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Jeremiah 22

Jeremiah 22 presents God’s message to the kings of Judah, urging them to act with justice and righteousness or face destruction. The chapter begins with a message to the current king, likely Jehoiakim, calling for fair treatment of the vulnerable. God warns that if the king and his officials ignore His commands, the palace will become desolate. Later, the chapter recalls the previous kings, comparing their reigns and condemning their wickedness. Jeremiah emphasizes the severe consequences awaiting those who exploit power for personal gain.

Jeremiah 22:1-10 (NKJV)
1 Thus says the Lord: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word,
2 and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates!
3 Thus says the Lord: “Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.
4 For if you indeed do this thing, then shall enter the gates of this house, riding on horses and in chariots, accompanied by servants and people, kings who sit on the throne of David.
5 But if you will not hear these words, I swear by Myself,” says the Lord, “that this house shall become a desolation.”’”
6 For thus says the Lord to the house of the king of Judah: “You are Gilead to Me, the head of Lebanon; Yet I surely will make you a wilderness, Cities which are not inhabited.
7 I will prepare destroyers against you, everyone with his weapons; They shall cut down your choice cedars and cast them into the fire.
8 And many nations will pass by this city; and everyone will say to his neighbor, ‘Why has the Lord done so to this great city?’
9 Then they will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God, and worshiped other gods and served them.’”
10 Weep not for the dead, nor bemoan him; Weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.

God addresses the royal household, emphasizing justice, compassion, and mercy as vital principles. He calls on the king to protect the oppressed, particularly the vulnerable: foreigners, orphans, and widows. If the king practices justice, his lineage will thrive, enjoying prosperity and continuity on the throne. However, God warns that disobedience will result in the destruction of the royal house and the city itself, reducing it to a deserted wilderness. The vivid imagery of destruction—cutting down cedars and forsaking covenants—serves as a warning of the consequences of idolatry and abandonment of God’s laws. The message concludes with a poignant call to mourn for those taken into exile, as they will never see their homeland again.

Jeremiah 22:11-12 (NKJV)
11 For thus says the Lord concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, who went from this place: “He shall not return here anymore,
12 but he shall die in the place where they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.”

The Lord speaks about Shallum (also known as Jehoahaz), the son of the righteous king Josiah, who briefly ruled before being taken captive to Egypt. This statement emphasizes the consequence of disobedience and rejection of God. Unlike his father, Shallum did not walk in righteousness, and his exile and death in a foreign land illustrate the fate awaiting those who disregard God’s covenant.

Jeremiah 22:13-17 (NKJV)
13 “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by injustice, who uses his neighbor’s service without wages and gives him nothing for his work,
14 who says, ‘I will build myself a wide house with spacious chambers, and cut out windows for it, paneling it with cedar and painting it with vermilion.’
15 Shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.
16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Was not this knowing Me?” says the Lord.
17 “Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, for shedding innocent blood, and practicing oppression and violence.”

The passage condemns the unjust practices of the king, likely Jehoiakim, who exploited his subjects to build luxurious palaces. God contrasts this selfishness with the reign of Josiah, who acted with justice and compassion, focusing on the needs of the people. Jehoiakim’s obsession with wealth and power blinds him to righteousness, as he indulges in violence and oppression. God reminds him that true kingship and knowledge of the Lord are marked by care for the poor and vulnerable, not self-aggrandizement.

Jeremiah 22:18-19 (NKJV)
18 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Alas, my brother!’ or ‘Alas, my sister!’ They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Alas, master!’ or ‘Alas, his glory!’
19 He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey, dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.”

God declares that Jehoiakim will not receive an honorable burial or public mourning. Unlike his father, who was respected and lamented, Jehoiakim’s death will be shameful. Being buried like a donkey, unceremoniously thrown out, symbolizes the ultimate disgrace and God’s judgment on his corrupt reign.

Jeremiah 22:20-23 (NKJV)
20 “Go up to Lebanon, and cry out, and lift up your voice in Bashan; cry from Abarim, for all your lovers are destroyed.
21 I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, ‘I will not hear.’ This has been your manner from your youth, that you did not obey My voice.
22 The wind shall eat up all your rulers, and your lovers shall go into captivity; surely then you will be ashamed and humiliated for all your wickedness.
23 O inhabitant of Lebanon, making your nest in the cedars, how gracious will you be when pangs come upon you, like the pain of a woman in labor?”

Jeremiah laments for Judah, whose leaders pursued alliances (referred to as “lovers”) with foreign nations rather than relying on God. God reminds them of their consistent refusal to heed His word, even in times of prosperity. As judgment arrives, their allies will be powerless to save them. The once-proud inhabitants of Judah, who lived in luxury (“nest in the cedars”), will face humiliation and suffering, as inevitable as labor pains.

Jeremiah 22:24-30 (NKJV)
24 “As I live,” says the Lord, “though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on My right hand, yet I would pluck you off;
25 and I will give you into the hand of those who seek your life, and into the hand of those whose face you fear—the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the hand of the Chaldeans.
26 So I will cast you out, and your mother who bore you, into another country where you were not born; and there you shall die.
27 But to the land to which they desire to return, there they shall not return.
28 Is this man Coniah a despised, broken idol— a vessel in which is no pleasure? Why are they cast out, he and his descendants, and cast into a land which they do not know?
29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord!
30 Thus says the Lord: ‘Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not prosper in his days; for none of his descendants shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David, and ruling anymore in Judah.’”

God addresses Coniah (Jehoiachin), declaring that even if he were like a precious signet ring, he would still be cast off due to his unfaithfulness. Coniah, along with his mother, will be taken captive to Babylon, far from the homeland they yearn to see again. God regards Coniah as a broken, unwanted vessel and decrees that none of his descendants will succeed him on the throne, ending his royal line. This judgment underscores the consequence of Judah’s persistent rebellion and foreshadows the end of Davidic kingship until the coming of the Messiah, who would establish an everlasting throne.

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