Jeremiah 22

We are not all the same. There are those who are placed by God in special positions of responsibility. While God is no respecter of persons, He has put certain people in the position of being the superiors in a society and others in the position of inferiors to them. To him whom much is given, much is required. To be in a superior position is to have a duty to those whom you rule. All of this seems odd to those who are convinced of egalitarianism in its most radical form, but it is the way things are. Of course, God is not our equal, and He is most free to place some people in a position above others.

The kings of Judah were in this superior position. Yet they sinned against God in the way they used the authority that they had been granted. Here God calls them back to obedience. There is a way to be a king, and a way not to be a king. I suppose this would be something of a lost art in the current environment that we live in today – which is not all that king-friendly. The King was to do justice and righteousness, using His authority as a gift from God for the good of those governed with a sense of humble service to our superior Sovereign, the Lord God Almighty. Taking His instruction from the King of kings, the King of Judah should have rescued the needy and the oppressed from the hands of those who abused them. Of course, that means that the king and his officials must not themselves be the oppressing party, doing violence against the weak.

There will be consequences for the kings who disobey these clear instructions. If they ignore the Lord of Israel, their land will become a desolation. Though they were precious in the Lord’s sight, he will make them an uninhabited city. He will appoint destroyers who will come against them and will humble them. The world will see their destruction and learn of their disobedience – that they had ignored the word of God and turned toward other gods. If the Lord’s anger comes against the house of David, the fortunate ones will be those who die swiftly. The rest will go off to exile and they will never return. But if they instead obey the word of the Lord, then it will be good for the royal house and all the officials who serve the king.

What does it mean for a man to be a truly great king? Was the Lord pleased more with Josiah or with His sons? Is God impressed with the King who seems to compete in cedar, building glorious edifices to appear great in the sight of others? In the case of the great king Josiah who led the nation in true repentance, we are told that he did justice and righteousness, and it went well with him. He judged the case of the poor and needy with equity. He used the power of his station in order to bring justice to those who seemed to have no power. The fact is that when he reigned in this way it went well with him. He knew what it was for a king to truly honor God, and he did this.

His sons did not follow in this good example. The sons of Josiah had their hearts set on dishonest gain. They shed innocent blood and pursued a determined course of wickedness. Could they expect that everything would go well for them? Was David’s throne a place of prestige without any duty to the Lord of lords? One day each man faces His end. Even the highest king must meet his Maker. How will the oppressor stand in that day?

Jeremiah brings a message of devastation for king and for people. One of the descendants of David will have no more honor on the day of his burial than one would expect to find at the death of a donkey. Another will be so utterly rejected that both he and his mother will be hurled out of the land, never to return. As with the kings, so with the people; God announces a devastating judgment against the nation of Judah.

Having the right king is a very important matter. Our Lord is our superior, and unlike the nation of Judah under the sons of Josiah, we have been brought into the Kingdom of God through a superior who has come as a servant of the weak. The One who is the best descendant of David did not come to oppress the weak, or to enrich himself at the expense of the nation. The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

This great King’s death is at the center of our faith. Though there were many in Israel who showed profound disrespect toward the King of the Jews in His betrayal, arrest, trial, and execution, no one would ever be able to take away the power of this one death. The impact of his death was not dependant upon the opinion of the crowds or of the Jewish leaders. The death that He died was for the satisfaction of the holiness of His Father. The resurrection of the Son of God was a public vindication of the full accomplishment of His mission. In the greatest act of humble love, the righteous superiority of our King was spent as a servant of His people. And now, as a grateful response of His redeemed citizens, every shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to glory of God, forever.