Who’s On First?
October 22 Jeremiah 39:1-41:18
Object Lessons That Demand Obedience
“Who’s on First”
“Zedekiah son of Josiah succeeded Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim as the king of Judah. “ (37:1)
Do you remember the famous baseball comedy routine by Abbot and Costello, “Who’s on First”?
The players’ names can simultaneously serve as the questions but also the answer. For instance, “Who is the first baseman?”, and the response, “Yes. The first baseman’s name is “Who”!
Sometimes my job is like this. Many students have at least two last names (maybe more). At the same time, their parents have different names from each other and from the children. Often names are pronounced in Spanish. ( I took French. Oops!) We have a program that tells us information about each family. It has, however, been “non-operational” this school year so far…
So, each day for me is like a little game. I play “hide and seek ”trying to match students with parents. It is a wonderful pastime while trying to get a new year up and running.
Sometimes, I feel this way when it comes to figuring out the backstory of “The “Family Quagmire” of OT kings. It is deep, dirty, smelly, and crazymaking, but here we go…
So Zedekiah is the third son of Josiah, the godly king who was the grandson of Manassah, (an evil king) and the son of Amon, (also evil) who was assassinated. (2 Kings 21: 2, 6)
Josiah was hidden from his evil grandmother in the temple by Jerhosheba and Jehoiada for six years because had a ROTTEN family tree!
However, he was raised in the temple and instructed in the ways of God by Jehoiada and God intervened to providentially bring him to the throne as king. He was godly and restored all the ways of the Lord’s teachings, traditions, and celebrations. He destroyed idols.
Now, you know who is on FIRST. It is Josiah. He is the first king in the lineage to return the people to God. Now it gets kind of confusing and follows a downhill trend. (He’s really not actually the first in the lineage. That was Manassah his diabolical grampy.)
Before his death, King Josiah appointed his Fourth son, Jehoahaz as successor to the throne. Who’s on SECOND? Yes, the FOURTH son, Jehoahaz is up SECOND.
He “HAZ” a very short reign of THREE MONTHS (Yes, that was not a type error. Months!!) His father thought he was more inclined than his older brother to follow in his footsteps, but he didn’t even try! He “ticked off” Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, and he was dragged away into captivity probably crying like a baby because he was the baby of the family.
So, that’s who was on “SECOND”. Got it? (Good, because this is confusing.)
Who’s on THIRD? Well, the SECOND is the THIRD, you see? The oldest brother, Eliakim was placed on the throne by Necho… but his name was changed to Jehoiakim. (Which sounds a lot like Johoiachin, but it’s not his turn YET… So, don’t jump ahead in the batting order!)
So, who’s on THIRD? Yes, it is number TWO, but his name was changed. Wheewwww!
By the way, Jehoiakim was even worse than his brother, but he reigned for eleven years.
Now you do understand why baseball players wear jerseys? I am thinking kings should also!
With weeping in his heart, Jeremiah watched the growing depravity that flowed down like a “sick sap” from the family tree. Each king was worse than the one before, and all of them would make their father ‘roll over in his grave’.
Now, you probably thought I was confused but really there is also a Jehoiachin. (He made it in by the hair on his Chinny-Chin-Chin because he only reigned for a short THREE MONTHS. Well, he was the grandson of King Josiah and the son of King Jehoiakim, and he came to the throne at the age of 18 (2 Chron. 36:9)
By the way, Jehoiachin was the grandfather of Zerubbabel and that is very important.
Then, there was Zedekiah (Josiah’s #3) also called Mattaniah. He reigned for 11 years. (But don’t confuse him with Zedekiah the brother of Jehoiachin the grandson. Do you see what I mean?) Zedekiah was the embodiment of the attitude of Judah. Sometimes he sought God and protected Jeremiah and then he “turned on a dime”. He was a “Royal Flip-Flopper”.
While we are playing “hide and seek” go ahead and take a peek for yourself.
“The sons of Josiah: Johanan, the firstborn, Jehoiakim, the second son, Zedekiah, the third, Shallum (called Jehoahaz), the fourth. The successors of Jehoiakim: Jehoiachin his son, and Zedekiah”.
(I Chronicles 3:15-16)
Josiah’s sons and grandsons were the last kings before the exile, and were important in provoking the judgment of God and bringing “the house down”. Whew! Now, it’s time for the seventh inning stretch at the Ol’ ball game…
I hope you don’t think I am “Going Out On A Limb Here” talking about “The Family Tree”, but here is what hits me… If you look at a chart of the kings of Judah not a single one of them is considered “Good” after Josiah. How can it be that a godly king raised such ungodly sons?
You see, only Josiah was raised by a priest in the house of God and learned to be king by following God’s laws. Every other king learned to be king by watching the debacle before them.
“Who’s on First?”.…Tragically, it wasn’t The Sovereign God!
