We Remain Stagnant Under Unrepentance
My friend wounded me again. As he perused my recent Facebook posts, I sank in my chair. Post after post was harsh, antagonizing, and self-aggrandizing. I wrote and spoke as though I was an authority figure on any and every topic I engaged with on my page. He graciously called me to repentance as we sipped hot coffee in his loft apartment. I am thankful that God sent such a friend for that specific morning. I didn’t like being wounded, and I surely didn’t think the stakes were as high as he did. In the moments following that conversation, I had a choice to make. I could either confess my sin to both my brother and my Savior or I could continue to walk in stiff-necked unrepentance.
Jehoiakim, son of Josiah and king of Judah, was in a similar situation. However, the stakes were significantly higher for him. As the king of Judah, he was leading a nation that was headed toward catastrophe. The people of Judah had “refused to take correction” and had “made their faces harder than rock” (Jer. 5:3). Because of their unrepentance, God sent a warning through the prophet Jeremiah of his impending judgment. Jehoiakim had the opportunity to heed Jeremiah’s prophecy and lead the nation to repentance as his father had done. Instead, he hardened his face and stood in solidarity with the rest of Judah who had said, “The prophets will become wind; the word is not in them” (Jer. 5:13).
The wickedness of Jehoiakim is a glaring example of what we should not do. In fact, we are called to see such examples and take heed lest we fall (1 Cor. 10:11–13). The stagnant unrepentance of others should serve as a warning and a call to continual repentance in our own lives. Are you struggling to be obedient in specific areas of your life? Are you in a season of general disobedience? Consider the ways of Jehoiakim and the consequences he faced so you don’t fall into the same trap.
A Preventable Fall
In Jeremiah 36 we see the loving heart of God on display in contrast to the hardness of Jehoiakim’s heart. God is merciful and gracious, slow in anger and abounding in steadfast love (Ex. 34:6). We see his character on full display as he sends Jehoiakim a warning “so that every one may turn from his evil, and that [he] might forgive their iniquity and their sin” (Jer. 36:3). Jeremiah was banned from the Lord’s house. Though the exact reason is not stated, scholars speculate that it was either due to his preaching about the temple, some sort of ceremonial uncleanness, or perhaps banishment by the king. So he sent Baruch, a friend and possible scribe of Jeremiah, to deliver the Lord’s message. During a time of fasting and seeking the mercy of God, Baruch read the scroll to all who were there. Jehoiakim’s officials heard about the scroll and asked Baruch to read it to them as well. After they heard the words from the Lord, “they turned to one another in fear” and said, “We must report all these words to the king” (Jer. 36:16). They hid Jeremiah and Baruch to protect them as they prepared to bring the words to the king.
Up to this point, it would seem that Jehoiakim and Judah will respond the way Nineveh did when Jonah brought a word of prophecy to them—a response involving sackcloth and ashes (Jonah 3:6). However, this was not the case. As a pool of water on a still, muggy day attracts bacteria and sickening germs, Jehoiakim’s heart remained unmoved and became all the worse. He looked a lot like ungodly Pharaoh in the face of Moses. Rather than hearing “you are the man” and turning in repentance like King David, Jehoiakim’s rebellion moved him closer to the flames of hell as he cut pieces from the scroll of Baruch and threw them into the fire (2 Sam. 12:7; Ps. 51).
We see Jehoiakim’s cringeworthy actions in ourselves every time we turn a blind eye to our sin. How often do we hear a compelling sermon but let it slip from our minds before the Sunday afternoon NFL coin flip? How often do we read a convicting passage of Scripture only to move to the next task on our to-do list? How often do we have friends willing to faithfully wound us, and yet we focus on the wound rather than the sin being brought forth?
Jehoiakim should have been prepared for repentance. He had access to God’s Law, God’s prophets, and even God’s people—though many in Judah were just as wicked. He could have prevented his fall into sin and judgment by living in day-by-day communion with God and God’s people. Yet, his heart was hardened. Like Jehoiakim’s descent, most of our falls are preventable too.
A Ripple on the Water
If you throw a small rock into a still pond, the splash may seem insignificant, but the ripples will inevitably reach the edge of the water. It’s quite fascinating how sin has a similar ripple effect. We imagine that our sin will only affect us, but that’s far from the truth. After Jehoiakim burned the scroll, God sent him another word—a devastating word.
God dealt immediately with Johoiakim. He would be killed and not even get a proper burial. Instead of dying with dignity and having a king’s burial, God promised that Jehoiakim’s dead body would be cast out to the heat by day and frost by night (Jer. 36:30). On a very personal level, Jehoiakim’s unrepentance cost him his life and his honor. His body would lay shamefully and disgracefully on the ground for the animals to peck at. What a grievous sight!
God also said, “He shall have none to sit on the throne of David . . . I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity” (Jer. 36:30–31). When the king of Nineveh repented, the people followed suit, and God relented of the disaster they were going to face (Jonah 3:7–10). When Jehoiakim refused to repent, the people remained in their iniquity as well. Notice that his offspring and his servants would be punished for their iniquity. A leader’s repentance won’t change the hearts of the nation, but God often uses leaders to influence others. Sadly, Jehoiakim’s unrepentance was a sign to a rebellious nation to continue in their sin.
Looking further, God also said to Jehoiakim, “I will bring upon . . . the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the people of Judah all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, but they would not hear” (Jer. 36:31). Though the king was not responsible for the sins of every unrepentant resident of his kingdom, his corrupt and ungodly leadership had deadly consequences for the nation he oversaw. Jehoiakim was not the only king to blame, but he was a domino in the crumbling kingdoms of Judah. Oh that we would turn from our sin and look to the Lion of Judah when our sin is revealed!
Too Close for Comfort
Have you ever stood on a precipice and had to make the decision to turn back or fall into misery? Has pornography gripped you to the point that it’s destroying your relationship or marriage? Have envy and covetousness captured your heart and your bank account? Have drugs and alcohol grabbed you by the throat demanding that you give your life away in order to find true happiness? Is selfishness a cruel master micromanaging your every move?
Your sin may not be on this list. But what is God beckoning you to repent from right now? Though the call to repentance can feel like a painful providence, it’s truly a gracious gift. God sent Jeremiah to Johoiakim “so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity” (Jer. 36:3). Similarly, the Spirit brings us conviction with the promise that “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). While still apart from Christ, conviction is meant to bring you to Christ in faith. In Christ, the disciplining rod of God serves to remind us that we are truly children of God and “that we may share his holiness” (Heb. 12:10). What sweet providence it is when God reveals our sin and draws us to himself.
God calls us to draw near to him and promises that He will draw near to us (James 4:8). This drawing near involves cleansing our sinful hands and purifying our double-minded hearts. We must find times to be wretched and weep over our sin. Sometimes we need to have our laughter turned to mourning and our joy turned to gloom as we see the effects and reality of our sin. We need to humble ourselves before the Lord in order to be exalted by him (James 4:8–10). This is the grace and power of repentance.
Chrys Jones (@chrys_jones) is a husband and father of four. He is a pastoral resident at Grace Church in Danville, Kentucky, and he writes regularly at dwellwithchrist.com. Chrys is also a Christian Hip-Hop artist and producer for Christcentric.