Jeremiah 21:1-23:8

This passage contains one of the most amazing fulfillments of prophecy in all Scripture.  Jeremiah is now preaching in the days of Zedekiah, Judah’s king in the days of the Babylonian exile (21:1-2).  The king sends emissaries to ask Jeremiah if perhaps God will deliver them from Babylon as He delivered Hezekiah from the Assyrians.  The answer is that God will fight against Judah (21:3-7).  The only choice they have is to give themselves up to Babylon or die (21:8-10).  David’s house is doomed (21:11-14).  There will be no deliverance!

How can this be? What about God’s “eternal” covenant with David, that he would have a descendent on the throne?  God’s answer is clear.  David’s house will be desolate (22:1-10).  Note how the various descendents of Josiah who would occupy the throne were specifically mentioned.

•    22:11-17: Shallum (also known as Jehoahaz, 2 Kings 23:31-34), Josiah’s son who was taken captive to Egypt, would never return.
•    22:18-23: Jehoiakim (2 Kings 23:35-24:7), another son of Josiah, who was taken captive to Babylon, would never return.
•    22:24-30: Coniah (also known as Jeconiah or Jehoiachin, 2 Kings 24:8-16), the son of Jehoikim, who gave himself up and was taken to Babylon, would never return.  Of him God says he will be childless, in the sense that none of his descendents will ever be on the throne of David (Jer. 22:30).
•    23:1-8: God announces “woe” on these shepherds (i.e. the various kings) who scattered His people. But then He makes amazing promises of hope.  God will gather His people from where they have been scattered.  He will place good shepherds over them.  AND He will raise to David a Branch of righteousness, a King, in whose days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell safely.  He will be, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.   This is the Messiah.

Now we ask, how can David have a descendent in future days if the Davidic line of kings stops with Coniah?  And how is it that Coniah (Jeconiah) was included in Jesus’ genealogy in Matt. 1:11-12?  The answer to this difficulty is found in the two genealogies of Christ (Matt. 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38).  Matthew records a legal ancestry through Jesus’ step-father Joseph.  Luke records the record of Jesus humanity, through Mary.  While Matthew refers to the Davidic line through Solomon that include Coniah, Luke refers to the Davidic line through his son Nathan (Lk. 3:31).  The result of the virgin birth is that Jesus is not only the true descendent of David, He is in fact the only person in history who ever will be able to rule on the throne while maintaining the curse on the descendents of Coniah.

Jesus of Nazareth fulfills God’s eternal word to David.  Jesus is and will be THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.  Truly “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow … and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Phil. 2:10-11).