2 Chronicles 36:5-8

If you remember from yesterday, Jehoiakim, was Jehoahaz’s brother. Pharaoh Neco of Egypt made him king in place of his brother, changing his name from Eliakim. If Jehoiakim began his reign under the dark cloud of Egypt, it continued under the even more ominously foreboding one of Babylon. With the double mention of that gigantic, evil super-power (6, 7) the Chronicler signals the approaching end for the kingdom of Judah.

In GOD’s opinion he was an evil king (5b). The Message. This is the only opinion that really matters. The obituary that counts is the one written by God, and not those penned by members of your fan club. How anyone appears in the eyes of the LORD matters so much more than how they are viewed by people. There are those considered heroes in this world who in fact do detestable things (8), yet they are lauded and esteemed. But there will come a judgment day on which the record will be set straight. All the chickens will eventually come home to roost. If the Lord was Jehoiakim’s God, then he chose to live in a way that was incompatible with his beliefs. God saw how he lived and totted up the account. Here are some points to note about sin:

  • Sin will be punished. A farmer once said words to the effect that God doesn’t necessarily settle his bills at the end of the financial year, but He always settles his bills. It may take a long time for the paperwork to plop through your letterbox, but be sure that the brown envelope with a window in it will appear. The Chronicler means for us to understand that Jehoiakim (and his kingdom) paid for his sin. We are witnessing cause and effect here in the sin and captivity.
  • Sin will be punished without exception. You might be a great person in the world, but you will not be given an exemption when it comes time to pay your sinning bill. You will have to ‘cough up’ like everyone else.
  • Sin puts you in chains. Yours may not be as solid as Jehoiakim’s, but they are just as real. You may have the illusion that you are free. That is because there is a real devil who is good at lying, and he may well persuade you that you are at liberty. However, the truth is otherwise. (See John 8:31-36). Only Jesus can set free from such shackles. Thank God that He can, and He will if you want Him to. So a Christian can sing very meaningfully: My chains fell off…
  • Sin takes you to places you don’t want to go. Nebuchadnezzar took him to Babylon (6). In one sense we can say that sin transports everyone there: to a place of captivity.
  • Sin affects others. That may not be your intention, but it is regularly the result. ‘No man is an island.’ In (7) we see something of the impact of sin on the land of Judah. Jehoiakim’s sin put a knife through the very heart of the nation. It did great damage to the temple, the sacred place of worship. In the same way, one person’s private and personal sins may have a ‘knock on’ effect on the whole church.
  • Sin will be found against (8) us. It’s like you’re in the dock and there is a case for the prosecution levelled against you. You don’t have a leg to stand on. But what has been found against us was counted against Jesus when he died on the cross. The charges against us were ‘written’ over His cross. He bore our punishment so that we would not have to, if we will put our trust in Him. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 13b,14).

 

Prayer: Lord, please forgive me for all the ‘knots’ I have tied through my sinning. Thank you that your cross can untie them all.