Keep Your Behavior In Line - Jeremiah 22 - 26

I believe that it is fair to say that most Christians, really deep down in their hearts, want to “Keep Their Behavior in Line” with what God would have them to do. If you are one of those, I suggest that you study the life of King Josiah in 2 Kings. The writer of 2 Kings says that “Before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with his entire mind and with all his heart and with all his strength according to all the Law of Moses, and no one like him arose after him. His sons followed him as King of Judah, and unfortunately they did not follow in their father’s footsteps. The nation forgot God and became so sinful, worshipped other gods, and brought about the wrath of God who sent Jeremiah to warn them of their condition.

Young people in our day should study this lesson and learn that failure to follow Godley advice given by parents and grand parents can and will bring disaster in their future. The breaking of man’s laws will bring a fine, a jail sentence or even prison. The breaking of God’s law will just as surely bring disaster, and it may far exceed a prison sentence. Judah’s failure to worship the True God carried them into Babylonian bondage. Read again the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah and you will find that the political life and military issues involved in the life of this nation were very complex; however, the spiritual issues were very simple. When the nation was faithful to God, He blessed them; when they rebelled against Him, he judged them and allowed their enemies to destroy them. America—heed this warning! Awaken, listen and learn from Judah’s mistake.

The most important thing to remember is that if the sons of Josiah, who succeeded him, had kept their ‘Behavior in line with that of their father’s Judah would have been spared from total destruction. Just as surely, if the government leaders of America will follow in the footsteps of Josiah, and trust God for their wisdom and ability to govern fairly, God will continue to bless America.

The first 21 chapters of this book have emphasized the fact that God is a jealous Creator who will not tolerate any person or nation that worships false gods. However, the emphasis has now switched to include man’s personal relationships with each other and tells us that He will not tolerate those who treat their fellow man unfairly and without compassion. The examples given here refer to the ungodly kings that followed Josiah and their treatment of their subjects.

The word ‘woe’ means misfortune or excessive suffering, and the following verses introduce a pronouncement of divine judgment against King Jehoiakim because of the tactics he used to build his royal palace. Verse 13 “Woe for the one who builds his palace through unrighteousness, his upper rooms through injustice, who makes his fellow man serve without pay and will not give him his wages, 14 who says: ‘I will build myself a massive palace, with spacious upper rooms.’ He will cut windows in it, and it will be paneled with cedar and painted with vermilion……..17 But you have eyes and heart for nothing except your own dishonest profit, shedding innocent blood and committing extortion and oppression.” [Emphasis mine.]

The good king, Josiah died in war at the battle of Megiddo in 1609 B.C. His son, Jehoahaz, followed him and reigned for only three months before he was captured by a Pharaoh in Egypt, where he remained until his death. Jehoiakim succeeded his brother as king of Judah and was in power during the time of Jeremiah’s warnings, for he was evil and oppressive during his reign. Neither son imitated his father. God’s judgment was on them and they could not claim their father’s blessings because they had not inherited his faith in God. It is so with us today, we may inherit the wealth of our parents but we cannot inherit their faith. Each person must acquire their own relationship with the Heavenly Father. Christ said that YOU must be born again.

In verse 21, God said, “I warned you when you felt secure, but you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your way from your youth; you have not obeyed me.” Evidently this man had been hardheaded and hardhearted since his youth and surely did not follow his parent’s advice. Wealth and power became his God, and meant more to him than his right relationship with the Almighty. There is a terrible price to pay anytime any of us becomes so satisfied with our position, wealth, home, cars and things than we have no time for God.

It does not stretch our imagination to see that this pronouncement of divine judgment would apply to any king, president, politician or any employer that has the position or power to force people to work underpaid or under oppression. The first thing that comes to my mind is the fact that many [if not most] of our elected officials all the way from county judges to the president of the United States are able to live lavishly for the rest of their lives; some after serving only one or two terms of less than ten years. It is without doubt that their excessive gain resulted from dishonest gain at the expense of the citizenry. No doubt, many have lived and died with this sin over their head, but one thing is sure and that is that there will be a pay-day—some day.

This lesson teaches us that we must first fear God and trust him for guidance. It teaches the young that they must honor their parents and follow good parental advice. It teaches all of us that a good reputation and Godly character is always much more important than riches. And finally, it teaches us the ‘Golden Rule’ is a very clear way; that we should treat others as we would have them treat us—so we must “KEEP OUR BEHAVIOR IN LINE.” May God bless you, real good!