2 Kings 23 Two Brothers

We are coming to another quick succession in kings. Two brothers will reign within months of one another. Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim.

When I started reading this morning, one of the first things that caught my attention, beyond the short length of reign for Jehoahaz, is that the younger brother rules before the older brother. Jehoahaz is 23 when he begins to reign. He reigns for 3 months. Jehoiakim is 25 when he takes the throne. Did choosing one over the other have something to do with their mothers? Was one wife ‘higher in rank’ than the other? The people of Judah are the ones that put Jehoahaz on the throne. They must have known something that we don’t.

However they got onto the throne, their stories are complicated. The book of 2 Kings and even 2 Chronicles don’t give us much information. But the story of the final kings emerges in the later chapters of Jeremiah. I’m going to be tying all the events together into one story. Let’s rejoin our story and walk where the Spirit of the Lord leads us.

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Josiah is dead and buried, yet the people continue to mourn for him. The people’s mourning is in the middle of its second month. Jehoahaz is frustrated by the people focusing on his abba. “Yes. He was a great king, but it is MY turn on the throne! I want the people to listen to me” whines Jehoahaz.

To distinguish himself from his abba, Jehoahaz sets up the first high place. It is not a huge altar, just one to test the waters with the people. He puts it on a hill outside Jerusalem. It is in easy walking distance and has an Asheroth pole as its focal point.

Within days Jehoahaz notices that there is traffic in the high place he erected. He puts up two more, one for Baal and one for the sun god. He is pleased to see the people responding to them. “Now they will start to follow me instead of clinging to my dead abba” he tells himself.

There is only one problem with Jehoahaz’s plan. Because of Josiah going out to meet Pharaoh Neco, it has put Judah in his sights. Pharaoh is mopping up the battle he fought with the king of Assyria. Once he finishes, he has already made plans to come against Jerusalem.

Pharaoh Neco is at the gates of Jerusalem and demanding the surrender of the king or he will destroy the land, city by city. Jehoahaz is terrified. “What do I do” he asks his advisors.

The advisors are not Jehoahaz’s staunchest supporters. They are thinking of themselves, and the people of Judah. After all, Jehoahaz has only been on the throne three months. They haven’t had time to treasure him as their king.

“For the sake of the people, we beg you to surrender yourself into the hands of Pharaoh Neco. Being you willingly surrender; he is not likely to put you to death.”

Jehoahaz hangs his head. This was the option he was already leaning towards. He was hoping that his people would stand up for him or have a better option that he could take. Jehoahaz slams his hands, palms down, on the arms of the throne. “Then, let’s get to it” he says as he stands.

Jehoahaz calls to the guard. “Open the gate and allow Pharaoh Neco entrance. I will surrender to him.”

Five minutes later, Pharaoh Neco comes strutting into the throne room of Judah. He does not bother to bow, but he does slightly incline his head towards Jehoahaz. Jehoahaz steps down from the dais where the throne sits. Pharaoh Neco mounts the stairs but does not take the throne.

“Bring me the sons of Josiah. I will select one to rule as my vassal.”

The sons of Josiah stand before Pharaoh Neco and he chooses Eliakim from among them. He is the eldest of all of Josiah’s children. “Do you swear to faithfully follow my dictates and laws? To keep your people in line? And to render to me the price I demand as my vassal king for the rest of your life?”

“I will, my lord” Eliakim answers.

Pharaoh Neco holds his hand out towards the throne, indicating to Eliakim that he should sit on it. As Eliakim comes forward, just before he puts his foot on the first step, Pharaoh Neco speaks again. “No longer will your name be Eliakim. It shall from now on be Jehoiakim. And you are from this day forth my faithful servant. Judah is safe as long as you do not rebel against me. You will deliver to me, as tribute, each year one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold.”

Jehoiakim nods and then ascends the stairs to the throne. Once he turns and sits down, Pharaoh Neco gives him the most piercing look imaginable. “DO NOT fail me.”

Jehoiakim feels the deadly stare of Pharaoh Neco. A lump the size of an olive clogs his throat so he cannot speak. He nods instead. Pharaoh Neco turns and marches to the main gate of the city.

Once through the gates, he and his men turn their feet to Egypt, taking Jehoahaz with him, in chains. Jehoahaz looks longingly one las time towards the city. He will never see it again.

Jehoiakim gets right to work. He is going to need help paying the tribute to Pharaoh Neco. “Why should I be the only one to suffer under Pharaoh Neco’s hand” Jehoiakim asks himself out loud.

The very next day, a tax is instituted on ALL the people. No one is exempt. And it, over time, provides enough revenue to meet Pharaoh Neco’s demand. The people are not happy but they comply with the king’s demand.

For three years, Judah has been a vassal kingdom to Egypt during the reign of Jehoiakim and he has not feared any other nation, until now. A new ruler arises in Babylon. His name is Nebuchadnezzar and he is ruthless. He takes the throne by storm and does the same to all his enemies. Egypt is one of those enemies. Since Judah is a vassal kingdom of Egypt, with Egypt’s defeat, Judah is free again.

Jehoiakim decides to follow in his brother’s footsteps with establishing altars again. He stops short of what Manasseh had done, offering children as burnt sacrifices. But high places begin popping up all over and he does nothing to stop them.

Now that Judah is free, one would expect the people to turn back to their God. But it doesn’t happen. God is NOT happy with Judah’s turning to other gods. Not that He is surprised or anything. To address it though He sends the prophet Jeremiah on a mission. “Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak with them and bring them to the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers; then offer them wine to drink” (Jeremiah 35:2).

Jeremiah goes to the place where the Rechabites have settled in Jerusalem. He speaks directly with Jaazaniah. He is the leader of the whole house of the Rechabites, along with his brother.

“Come with me to the House of the Lord, for the Lord God has sent me to you.”

Jaazaniah readily agrees. He calls all his family to accompany him and Jeremiah to the house of the Lord. When they arrive, they go into one of the chambers on the outside of the Holy Place. This is the area where the priests live. Jeramiah uses the chambers belonging to the sons of Hanon.

Once everyone is inside the room, Jeremiah brings a pitcher of wine and several cups to a table. He sets them up and then turns to Jaazaniah. “Drink wine” (Jeremiah 35:5b), says Jeremiah.

Jaazaniah vehemently shakes his head and steps back. He does not want to offend the man of God, but he WILLNOT drink wine. “We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, ‘You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons forever. You shall not build a house; you shall not sow seed; you shall not plant or have a vineyard; but you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.’ We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, and not to build houses to dwell in. We have no vineyard or field or, but we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done all that Jonadab our father commanded us. But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, ‘Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans and the army of the Syrians.’ So we are living in Jerusalem” (Jeremiah 35:6-11).

Jeremiah is impressed with this people but is uncertain why God would have him set wine before them. Until God speaks again to him.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and listen to my words? declares the Lord. The command that Jonadab the son of Rechab gave to his sons, to drink no wine, has been kept, and they drink none to this day, for they have obeyed their father’s command. I have spoken to you persistently, but you have not listened to me. I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, ‘Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.’ But you did not incline your ear or listen to me. ¹The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have kept the command that their father gave them, but this people has not obeyed me.  Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them and they have not listened, I have called to them and they have not answered” (Jeremiah 35:13-17).

Jeremiah looks at Jaazaniah. “Thank you for helping me today. I must go and deliver a message to the people. I would be honored if you would come and stand near me while I do.”

Jaazaniah and his family follow Jeremiah into the courtyard of the Temple. King Jehoiakim is present when this group emerges from the side of the Temple. Jeremiah walks to the center of the courtyard and speaks all the words that the Lord had given him in the chambers of the sons of Hanan.

As Jeremiah speaks to the people, he points out the family standing beside him, who are faithful to this day to a command given by one of their distant fathers. They are an example that none of Israel can match. Jeremiah looks directly at Jehoiakim when speaking of being obedient to their fathers. Jehoiakim is a glaring example of walking away from the teachings and commands of one’s father.

Once Jeremiah has finished speaking to the people, he turns to Jaazaniah. “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts and done all that he commanded you, therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall never lack a man to stand before me” (Jeremiah 35:18-19).

Even though Jeremiah spoke directly to Jehoiakim, he does not change his ways. He encouraged and allowed Judah to seek the gods of the nations around them. God sees Jehoiakim’s hardening heart.

Jeremiah continues to go to the House of the Lord and call out to the people for the Lord. On the one-year anniversary of Jeremiah’s appearance with the Rechabites, Jehoiakim has a message for Jeremiah.

“If you go to the Temple of the Lord again, stirring up the people, I will have you put in prison. If you continue to speak from there, I will have you killed!”

Jeremiah does not hear the Lord call him directly to stand in the Temple again. If the Lord DOES call him to do this, Jeremiah WILL, no matter what the cost. For now, Jeremiah bows to the will of the king.

While Judah ‘enjoys her freedom, Nebuchadnezzar is gobbling up nations right and left. He takes Syria and Palestine along with Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar even comes to the boarders of Judah but does not attack it. Prisoners are taken but nothing more.

After four years of Jehoiakim on the throne of Judah, God sends him another message. This one is for everyone but God also plans for it to be read directly to Jehoiakim.

“Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin” (Jeremiah 36:2-3).

Jeremiah purchases a scroll and brings it to Baruch the son of Neriah. Baruch is a loyal friend of Jeremiah and faithful to the Lord. He has taken dictation for Jeremiah before, but this project will be a lengthy one.

“The Lord has commanded me the write on a scroll ALL the words that He has given me, from the time of Josiah until now. As I dictate them, you will write them, for your hand is much better than mine.”

Baruch and Jeremiah spend months working on this scroll. God has given Jeremiah MUCH to say over the years and ALL of it must be included. There is no way that Jeremiah can remember every word he has uttered to date in prophecy, so the Spirit of the Lord gives him the words again. They taste familiar in his mouth and bring back memories of when and where they were originally delivered. They also bring back memories of how the messages were received and, or, rejected.

The scroll is finally finished! But Jeremiah cannot deliver it himself in the House of the Lord. Not even from a secret place. The king has banned him from the House of the Lord, but he hasn’t banned Baruch.

In the fifth year of Jehoiakim’s appointment to the throne, Ashkelon falls to Nebuchadnezzar. Judah is surrounded and the people are feeling the press. The people proclaim a fast to the Lord. They are seeking His help. Jehoiakim doesn’t attend the fast, but he doesn’t stop it either. This is the moment Jeremiah has been waiting for. The scroll is ready, and all those who honor the Lord will be in attendance in the House of the Lord. He gives Baruch his next instructions.

“I am banned from going to the house of the Lord, so you are to go, and on a day of fasting in the hearing of all the people in the Lord’s house you shall read the words of the Lord from the scroll that you have written at my dictation. You shall read them also in the hearing of all the men of Judah who come out of their cities. It may be that their plea for mercy will come before the Lord, and that every one will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and wrath that the Lord has pronounced against this people” (Jeremiah 5-7).

Baruch is more than willing to share this great work of the Lord. “The people NEED to hear this! I am honored to go in your place, my lord.”

The morning of the fast dawns and Baruch hurries to the House of the Lord. He decides not to take up a ‘front and center’ position, but to read from a window of one of the rooms beside the House of the Lord. Gemariah lends Baruch his chambers for the reading.

In a loud and clear voice, Baruch begins reading. It takes a minute before the people notice the singular voice above their own conversations. As soon as they do, they stop talking and listen. Within fifteen minutes, the courtyard is completely silent except for Baruch’s voice ringing out above them. The people tremble as they hear the words of Jeremiah. Nebuchadnezzar is closing in on them, and Jeremiah’s words ring true.

Micaiah the son of Gemariah, whose room Baruch is using, hears the words of the Lord. His heart begins to beat faster and his spirit compels him to share this news. As soon as Baruch is finished reading, Micaiah hurries to the secretary’s chambers in the king’s house. Sitting in this room are “Elishama the secretary, Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, Elnathan the son of Achbor, Gemariah the son of Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the officials” (Jeremiah 36:12).

When Micaiah enters, his face is flushed and fear radiates off him like the sun in summer. Every eye turns to him and all conversation ceases. “I was in the House of the Lord today for the fast, and I heard the words of the Lord being read from a scroll. I know they were Jeremiah’s words but the voice was not his. The Lord’s words speak of the very days we are in. He is calling Judah to repent before disaster strikes us from the wrath of God.”

“We must hear these words for ourselves. Jehudi, go to the man who has read the scroll. Entreat him to come to us. Say to him; ‘Take in your hand the scroll that you read in the hearing of the people, and come’” (Jeremiah 36:13).

Baruch is easy to find as he is still reading to the people. He willingly goes with Jehudi to the place where the officials are gathered. When he enters the room, a chair is quickly vacated for him near a table.

“Sit down and read it” (Jeremiah 35:15) Elishama says while gesturing to the chair.

Baruch sits down and begins reading. Stillness fills the room, except for Baruch’s voice. Not a word is spoken until he lays the scroll down and looks up at those listening. All of those present feel the same fear that Micaiah exhibited when he came to them.

“We must report all these words to the king” (Jeremiah 36:16), Zedekiah says.

 “Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?” (Jeremiah 36:17).

The officials need not even speak Jeremiah’s name. All know the man who delivered these words. They have heard them before; from Jeremiah’s own mouth.

“He dictated all these words to me, while I wrote them with ink on the scroll” (Jeremiah 36:18) answers Baruch.

“Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are” (Jeremiah 36:19). Let us keep the scroll hidden here until the king tells us what to do” they urge Baruch.

Baruch leaves the scroll and goes to where Jeremiah has been waiting. “We need to hurry and hide. The elders are going to take the scroll and read it before the king.”

“O how I would love to be a fly on the wall as the king hears the words of the Lord. But I understand. We will find a safe place and trust in the Lord to protect us.”

While Baruch and Jeremiah are entering their hiding place, the elders who were all gathered in Elishama’s room go together to the king. Elishama is the spokesman for the group.

“My king, today in the House of the Lord, there was a scroll read containing all the words of Jeremiah the prophet, from first to last. It has put terror into the hearts of the people and your officials gathered here. For we have heard the words of the Lord concerning Judah if the people continue on the path they are on. Words of destruction and captivity. Words of bondage to the king of Babylon. Words of this great city being burned to the ground.”

“I want to hear these words myself, so that I may judge them according to my heart. Where is the scroll now?”

“It is in my chambers, my king, for safe keeping.”

“Jehudi, go and retrieve it for me and then read it in my hearing.”

Jehudi bows, then hurries to retrieve the scroll. When he returns to the inner chambers of the house of the king, he settles himself at a table to read the entire scroll. The room is a very comfortable room with chairs for everyone and a fire pot burning in the center of the room to keep the winter chill away.

Jehudi begins carefully reading the words penned on the scroll. He doesn’t want to miss a single word or make a mistake. The king is hovering nearby. He is holding a small knife and cleaning his fingernails with it. After Jehudi reads about three columns, Jehoiakim steps over to the desk and takes his knife and cuts those columns from the scroll.

“No! Sire you mustn’t” exclaims Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah. Their words echo throughout the room but fall on deaf ears. Jehudi even started to pull the scroll away from the knife, but one look from Jehoiakim stills him.

After the columns are cut from the scroll, Jehoiakim tells Jehudi to continue reading. Sweat is beading on Jehudi’s brow as he continues reading.

While Jehudi is reading, Jehoiakim takes the piece of scroll he has in his hand and steps over to the firepot. He drops it in and watches it ignite. The elders in the room make as if to rush the pot to retrieve the fragment of the scroll, but Jehoiakim stills them as well with a practiced look. They all stay in their seats, but on the edge of them as they watch.

This spectacle continues to the very end of the scroll. As soon as Jehudi finishes a few columns of text, Jehoiakim cuts it from the scroll and drops it in the fire pot. Jehudi’s entire head is soaked with perspiration. His hands are trembling and he has to move them away from the scroll so the words don’t shake before his eyes.

Jehudi has no idea the punishment he will receive from the Lord for allowing His words to be treated this way, but he is too terrified of the king to do anything more than bear witness. He has been expecting the Lord to strike Jehoiakim dead on the spot, but it hasn’t happened.

When Jehudi reaches the last column of text and the final word has been spoken, he falls back in his chair exhausted. This is the hardest thing he has ever done. Jehoiakim laughs at Jehudi’s discomfort. His heart and the hearts of his servants have not been pricked by the words of the Lord at all. They have summarily dismissed them as Jehoiakim destroyed them.

After the scroll is completely consumed by the fire, the king speaks to Jerahmeel the king’s son and Seraiah the son of Azriel and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel. “Go and seize Baruch and Jeremiah. Bring them to the lowest cells in the prison.”

The men searched high and low for Jeremiah and Baruch but couldn’t find them, for the Lord hid them. They report back to Jehoiakim. “We are unable to locate either man, my king.”

Jehoiakim shakes his head in frustration. “No matter. Their accursed scroll is no more.”

The Lord speaks to Jeremiah while he and Baruch are in hiding.

“Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned. And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord, You have burned this scroll, saying, “Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cut off from it man and beast?” Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night. And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity. I will bring upon them and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the people of Judah all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, but they would not hear’” (Jeremiah 36:28-31).

After hearing the Lord’s words, Jeremiah turns to Baruch. “It looks like we have work to do. Jehoiakim has destroyed the first scroll, but the Lord will NOT let His words be destroyed so easily. He says that we are to write the words again, and this time, we include all that Jehoiakim did and the Lord’s judgment on him for his actions.”

“I’m ready whenever you are, my lord.”

Jeremiah and Baruch work on the scroll and it is completed before the judgment of the Lord falls on Jehoiakim.

As Nebuchadnezzar approaches Judah, Jehoiakim sends word to him that Judah is willing to become Babylon’s vassal. Nebuchadnezzar accepts Jehoiakim’s proposal. As the two seal the deal, Jehoiakim has a ‘flash back’ to the day he burned the scroll of Jeremiah. But he puts the thought completely out of his mind, since this arrangement is a partnership, NOT the king of Babylon sacking Judah.

For three years, Jehoiakim maintains Judah’s service to Nebuchadnezzar, but Judah is fighting battles with her neighbors. Syrian, Moabite, and Ammonite bands keep attacking and Nebuchadnezzar is doing nothing to protect Judah against them. Jehoiakim has had enough.

“If Nebuchadnezzar will not protect us, what is the use of a treaty with him? I will not send him one more cent!” Jehoiakim vows.

It doesn’t take long for Nebuchadnezzar to notice Judah’s rebellion. And with Judah’s mounting trouble, it takes little for Nebuchadnezzar to subdue Jerusalem. Jehoiakim is injured in the battle to protect Jerusalem but surrenders in the end.

Nebuchadnezzar enters Judah with Jehoiakim bound in chains beside him. “Call the king’s sons. I will select the next one to serve me from the throne. This one is finished!” Nebuchadnezzar says while rattling the chains on Jehoiakim’s arms.

Nebuchadnezzar chooses Jehoiachin to sit on his abba’s throne. Jehoiachin is eighteen years old when he is chosen by Nebuchadnezzar to serve Judah and Babylon.

“Serve me well, or you too will be taken away in chains” warns Nebuchadnezzar as he departs the palace. Before leaving the city, Nebuchadnezzar makes a trip through the House of the Lord. He takes some of the vessels that appeal to him but does not take everything.

On the journey back to Babylon, Jehoiakim dies of his injuries, bur his body is not returned to Judah for burial. His death is simply one less prisoner that Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t have to feed.

(to be continued)

This has been one extremely involved story when it comes to trying to fit all the pieces into the timeline. I found a source, Jewishvirtuallibrary.com, that provided me with the timeline of Nebuchadnezzar’s movements and the reason for the fast that was proclaimed. I thoroughly enjoyed putting all the pieces together! But I had to keep reworking the story as new information came to light.

One of the scenes that speaks to me is when Jehoiakim is destroying the scroll bit by bit. I can see him in my mind’s eye doing this. And I too am wondering why God didn’t strike him dead where he stood. Probably because there was more for him to do in God’s plan. NOT because he ever repented of his actions.

The scroll being read, which spoke of the events happening at that very time, reminds me of our world today. So many of the prophecies regarding the return of Jesus are staring us in the face. Yet, some STILL refuse to listen. They are ‘busy cutting up the scroll’ and laughing about it. When the day comes, they won’t be laughing any more than Jehoiakim was as he was led away in chains!

Father God, help me heed Your warning signs. Don’t let me become ‘chicken little’ running around crying ‘the sky is falling’, but help me see the approaching day with faith in Your promises. Those who put their trust in You WILL be saved! No matter what comes, I cling to YOUR hand. Better yet, I ask that You cling to my hand, because mine may slip, but Yours NEVER will.