The Perversity of King Jehoiakim

At the very time Jeremiah was urging messages of impending doom on princes and people, Jehoiakim, who should have been leading a reformation, was spending his time in selfish pleasure. He proposed, “I will build myself a wide house with spacious chambers, ... paneling it with cedar and painting it with vermilion.” Jeremiah 22:14. This house he built with money and labor he obtained through fraud and oppression.RR 152.2

God inspired Jeremiah to pronounce judgment on the faithless ruler: “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by injustice, who uses his neighbor’s service without wages and gives him nothing for his work.” “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: ‘They shall not lament for him. ... He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey, dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.’” Verses 13, 18, 19.RR 152.3

Within a few years Jehoiakim would experience this terrible judgment. But first the Lord in mercy informed the rebellious nation of His plan: “Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah,” pointing out that for more than twenty years he had borne witness of God’s desire to save, but that the people had despised his messages. See Jeremiah 25:1-3. And now, “thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Because you have not heard My words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, ... and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land. ... This whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.’” Verses 8-11.RR 152.4

The Lord compared the fate of the nation to the draining of a cup filled with the wine of divine wrath. Among the first to drink from this cup was to be “Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its princes.” Verse 18. Others would partake of the same cup—Egypt and many other nations. See Jeremiah 25.RR 152.5

To illustrate further the coming judgments, God instructed the prophet to “take with you some of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests, and go out to the valley of the son of Hinnom” (Jeremiah 19:1, 2, NRSV) and there dash to pieces a “potter’s earthenware jug” (verse 1) and declare in behalf of the Lord, “Even so I will break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot be made whole again.” Verse 11. Returning to the city, he stood in the court of the temple and declared, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will bring on this city and on all her towns all the doom that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks that they might not hear My words.’” Verse 15.RR 153.1

The prophet’s words stirred the anger of those high in authority, and they imprisoned Jeremiah and placed him in the stocks. Still, his voice could not be silenced. The word of truth, he declared, “was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.” Jeremiah 20:9.RR 153.2

About this time the Lord commanded Jeremiah to write his messages. “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 when the house of Judah hears of all the disasters that I intend to do to them, all of them may turn from their evil ways, so that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.” Jeremiah 36:2, 3, NRSV.RR 153.3

In obedience to this command, Jeremiah called his faithful friend, Baruch the scribe, and dictated “all the words of the Lord which He had spoken to him.” Verse 4. Written on a parchment scroll, these words constituted a warning of the sure result of continued apostasy and an earnest appeal for them to renounce all evil.RR 153.4

Jeremiah, still a prisoner, sent Baruch to read the roll to the crowds at the temple on a national fast day. “It may be,” the prophet said, “that they will present their supplication before the Lord, and everyone will turn from his evil way. For great is the anger and the fury that the Lord has pronounced against this people.” Verse 7.RR 153.5

Baruch read the scroll before all the people. Afterward the princes summoned the scribe to read the words to them. They listened with great interest and promised to inform the king, but they counseled Baruch to hide himself, for they feared the king would try to kill those who had prepared and delivered the message.RR 153.6

Jehoiakim immediately ordered the scroll read in his hearing. One of the royal attendants, Jehudi, began reading the words of reproof and warning. It was winter, and the king and princes were gathered around an open fire. The king, far from trembling at the danger facing himself and his people, seized the scroll and in a frenzy of rage “cut it with the scribe’s knife and cast it into the fire ... until all the scroll was consumed.” Verse 23.RR 153.7

Neither the king nor his princes “was afraid, nor did they tear their garments.” Certain of the princes, however, “implored the king not to burn the scroll; but he would not listen to them.” The wicked king sent for Jeremiah and Baruch to be arrested, “but the Lord hid them.” Verses 24-26.RR 154.1

God was graciously seeking to warn the people of Judah for their good. He pities those who struggle in the blindness of self-will. He seeks to enlighten the darkened understanding. He tries to help the self-complacent become dissatisfied and seek for a close connection with heaven.RR 154.2