Week 25 Jeremiah 22
Jeremiah was prophesying during the days of the last five kings of Judah: Josiah Jehoahaz Jehoiakim Jehoiachin & Zedekiah. Not all of them are named there in the introduction in chapter 1. Jehoahaz & Jehoiachin are missing. But they both show up later in chapter 22.
What I noticed in 22 was Jeremiah’s comment about Jehoahaz. I already know that Jehoahaz – just like Jehoiakim Jehoiachin & Zedekiah – was a low quality & substandard king. But Jeremiah contrasts him with his father Josiah (too bad for Jehoahaz since I think his dad was maybe the best of the kings).
Jeremiah asks Jehoahaz: did not your 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. Is not that what it means to know Me?” But Jeremiah’s description of Jehoahaz was different: you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.
What does it mean to follow the Lord? Being just. Being righteousness. Being fair to poor people.
I’m more than a thousand pages into the bible and I know for a fact that there’s more to following-the-Lord than this short list.
But Jeremiah limited himself to these three: 1) doing justice & 2) doing righteousness & 3) judging poor people fairly.
Doing good. Doing right. Helping people. A short list of things that signal I’m a follower.
Note: quotes from Jeremiah 22:15-16 17 (ESV)