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<p>Kings, though they are gods to us, are men to God, and shall <i>die like men</i>; so it appears in these verses, where we have a sentence of death passed upon two kings who reigned successively in Jerusalem, two brothers, and both the ungracious sons of a very pious father.</p>
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<p class="tab-1">I. Here is the doom of Shallum, who doubtless is the same with Jehoahaz, for he is that son of Josiah king of Judah who reigned <i>in the stead of Josiah his father</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Jer.22.11" href="/passage/?search=Jer.22.11">Jer. 22:11</a>), which Jehoahaz did by the act of the people, who made him king though he was not the eldest son, <a class="bibleref" title="2Kgs.23.30,2Chr.36.1" href="/passage/?search=2Kgs.23.30,2Chr.36.1"><span class="bibleref" title="2Kgs.23.30">2 Kgs. 23:30</span>; <span class="bibleref" title="2Chr.36.1">2 Chron. 36:1</span></a>. Among the sons of Josiah (<a class="bibleref" title="1Chr.3.15" href="/passage/?search=1Chr.3.15">1 Chron. 3:15</a>) there is one Shallum mentioned, and not Jehoahaz. Perhaps the people preferred him before his elder brother because they thought him a more active daring young man, and fitter to rule; but God soon showed them the folly of their injustice, and that it could not prosper, for within three months the king of Egypt came upon him, deposed him, and carried him away prisoner into Egypt, as God had threatened, <a class="bibleref" title="Deut.28.68" href="/passage/?search=Deut.28.68">Deut. 28:68</a>. It does not appear that any of the people were taken into captivity with him. We have the story <a class="bibleref" title="2Kgs.23.34,2Chr.36.4" href="/passage/?search=2Kgs.23.34,2Chr.36.4"><span class="bibleref" title="2Kgs.23.34">2 Kgs. 23:34</span>; <span class="bibleref" title="2Chr.36.4">2 Chron. 36:4</span></a>. Now here, 1. The people are directed to lament him rather than his father Josiah: “<i>Weep not for the dead</i>, weep not any more for Josiah.” Jeremiah had been himself a true mourner for him, and had stirred up the people to mourn for him (<a class="bibleref" title="2Chr.35.25" href="/passage/?search=2Chr.35.25">2 Chron. 35:25</a>): yet now he will have them go out of mourning for him, though it was but three months after his death, and to turn their tears into another channel. They must weep sorely for Jehoahaz, who had gone into Egypt; not that there was any great loss of him to the public, as there was of his father, but that his case was much more deplorable. Josiah went to the grave in peace and honour, was prevented from seeing the evil to come in this world and removed to see the good to come in the other world; and therefore, <i>Weep not for him</i>, but for his unhappy son, who is likely to live and die in disgrace and misery, a wretched captive. Note, Dying saints may be justly envied, while living sinners are justly pitied. And so dismal perhaps the prospect of the times may be that tears even for a Josiah, even for a Jesus, must be restrained, that they may be reserved for <i>ourselves and for our children</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Luke.23.28" href="/passage/?search=Luke.23.28">Luke 23:28</a>. 2. The reason given is because he shall never return out of captivity, as he and his people expected, but shall die there. They were loth to believe this, therefore it is repeated here again and again, He shall <i>return no more</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Jer.22.10" href="/passage/?search=Jer.22.10">Jer. 22:10</a>. He shall never have the pleasure of seeing <i>his native country</i>, but shall have the continual grief of hearing of the desolations of it. He has gone <i>forth out of this place</i>, and shall <i>never return</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Jer.22.11" href="/passage/?search=Jer.22.11">Jer. 22:11</a>. <i>He shall die in the place whither they have led him captive</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Jer.22.12" href="/passage/?search=Jer.22.12">Jer. 22:12</a>. This came of his forsaking the good example of his father, and usurping the right of his elder brother. In Ezekiel’s lamentation for the princes of Israel this Jehoahaz is represented as a young lion, that soon learned to <i>catch the prey</i>, but was taken, and brought in chains to Egypt, and was long expected to return, but in vain. See <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.19.3-Ezek.19.5" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.19.3-Ezek.19.5">Ezek.
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<p class="tab-1">II. Here is the doom of Jehoiakim, who succeeded him. Whether he had any better right to the crown than Shallum we know not; for, though he was older than his predecessor, there seems to be another son of Josiah, older than he, called <i>Johanan</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="1Chr.3.15" href="/passage/?search=1Chr.3.15">1 Chron. 3:15</a>. But this we know he ruled no better, and fared no better at last. Here we have,</p>
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<p class="tab-1">1. His sins faithfully reproved. It is not fit for a private person to say to a king, <i>Thou art wicked</i>; but a prophet, who has a message from God, betrays his trust if he does not deliver it, be it ever so unpleasing, even to kings themselves. Jehoiakim is not here charged with idolatry, and probably he had not yet put Urijah the prophet to death (as we find afterwards he did, <a class="bibleref" title="Jer.26.22,Jer.26.23" href="/passage/?search=Jer.26.22,Jer.26.23"><span class="bibleref" title="Jer.26.22">Jer. 26:22</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Jer.26.23">23</span></a>), for then he would have been told of it here; but the crimes for which he is here reproved are, (1.) Pride and affection of pomp and splendour; as if all the business of a king were to look great, and to do good were to be the least of his care. He must build himself a stately palace, a <i>wide house</i>, and <i>large chambers</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Jer.22.14" href="/passage/?search=Jer.22.14">Jer. 22:14</a>. He must have <i>windows cut out</i> after the newest fashion, perhaps like sash-windows with us. The rooms must be <i>ceiled with cedar</i>, the richest sort of wood. His house must be as well-roofed and wainscoted as the temple itself, or else it will not please him, <a class="bibleref" title="1Kgs.6.15,1Kgs.6.16" href="/passage/?search=1Kgs.6.15,1Kgs.6.16"><span class="bibleref" title="1Kgs.6.15">1 Kgs. 6:15</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="1Kgs.6.16">16</span></a>. Nay, it must exceed that, for it must be painted with <i>minium</i>, or <i>vermilion</i>, which dyes red, or, as some read it, with <i>indigo</i>, which dyes blue. No doubt it is lawful for princes and great men to build, and beautify, and furnish their houses so as is agreeable to their dignity; but he that knows what is in man knew that Jehoiakim did this in the pride of his heart, which makes that to be sinful, exceedingly sinful, which is in itself lawful. Those therefore that are enlarging their houses, and making them more sumptuous, have need to look well to the frame of their own spirits in the doing of it, and carefully to watch against all the workings of vain-glory. But that which was particularly amiss in Jehoiakim’s case was that he did this when he could not but perceive, both by the word of God and by his providence, that divine judgments were breaking in upon him. He reigned his first three years by the permission and allowance of the king of Egypt, and all the rest by the permission and allowance of the king of Babylon; and yet he that was no better than a viceroy will covet to vie with the greatest monarchs in building and furniture. Observe how peremptory he is in this resolution: “<i>I will build myself a wide house</i>; I am resolved <i>I will</i>, whoever advises me to the contrary.” Note, It is the common folly of those that are sinking in their estates to covet to make a fair show. Many have unhumbled hearts under humbling providences, and look most haughty when God is bringing them down. This is striving with our Maker. (2.) Carnal security and confidence in his wealth, depending upon the continuance of his prosperity, as if his mountain now stood so strong that it could never be moved. He thought he must reign without any disturbance or interruption because he had <i>enclosed himself in cedar</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Jer.22.15" href="/passage/?search=Jer.22.15">Jer. 22:15</a>), as if that were too fine to be assaulted and too strong to be broken through, and as if God himself could not, for pity, give up such a stately house as that to be burned. Thus when Christ spoke of the destruction of the temple his disciples came to him, to show him what a magnificent structure it was, <a class="bibleref" title="Matt.23.38,Matt.24.1" href="/passage/?search=Matt.23.38,Matt.24.1"><span class="bibleref" title="Matt.23.38">Matt. 23:38</span>; <span class="bibleref" title="Matt.24.1">24:1</span></a>. Note, Those wretchedly deceive themselves who think their present prosperity is a lasting security, and dream of rei
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<p class="tab-1">2. Here we have Jehoiakim’s doom faithfully read, <a class="bibleref" title="Jer.22.18,Jer.22.19" href="/passage/?search=Jer.22.18,Jer.22.19"><span class="bibleref" title="Jer.22.18">Jer. 22:18</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Jer.22.19">19</span></a>. We may suppose that it was in the utmost peril of his own life that Jeremiah here foretold the shameful death of Jehoiakim; but <i>thus saith the Lord concerning</i> him, and therefore thus saith he. (1.) He shall die unlamented; he shall make himself so odious by his oppression and cruelty that all about him shall be glad to part with him, and none shall do him the honour of dropping one tear for him, whereas his father, who <i>did judgment and justice</i>, was universally lamented; and it is promised to Zedekiah that he should be lamented at his death, for he conducted himself better than Jehoiakim had done, <a class="bibleref" title="Jer.34.5" href="/passage/?search=Jer.34.5">Jer. 34:5</a>. His relations shall not <i>lament him</i>, no, not with the common expressions of grief used at the funeral of the meanest, where they cried, <i>Ah, my brother</i>! or, <i>Ah, sister</i>! His subjects shall not lament him, nor cry out, as they used to do at the graves of their princes, <i>Ah, lord</i>! or <i>Ah his glory</i>! It is sad for any to live so that, when they die, none will be sorry to part with them. Nay, (2.) He shall lie unburied. This is worse than the former. Even those that have no tears to grace the funerals of the dead with would willingly have them buried out of their sight; but Jehoiakim shall be <i>buried with the burial of an ass</i>, that is, he shall have no burial at all, but his dead body shall be cast into a ditch or upon a dunghill; it shall be <i>drawn</i>, or dragged, ignominiously, and <i>cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem</i>. It is said, in the story of Jehoiakim (<a class="bibleref" title="2Chr.36.6" href="/passage/?search=2Chr.36.6">2 Chron. 36:6</a>), that Nebuchadnezzar <i>bound him in fetter 4c44 s, to carry him to Babylon</i>, and (<a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.19.9" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.19.9">Ezek. 19:9</a>) that he was <i>brought in chains to the king of Babylon</i>. But it is probable that he died a prisoner, before he was carried away to Babylon as was intended; perhaps he died for grief, or, in the pride of his heart, hastened his own end, and, for that reason, was denied a decent burial, as self-murderers usually are with us. Josephus says that Nebuchadnezzar slew him at Jerusalem, and left his body thus exposed, somewhere at a great distance from the <i>gates of Jerusalem</i>. And it is said (<a class="bibleref" title="2Kgs.24.6" href="/passage/?search=2Kgs.24.6">2 Kgs. 24:6</a>) <i>he slept with his fathers</i>. When he built himself a stately house, no doubt he designed himself a stately sepulchre; but see how he was disappointed. Note, Those that are lifted up with great pride are commonly reserved for some great disgrace in life or death.</p>
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