Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20040718.htm

1 AND 2 KINGS: ENJOYING GOD'S BLESSING IN AN APOSTATE ERA
Part LXII: Blessing By Heeding, Not Rejecting, Scripture's Corrections
(2 Kings 23:34-24:7; 2 Chronicles 36:5-8 with Jeremiah 22:13-19; 36:1-32)
  1. Introduction
    1. We believers in Christ love to be nurtured positively by the Lord's Word.
    2. Yet, not only does Scripture nurture, but it negatively works to clarify and condemn sin, to call us to repent and to correct our path that we might live righteously for God's blessing, cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-4:2!
    3. The lives and times of kings Josiah and his son, Jehoiakim illustrate this truth in a vivid way as follows:
  2. Blessing By Heeding, Not Rejecting, Scripture's Corrections.
    1. When Jehoiakim came to the throne as Pharaoh-Necho, an instrument of God's judgment, had deposed Jehoiakim's brother, Jehoahaz (cf. 2 Kings 23:31-33 with Jeremiah 22:10-12 and our last lesson in this series), Jehoiakim had a great, godly example to mimic in his father, Josiah, cf. 2 Kings 23:34; 23:22-25.
    2. However, decidedly unlike his father, Josiah, king Jehoiakim bent his heart to reject and not heed the CORRECTIONS of the Word of God, and that to his severe shame and infamous fall (as follows):
      1. On the one hand, king Josiah bent his heart to heed the corrections of God's Word once he knew them:
        1. We recall when Josiah came to the throne, he at first did not know what the Scriptures taught, and so was apparently steeped in idolatry and other sins, cf. 2 Chronicles 34:1, 3 with 2 Kings 22:8-10.
        2. Yet, once he was read the copy of the Law found in the temple and realized it condemned the idolatry of Judah, Josiah rapidly, fully repented and led the land to reform, 2 Kings 22:11-13; 23:3ff.
      2. Yet, in stark contrast to his father, Jehoiakim resisted heeding Scripture's correction to his horrid fall:
        1. God led the godly and great prophet, Jeremiah to write a critique of Jehoiakim's reign, noting in particular how CONTRARY to the godly example of his father, Josiah was Jehoia kim's oversight (Jeremiah 22:13-17): Jeremiah wrote about God's objection to Jehoiakim's constructing his palace without adequately paying the laborers who had worked on it (22:13-14), that this was not what his father (Josiah) had done with God's blessing for his actions (22:15); rather, Josiah had judged the cause of the poor and needy so that God had blessed him (cf. Jer. 22:16-17 with Deut. 17:18, 20a).
        2. Then, God had Jeremiah cause the words of these prophetic writings and others read to be read to Jehoiakim in hope that this king would hear its critique and repent so that God could bless him, Jer. 36:1-3. God thus gave Jehoiakim a chance to respond to the corrections of His written Word much as his father, Josiah had responded in truly repenting when the Law was first read to him!
        3. However, when Jeremiah's scroll was read in king Jehoiakim's presence, in stunning CONTRAST to the response of Josiah in 2 Kings 22:11 who tore his clothes in contrition, Jehoiakim tore up the scroll as it was read to him and threw it into his winter fire that kept himself warm, Jer . 36:1, 21-23!
        4. In contrast to his father, Josiah who responded to the reading of the Law by seeking how to respond to God's correction by getting insight from God's prophetess, Huldah, Jehoiakim sought to harm god's prophet, Jeremiah and his scribe, Baruch, but God hid them, Jer. 36:26 with 2 Kings 22:13ff.
        5. Thus, Jehoiakim was condemned to a sad end: (a) For refusing to repent as had Josiah, God said Jehoiakim would not be mourned like Josiah, Jer. 22:18 with 10a. (b) Jehoiakim's body would be drawn and cast into a field like a donkey, 22:19; 36:30. (c) His line would cease producing kings for David's throne, 36:30. [Jehoiakim's son, Jehoiachin was the last in his line on David's throne!]
        6. In the end, Jehoiakim became a servant to the king of Babylon only to rebel against him and die before the Babylonian king could return to punish him, 2 Kings 24:1-2, 3-6 with Z.P.E.B., vol. Three, p. 420. In the meantime, Jerusalem was subject to raids by the Syrians and Moabites, and at this time Jehoiakim apparently died by assassination and his body was mistreated as predicted, Ibid.
Lesson: For NOT following his father's EXAMPLE of HEEDING the CORRECTION God's WORD, in place of the blessing for repentance enjoyed by his father, Jehoiakim was severely punished!

Application: From the STARKLY CONTRASTING RESULTS to the STARKLY CONTRASTING RESPONSES to the CRITIQUES of SCRIPTURE as seen in the lives of Josiah and Jehoiakim, may we see the NEED to HEED Scripture's CORRECTION for BLESSING in our lives!