the throne of the LORD ends. However, there is another genealogy that runs from David through Nathan. Therefore, we have two genealogies of the Lord Jesus in the New Testament. Matthew gives the Lord’s genealogy through David’s son Solomon ( ) and Luke gives the Lord’s genealogy through David’s son Nathan ( ). Matthew’s genealogy ends with “Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah” ( ). This clearly shows that the Lord Jesus is not a physical descendant of Coniah. The Lord Jesus is entitled to the throne and will reign over a penitent people. However, He was not born of the line of Coniah, which is the line of David that runs through Solomon, but He was born of Mary, who is descended from the line of David that runs through Nathan ( ). He was not conceived by Joseph. As already mentioned, Joseph does descend from the line of David, but through Solomon and then also through Coniah ( ). Joseph is not the corporeal father of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and therefore as Man the Son of God ( ). This emphasizes the importance of the virgin birth. As a result, the promises of the LORD to David and Solomon have been fully fulfilled. David was promised that his house and throne would remain forever ( ). There are no conditions attached to these promises. Solomon was promised that his throne would be forever, with the condition attached that he must remain faithful ( ). He did not remain so and as a result he forfeited the kingship. Both of the LORD’s words have been fulfilled. Spiritually speaking there is another serious lesson to be learned from the judgment on Coniah that he will be recorded as childless. Everyone who has been saved by the blood of Christ should have the desire to win people to Him. Whoever knows Christ has a treasure that he may pass on to people who do not know Him, so that they may be saved from an eternity without Christ. He who shirks this task will also come to be known as ‘childless’. He will not be able to point to spiritual offspring and that will be a great lack, both for himself and for Christ.

‏ Jeremiah 22:28

The Rejection of Coniah (Jehoiachin)

Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim (Jer 22:24) and grandson of Josiah, is as bad as his predecessors. The LORD cannot maintain him on the throne of David. Even if he were a signet ring on the LORD’s right hand (cf. Hag 2:23), because of his behavior He would pull it off. A signet ring is intimately connected to the person and expresses authority. Letters are sealed with a signet ring. The right hand represents power and the place at the right hand is the place of honor.

The judgment on him is set (Jer 22:25). The LORD will no longer protect him. He withdraws His hands from him and gives him into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar and his people. His mother, who will have supported him in his wicked reign, will suffer the same fate (Jer 22:26). Jeremiah mentions this deportation here for the second time (Jer 13:18-19). There is no mention of a return to the promised land, no matter how much they will yearn for it (Jer 22:27).

The LORD asks some questions about Coniah (Jer 22:28). These questions are meant to provoke thought. What kind of man is Coniah? Is he useless or worthless? How is it that he and his descendants were forcefully removed from their land and ended up in a foreign land? Whoever answers these questions will be warned by them to stay close to the LORD and not become unfaithful to Him, or else he will share in the fate of Coniah. Contrary to this judgment of the LORD, some in their folly do value Coniah (Jer 28:1-4).

After the probing questions, the LORD calls the whole nation to listen to His word (Jer 22:29). The LORD calls out three times the name of those He is addressing. If a name is called twice, that is already penetrating. Here it happens three times. Then it is very probing.

The LORD’s word for the land is about how “this man” – the LORD does not even mention his name anymore – is to be remembered (Jer 22:30). It is a man who should be entered in the history books as childless, and who is also not prosperous in his days. His memory is a terrifying example to all who read about him. He does have children (1Chr 3:17), but for his descendants there is no hope of prosperity and no hope of government. There is no connection to the throne of David.

How is it, then, that this Coniah or Jeconiah nevertheless appears in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus given in Matthew 1 (Mt 1:11)? Because in Matthew 1 the legal right to the throne is given. If we follow this genealogy, we see that after Coniah, no one from the line of David through Solomon sat on the throne. Zerubbabel, the grandson of Jeconiah (Mt 1:12), returns from Babylon with the remnant and becomes governor over Judah (Ezra 3:2; Hag 1:1), but is never king. Judah and Israel have never had a king since Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, was taken as a captive to Babylon. With Coniah, the royal line of descendants of David through Solomon who have sat on the throne of the LORD ends.

However, there is another genealogy that runs from David through Nathan. Therefore, we have two genealogies of the Lord Jesus in the New Testament. Matthew gives the Lord’s genealogy through David’s son Solomon (Mt 1:1-15) and Luke gives the Lord’s genealogy through David’s son Nathan (Lk 3:23-38). Matthew’s genealogy ends with “Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah” (Mt 1:16). This clearly shows that the Lord Jesus is not a physical descendant of Coniah.

The Lord Jesus is entitled to the throne and will reign over a penitent people. However, He was not born of the line of Coniah, which is the line of David that runs through Solomon, but He was born of Mary, who is descended from the line of David that runs through Nathan (Lk 3:23-38). He was not conceived by Joseph. As already mentioned, Joseph does descend from the line of David, but through Solomon and then also through Coniah (Mt 1:7 ; 12 ; 16). Joseph is not the corporeal father of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and therefore as Man the Son of God (Lk 1:35). This emphasizes the importance of the virgin birth.

As a result, the promises of the LORD to David and Solomon have been fully fulfilled. David was promised that his house and throne would remain forever (2Sam 7:15-16). There are no conditions attached to these promises. Solomon was promised that his throne would be forever, with the condition attached that he must remain faithful (2Sam 7:13-14). He did not remain so and as a result he forfeited the kingship. Both of the LORD’s words have been fulfilled.

Spiritually speaking there is another serious lesson to be learned from the judgment on Coniah that he will be recorded as childless. Everyone who has been saved by the blood of Christ should have the desire to win people to Him. Whoever knows Christ has a treasure that he may pass on to people who do not know Him, so that they may be saved from an eternity without Christ. He who shirks this task will also come to be known as ‘childless’. He will not be able to point to spiritual offspring and that will be a great lack, both for himself and for Christ.