“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 on chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people.”
~ Jeremiah 22:4
Hi James and Ellen,
You are going to die one day. How do you want to be remembered when you die? No guy, gal or kid will live forever on planet Earth. If a guy, gal or kid makes a decision of faith believing in what God the Son – Jesus Christ, did on a cross where He suffered an agonizing death to defeat death for the guys, gals and kids who God the Father elected to be His adopted kids before He created the orb – called Earth, which you are living on right now, the spirit or soul of the guy, gal or kid will reside for all eternity in heaven. If a guy, gal or kid never makes a decision of faith believing in what God the Son – Jesus Christ, did on a cross where he suffered an agonizing death for the sins of the guys, gals and kids who God the Father elected to be His adopted kids, the guy, gal or kid who was not elected by God the Father before He created planet Earth to be one of His adopted kids will have God the Father send his or her spirit to an absolutely wretched place called hell. Where do you want to go when you die? God the Father took your grandpaa’s dad’s spirit or soul to heaven a week ago. Your grandpaa’s dad was looking forward to going to heaven to be with his Heavenly Father. The moment when a guy, gal or kid dies and has his or her spirit or soul taken to and accepted in heaven by God the Father is a moment for the guy, gal or kid to look forward to. The moment when a guy, gal or kid dies and has his or her spirit set to and remanded in hell by God the Father is not a moment for the guy, gal or kid to look forward to. Your dad’s grandpa will be remembered as a leader among men who was more concerned about the spiritual health of the guy, gal or kid who might be sitting next to him and especially about the spiritual health of his grandkids than he was about his own physical health. As your grandpaa’s dad’s physical health declined limiting what he could do physically, your grandpaa’s dad’s spiritual health manifested itself more and more in positive and healthy ways. Your grandpaa’s dad will always be remembered as a guy who consistently had the Bible read after every meal and who consistently prayed or had someone pray before and after meals.
Would you like to be remembered when you die as your grandpaa’s dad is remembered today by his kids and as Josiah was remembered when he died by God’s specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people group’s guys and gals, or would you like to be remembered as God wanted His specially chosen guys and gals to remember guys such as Shallum, Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin – who were kings just as Josiah was. Jeremiah – who was a prophet spokesman for God, wrote about these four guys in Jeremiah 22. Josiah, Shallum, Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin were the four guys under Jeremiah’s watch who became positioned at different times as rulers or kings over the guys and gals who lived in Judah’s land area. Josiah was liked by Jeremiah. Even though Josiah did something that he should not have done – which got himself killed, Josiah was still remembered as a good guy – who lived almost all of his life genuinely wanting and trying to do things that pleased and blessed God. Shallum, Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin – as well as Josiah, could all trace their lineage, ancestry or family tree back through David. David set the bar for how to become known as a man of God. Josiah did not reach the height of David’s bar for being a man of God but the guy at least tried to live as a man of God. It did not even cross the minds of Shallum, Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin to think about being men of God; these guys pursued living corrupt, perverted lives as kings to please and bless themselves.
God had clearly spelled it out to His specially chosen guys and gals – especially to the guys who God allowed to be kings to rule over His specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people group’s guys and gals, who were living in Judah’s land area, that they were to live their lives in ways that would bless and please Him. Jeremiah wrote in verse 4, “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 on chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people.” Jeremiah wrote in what is the next verse that God would destroy this same palace if the kings who ruled over the guys and gals who were living in Judah’s land area did not carry out His commands. Because of the sinful lifestyles of Shullum, Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin, the palace of the kings who ruled over the guys and gals who were living in Judah’s land area ended up being destroyed just as God warned that it would happen. Shullum, Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin are remembered today as being guys who died in places that were not their homes or who suffered horrible deaths. Shullum and Jehoiachin both died in countries where they were taken as captive prisoners. Shullum became an Egyptian slave. Shullum died in Egypt. Jehoiachin was taken to Babylonia by Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army. Jehoiachin and his ma – Nehushta, both died in Babylonia. Jehoiakim died in the land that God gave to His specially chosen guys and gals to always to have to live in as their very own land if . . . when Jehoiakim died, Jehoiakim’s corpse was treated like a dead donkey’s carcass. Jehoiakim’s body was drug outside a Jerusalem gate and left to rot. God had these three kings who ruled over His specially chosen guys and gals who were living in Judah’s land area treated just as they treated God’s specially chosen guys and gals who they ruled over. How do you want your bodies treated when your lives on planet Earth come to an end? Your grandpaa hopes that God will have his body treated with respect just as your grandpaa’s dad’s body was treated with respect by your grandpaa’s dad’s family and friends as they said their final goodbye to it. Your grandpaa’s dad left no more than a worn out physical shell behind on planet Earth. Your grandpaa’s dad’s death on planet Earth began an eternal celebration in heaven.
Jeremiah 22 (395)