This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and proclaim this message there: ‘Hear the word of the Lord to you, king of Judah, you who sit on David’s throne—you, your officials and your people who come through these gates. This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hands of their oppressors those who have been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. But if you do not obey these commands, declares the Lord, I swear by myself that this palace will become a ruin.’ ”
For this is what the Lord says about the palace of the king of Judah:
“Though you are like Gilead to me,
like the summit of Lebanon,
I will surely make you like a wasteland,
like towns not inhabited.
I will send destroyers against you,
each man with his weapons,
and they will cut up your fine cedar beams
and throw them into the fire.
“People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?’ And the answer will be: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and have worshiped and served other gods.’ ”
Do not weep for the dead king or mourn his loss;
rather, weep bitterly for him who is exiled,
because he will never return
nor see his native land again.
For this is what the Lord says about Shallum son of Josiah, who succeeded his father as king of Judah but has gone from this place: “He will never return. He will die in the place where they have led him captive; he will not see this land again.”
“Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,
his upper rooms by injustice,
making his subjects work for nothing,
not paying them for their labor.
He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace
with spacious upper rooms.’
So he makes large windows in it,
panels it with cedar
and decorates it in red.
“Does it make you a king
to have more and more cedar?
Did not your father have food and drink?
He did what was right and just,
so all went well with him.
He defended the cause of the poor and needy,
and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know me?”
declares the Lord.
“But your eyes and your heart
are set only on dishonest gain,
on shedding innocent blood
and on oppression and extortion.”
Therefore this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:
“They will not mourn for him:
‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’
They will not mourn for him:
‘Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!’
He will have the burial of a donkey—
dragged away and thrown
outside the gates of Jerusalem.”
My thoughts -
Jeremiah has spoken God's word to power in Israel. He has told them what God desires of them and has been cursed, spit on, and beaten for his trouble. His message was not good news to those who did not desire to do God's will. His message was one of drought, famine, siege, and desperation to the point of cannibalism. Outside of God's will, removed from God's favor and protection, Israel could not stand. They didn't care for the message so they punished the messenger.
Jeremiah is now speaking God's word to power in Judah. And what does God have to say to the powerful in Judah?
Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hands of their oppressors those who have been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. But if you do not obey these commands, declares the Lord, I swear by myself that this palace will become a ruin.Do what is right. Care for the poor, the weak, the oppressed and the powerless. Do good, not evil. Use your power for the benefit of those who have no power. If you do this you will be rewarded. If you don't you will be punished.
It's laid out in a pretty clear manner. But just so there's no confusion Jeremiah lets them know what doing it wrong looks like.
Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,Is the measure of a king's greatness found in a magnificent palace and all kinds of worldly, material things, or is it found in the well being of the people? Is a king's greatness found in his personal wealth or in his ability to care for the needs of the poor, the weak, the needy, and the oppressed?
his upper rooms by injustice,
making his subjects work for nothing,
not paying them for their labor.
He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace
with spacious upper rooms.’
So he makes large windows in it,
panels it with cedar
and decorates it in red.
“Does it make you a king
to have more and more cedar?
Did not your father have food and drink?
He did what was right and just,
so all went well with him.
He defended the cause of the poor and needy,
and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know me?”
declares the Lord.
“But your eyes and your heart
are set only on dishonest gain,
on shedding innocent blood
and on oppression and extortion.
Jeremiah is telling Shallum that he's doing it wrong. He has been enriching himself at the expense of his people. He has built a kingdom on injustice and oppression. His father, Josiah, cared for the needs of the poor and needy and yet had plenty. Shallum has had no such concerns and, though he has made himself wealthy he will die and no one will mourn him.
God desires us to use what we have to the benefit of those who do not have. Power is to be used to shield and protect the powerless. Wealth is to be used to provide for the needs of those who are poor. What we have is from God and for God's purpose. Failure to use it in this manner is to live outside of God's will. And that is no place to be.
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