Jeremiah 22:13

"Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by injustice; that useth his neighbor's services without wages, and giveth him not his hire; that saith, I will build me a wide house and spacious chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is ceded with cedar, and painted with vermilion. Shalt thou reign because thou strivest to excel in cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well, Was not this to know me? saith Jehovah. But thine eyes and thy heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for shedding innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it."

There is little need to catalogue the sins of Jehoiachim. He contrived the dethroning of his own brother, resulting in his captivity and probable death. In addition to the great tribute which he promised Egypt, and which he extorted annually from the people, he initiated a very luxurious and extravagant building program for himself, using forced labor, conscripting his neighbors to work for him without any pay whatever. He was a typical Near-Eastern despot, doing all kinds of violence against any or all hapless victims of his displeasure and murdering many innocent people, including, among countless others the prophet Uriah, who was extradited from Egypt and put to death (Jeremiah 26:20-23). Not only murder, but the type of slavery mentioned in these verses, were offenses against covenant law (Leviticus 19:13). In this man and his hapless son Coniah, the house of David came to its miserable end.

"That useth his neighbor for services without wages ..." (Jeremiah 22:13). "Here is a democratic idea, `The king and the carpenter or neighbors.'"[11]

"Did not thy father eat and drink ..." (Jeremiah 22:15)? This means that, "He lived well enough; he was not an ascetic."[12]

The same words were used of Jesus by himself in a comparison with John the Baptist (Matthew 11:18-19),

"Shalt thou reign because thou strivest to excel in cedar ..." (Jeremiah 22:15)? Keil's comment here was, "Kingship does not consist in the erection of splendid palaces, but in the administration of righteousness and justice,"[13]

"Thine eyes and thine heart are not, but for thy covetousness, etc." (Jeremiah 22:17). This is a terrible indictment of Jehoiachim, meaning that his heart and eyes did not even exist except for the purpose of helping this evil ruler in the pursuit of wickedness. Everything that fell under his eyesight was only looked at with a view of using what he saw in some way to his advantage; and nothing ever entered his mind but some evil plan or device by which he could defraud or exploit his subjects! Satan must have been well pleased with such a son!

"Was not this to know me, saith Jehovah ..." (Jeremiah 22:16)? Knowing God, whether in the times of Jeremiah, or at the present time, does not consist merely of having heard of him, or having read his word, or having been associated with God-fearing people. It is the kind of knowledge that is exhibited in a pious and godly life, and in the strict obedience of his holy commandments.