ESOCS Devotional 19 February 2025 – Death of a Corrupt Leader
MEMORY VERSE: “Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; they shall not lament for him, saying, ah my brother! Or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord or, Ah his glory!” Jeremiah 22:18 KJV
TEXT: JEREMIAH 22:18-30
Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:
“They shall not lament for him,
Saying, ‘Alas, my brother!’ or ‘Alas, my sister!’
They shall not lament for him,
Saying, ‘Alas, master!’ or ‘Alas, his glory!’
19 He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey,
Dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
20 “Go up to Lebanon, and cry out,
And lift up your voice in Bashan;
Cry from Abarim,
For all your lovers are destroyed.
21 I spoke to you in your prosperity,
But you said, ‘I will not hear.’
This has been your manner from your youth,
That you did not obey My voice.
22 The wind shall eat up all your rulers,
And your lovers shall go into captivity;
Surely then you will be ashamed and humiliated
For all your wickedness.
23 O inhabitant of Lebanon,
Making your nest in the cedars,
How gracious will you be when pangs come upon you,
Like the pain of a woman in labor?
24 “As I live,” says the Lord, “though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on My right hand, yet I would pluck you off; 25 and I will give you into the hand of those who seek your life, and into the hand of those whose face you fear—the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 So I will cast you out, and your mother who bore you, into another country where you were not born; and there you shall die. 27 But to the land to which they desire to return, there they shall not return.
28 “Is this man Coniah a despised, broken idol—
A vessel in which is no pleasure?
Why are they cast out, he and his descendants,
And cast into a land which they do not know?
29 O earth, earth, earth,
Hear the word of the Lord!
30 Thus says the Lord:
‘Write this man down as childless,
A man who shall not prosper in his days;
For none of his descendants shall prosper,
Sitting on the throne of David,
And ruling anymore in Judah.’ ”
Read Other ESOCS Devotional Here
God passed judgement on king Jehoiakim. His father, Josiah, was one of Judah’s great king; but his son, Jehoiakim was evil. His father was faithful with his responsibility to teach him and model right living, but Jehoiakim was unfaithful, he failed to learn. He was hard-hearted and headstrong from childhood. He was ruthless and oppressive. He brought misery upon his people. He was in power for himself and not to serve the needs of his people. He was so corrupt that he placed his own people under bondage by having them work without pay. He stole the goods of his people. His sins were too many. While his father sought to restore Judah to God, he sought to lead them away. God warned him, but he refused to listen.
His judgement – he would come to a disgraceful end. No one would lament his death. He would be disposed as a dead monkey left under the sun to rot.
We have many King Jehoiakims as leaders in Nigeria, Africa and the world. The same way God punished King Jehoiakim, God can also disgrace them out of office, strike them with disease or even death if they do not repent.
At individual level, Church leaders level, Community leaders level and business world, we also have them. God has the record of all leaders and can deal with wicked ones if He so wishes.
CHALLENGES
- Selection and not election of political leaders has gained ground in many countries.
PRAYER POINT
- May God grant Nigeria, Africa and the world, leaders of integrity in Jesus name.
FURTHER READING: Jeremiah 22
ESOCS Devotional 19 February 2025
