AUGUST 4 READINGS...2 Chronicles 36:1-4 & 2 Kings 23:31-37 & 2 Chronicles 36:5 & Jeremiah 22:1-23 & 26:1-24 & 2 Kings 24:1-4 & Jeremiah 25:1-14
Jehoahaz rules in Judah for three months, he was an evil king. He is deposed by the king of Egypt, taken into captivity where he dies. His brother, Eliakim, was put on the throne by the king of Egypt, who changed his name to Jehoiakim…he too was an evil king. God raises up the prophet Jeremiah to share a warning to these two kings. He prophesies that Jehoahaz would be taken into captivity and die there…it happened just as he prophesied. God had Jeremiah tell these kings to begin to do what was right, just as their father, Josiah, had done…they would not listen to the prophet of God. Jeremiah then speaks to Jehoiakim directly and calls him to accountability about his forced labor, his injustice, his unwillingness to pay workers…he warned him about his greed and dishonesty, his murder of the innocent, oppression of the poor, and his ruthless reign. God said because of these things King Jehoiakim will be buried like a dead donkey…he will be dragged outside the gates of the city and dumped there.
Now the Lord moves on Jeremiah, and tells him to go and speak the very words the Lord gives him to the political and religious leaders of Judah. God has Jeremiah tell them that because of their sin and unrepentant hearts He was going to destroy the Temple. This outraged the leaders, so much so that they wanted to kill Jeremiah. This ought to bring to mind those who killed Jesus, and part of their accusation against Him was that He spoke treason when He said the Temple would be destroyed (of course they didn’t understand in that case, Jesus was talking about His own body). These leaders began to charge Jeremiah with treason for his prophecy. But who is really the traitor? Is it the one who speaks truth, even though that truth includes the destruction of their precious Temple…or is the traitor the ones who continue to destroy the people of that nation from the inside? They finally decide they would not kill Jeremiah. The Lord begins to bring the fulfillment of His judgment to reality for Judah, as He raises up Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar is raised up by the Lord for this purpose. Jeremiah prophesies not only the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by Nebuchadnezzar, but he prophesies that the captivity of the people in Babylon will be for seventy years. We will see that Jeremiah’s prophecy will come to pass, just as he stated…yet still God’s people will not listen.
Please share any thoughts you might have from today’s reading. Ask the Lord to give you ears to hear His voice…ask Him to give you boldness to speak His truth…ask Him to give you faith to do whatever He calls your to.
TOMORROW’S READINGS…Jeremiah 25:15-38 & 36:1-32 & 45:1-5 & 46:1-28
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