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Ungodly Jehoiakim & Seeming Defeat
Pastor Bill Farrow
Daniel 1:1
[1] In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
(Verse 1) - Yesterday we took a brief look the life of Israel's last truly godly King - Josiah. Now we want to take a brief look at his ungodly son - Jehoiakim.
His name means, “Yahweh has caused to stand.” He was the son of Josiah who succeeded Jehoahaz as king of Judah (609-597). Jehoiakim was a throne name given to him by Pharaoh Neco of Egypt, who deposed his brother Jehoahaz. His original name had been Eliakim (2 Kings 23:34). He and his predecessor on the throne were brothers, he being the second son of Josiah. He was the eighteenth king of Judah, which he ruled over for eleven years (610-599 B.C.).
On the death of his father his younger brother Jehoahaz (also called Shallum, Jer. 22:11), who favoured the Chaldeans against the Egyptians, was made king by the people; but the king of Egypt, Pharaoh-necho, invaded the land and deposed Jehoahaz (2 Kings 23:33, 34; Jer. 22:10-12), setting Eliakim on the throne in his stead, and changing his name to Jehoiakim.
After this the king of Egypt took no part in Jewish politics, having been defeated by the Chaldeans at Carchemish (2 Kings 24:7; Jer. 46:2). Palestine was now invaded and conquered by Nebuchadnezzar. Jehoiakim was taken prisoner and carried captive to Babylon (2 Chr. 36:6, 7). It was at this time that Daniel also and his three companions were taken captive to Babylon (Dan. 1:1, 2).
Nebuchadnezzar reinstated Jehoiakim on his throne, but treated him as a vassal king. In the year after this, Jeremiah caused his prophecies to be read by Baruch in the court of the temple. Jehoiakim, hearing of this, had them also read in the royal palace before himself. The words displeased him, and taking the roll from the hands of Baruch he cut it in pieces and threw it into the fire (Jer. 36:23). During his disastrous reign there was a return to the old idolatry and corruption of the days of Manasseh.
After three years of subjection to Babylon, Jehoiakim withheld his tribute and threw off the yoke (2 Kings 24:1), hoping to make himself independent. Nebuchadnezzar sent bands of Chaldeans, Syrians, and Ammonites (2 Kings 24:2) to chastise his rebellious vassal. They cruelly harassed the whole country (Jer. 49:1-6). The king came to a violent death, and his body having been thrown over the wall of Jerusalem, to convince the besieging army that he was dead, after having been dragged away, was buried beyond the gates of Jerusalem “with the burial of an ass,” 599 B.C. (Jer. 22:18, 19; 36:30). Nebuchadnezzar placed his son Jehoiachin on the throne, wishing still to retain the kingdom of Judah as tributary to him.
We noted that these events occurred about 605 or so B.C. and that they were, in fact, a judgment of God on Israel for her sin. [Chart of the causes of the Captivity] [Chart of prophecies of the coming captivity]. The captivity was no accident or happenstance of history. It was a thing directly caused by God for some very real purposes of His own [Purposes of the Babylonian Captivity]. The reference to the date of the beginning of the captivity to Babylon gives us the first step in a timeline of the book of Daniel [timeline from New Bible Companion]. This was, by the way, only the first of three general deportations Nebuchadnezzar, with the other two coming in 596 and 586 respectively. [Chart of what happened at each of the deportations].
There is an interesting contrast here between Jehoiakim's name and Nebuchadnezzar's name. Jehoiakim means “Jehovah shall rise up” and Nebuchadnezzar means, “May Nebo protect the crown”. In the short term, it appears that Nebo won the fight between the two! After all, the Babylonians took the Israelites into captivity and deported their people not once, but three times! Now, we've read the end of the book and we know that the outcome is very different at the end of the story. Babylon is defeated and Israel is restored to the land.
But what shall we say about the time in between? There was literally a lifetime passed (70 years) in between the time Daniel was taken to Babylon and the time that they were released to return to Judah. Many, many people died in that time period having never seen the deliverance of God. There is no indication that Daniel himself saw the actual return occur, though he certainly saw the beginnings of it. It could certainly have seemed that Nebo was protecting Babylon and that Jehovah would not “rise up” and deliver Israel.
There is always a time, in the midst of trials when it seems as though God will not answer and that the enemy will overcome us. This is a part of what makes trials so difficult for us to bear. The problem is that it is difficult for us to keep our minds and hearts sure and confident in God while things look bleak!
I am certain that Daniel struggled with this. He would not have been human had he not. I am equally as certain that he gained the victory over it! What was it that enabled him to persevere and remain godly in the midst of such a horrendous trial, of which he never saw the full end?
First, he was a genuine believer. He had been regenerated and redeemed by God.
Second, He was faithful to God in his spiritual life. There is real indication in this book that Daniel's habit was one of great piety and perseverance in his spsiritual walk with God.
He was obedient to the known commands of God.
He was separated from the sinful culture of Babylon, and remained so.
He had godly friends and fellowshipped with them and not with the worldly and unredeemed culture around him.
He was knowledgeable of the Word of God and was able to relate it to his circumstances.
He understood that it was God's desire for Israel (and he) to be where they were, at least for a time and accepted that as reality.
He was willing to remain uncompromising, even at a great cost to himself.
He occupied himself with being a godly part of the world around him and pursued godly success in the world he was placed in.
He remained in consistent contact with God throughout his entire life, never falling away from godly habits.
Certainly, it might be unreasonable for us to expect God to use us in the same way that he used Daniel. But it is not unreasonable for us to desire to pursue the same kind of dedication and consecration to God that Daniel maintained!
The ungodly reign of Jehoiakim and the moral and cultural atmosphere that was present bears remarkable resemblance to our own societal climate today. We are in much the same condition as they were. We are every bit as ungodly, every bit as idolatrous, and every bit as wicked. Certainly, the particulars of the social situation are specific to each situation; but the essence of the sin is the same; remarkably so! We can draw some real help from Daniel about how to survive in an overtly wicked and combatively pagan culture!
I reed to examine how Daniel lived for God in such an environment and then incorporate what I find out into my life and walk.