Compare Jehoiakim's actions with Jesus' teachings on wealth in Matthew 6:24. Jehoiakim’s Pursuit of Wealth • 2 Kings 23:35 records that Jehoiakim “taxed the land to give the money at the command of Pharaoh Necho; each man was assessed according to his wealth.” • Jeremiah 22:13–14 exposes his method: “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his neighbor serve without pay and refuses to give him his wages… ‘I will build myself a grand palace with spacious upper rooms.’” • Jeremiah 22:17 reveals the heart driving those policies: “But your eyes and heart are set on nothing but your own dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood, on oppression and extortion.” • Jehoiakim even sliced up and burned Jeremiah’s prophetic scroll (Jeremiah 36:23) when it threatened his comfort—money ruled his decisions, not God’s word. Jesus Draws the Line on Wealth “ No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24) Side-by-Side Observations • Motive – Jehoiakim: personal luxury and political pay-offs. – Jesus: wholehearted devotion to the Father. • Means – Jehoiakim: oppressive taxation, withheld wages, violent intimidation. – Jesus: trust in God’s provision (Matthew 6:25-33), generosity to the needy (Luke 12:33). • Relationship to God’s Word – Jehoiakim: destroys the scroll to silence conviction. – Jesus: lives “by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). • Impact on People – Jehoiakim: impoverishes subjects and sheds innocent blood. – Jesus: lifts burdens, feeds the hungry, heals the sick. • Ultimate Loyalty – Jehoiakim: money as master. – Jesus: God as sole Master. Consequences of Each Path • Jehoiakim’s kingdom collapses; he dies in disgrace, “buried with the burial of a donkey” (Jeremiah 22:19). • Those who follow Jesus’ teaching “store up treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20) and find “great gain” in godliness with contentment (1 Timothy 6:6-10). Timeless Takeaways • Greed always demands more, even at the cost of justice and compassion. • God notices how wealth is gained and used; unrighteous gain invites judgment (Proverbs 15:27). • Only one throne exists in the human heart—if money occupies it, God does not. • Loyal service to God frees a person from anxiety over provision and opens the door to generous living (Hebrews 13:5). |
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