(The video is in French, with English subtitles available.)
When God compares Jehoïakim with his father Josias
In Jeremiah 22:13–19, a very vivid, but dramatic, description of Jehoiakim’s reign is given to us. He thought only of greatness, achieving his goals through injustice, lack of righteousness, and by using others without paying for the work done. “Thine eyes and thy heart are only on thine extortion, and on the blood of the innocent, to shed it, and on oppression and on violence, to do it.” (Jeremiah 22:17)
This shows us the true character of this king from whom we learn very little in the books of Kings and Chronicles.
A very important question will be asked of him by the Lord: “Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice? Then it was well with him.” (Jeremiah 22:15)
Josiah, his father, was certainly great and blessed, and the Lord would certainly not have deprived Jehoiakim of the same thing. Josiah feared God, he practised judgment and justice, and everything went well for him. Jehoiakim should have learned something from his father’s piety. But unfortunately, he did walked a path that was quite the opposite of that. Instead of judgment and justice, we have violence and injustice; two key words that we can remember about Jehoiakim.
There was a very strong and personal message for Jehoiakim in these words. Unfortunately, his heart was not attentive to the word of the Lord; quite the contrary. He wanted to live in his own way and do as he wished. But his path of violence and injustice earned him the righteous judgment of God.
This new video presents three lessons learned from Jehoiakim’s reign.