What actions of Jehoiakim were "evil in the sight of the LORD"? Jehoiakim’s Setting in Scripture • “Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem… And he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God.” (2 Chronicles 36:5) • His reign is recorded chiefly in 2 Kings 23:36–24:7; 2 Chronicles 36:5–8; and several prophetic sections of Jeremiah (chs. 22, 25, 26, 36, 45). Key Actions the Bible Calls Evil 1. Rejection of God’s Word – When Jeremiah’s scroll was read to him, “he cut it with a scribe’s knife and threw it into the fire… until the entire scroll was consumed” (Jeremiah 36:23). – He then ordered the arrest of Jeremiah and Baruch (Jeremiah 36:26). 2. Idolatry and Continuation of His Father’s Pagan Practices – 2 Kings 23:37 notes that Jehoiakim persisted “according to all his fathers had done,” a summary phrase linking him with Manasseh’s and Amon’s idol worship (cf. 2 Kings 21:3–6). – Jeremiah 25:6–7 exposes the ongoing idolatry of the nation under his rule. 3. Violent Oppression and Bloodshed – “Your eyes and your heart are set only on your own dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood, on practicing oppression and extortion.” (Jeremiah 22:17) – According to 2 Kings 24:4, “the sins he had committed, including the shedding of innocent blood,” brought God’s judgment. 4. Exploitation through Forced Labor and Unjust Taxation – Jehoiakim built an extravagant palace, yet withheld wages: “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness… who makes his neighbors serve without pay!” (Jeremiah 22:13). – He imposed heavy tribute on the land to pay Egypt (2 Kings 23:35). 5. Persecution of the Prophets – He approved the execution of the prophet Uriah (Jeremiah 26:20–23). – His hostility toward God’s messengers illustrates direct resistance to divine correction. 6. Political Rebellion against God-Ordained Discipline – After pledging allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar, he rebelled (2 Kings 24:1). – The LORD “sent against him Chaldean, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders” as judgment (2 Kings 24:2). Consequences That Confirm God’s Verdict • Prophetic warning: “He shall be buried like a donkey—dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem” (Jeremiah 22:19). • Fulfillment: “Nebuchadnezzar bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon” (2 Chronicles 36:6). • National fallout: relentless raids (2 Kings 24:2–3) and eventual exile, exactly as God foretold. Takeaway Reflections • God’s assessment of Jehoiakim centers on his deliberate spurning of revealed truth, his injustice toward people, and his persistence in idolatry. • The narrative underscores that rejecting Scripture and oppressing others are inseparable from divine judgment, reaffirming the unchanging standard that what a king—or anyone—does with God’s word ultimately determines whether his deeds are “evil in the sight of the LORD.” |
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