Daily Devotional For Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Good morning and thank you for taking time to spend time with the Lord today. Our daily devotional for today comes from Jeremiah 22:1-5, 18-19:
“This is what the LORD said to me: “Go over and speak directly to the king of Judah. Say to him, (2) ‘Listen to this message from the LORD, you king of Judah, sitting on David’s throne. Let your attendants and your people listen, too. (3) This is what the LORD says: Be fair-minded and just. Do what is right! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Quit your evil deeds! Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, and widows. Stop murdering the innocent! (4) If you obey Me, there will always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne here in Jerusalem. The king will ride through the palace gates in chariots and on horses, with his parade of attendants and subjects. (5) But if you refuse to pay attention to this warning, I swear by My own name, says the LORD, that this palace will become a pile of rubble . . . (18) Therefore, this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim, son of King Josiah: “The people will not mourn for him, crying to one another, ‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’ His subjects will not mourn for him, crying, ‘Alas, our master is dead! Alas, his splendor is gone!’ (19) He will be buried like a dead donkey—dragged out of Jerusalem and dumped outside the gates’” (NLT).
The king Jeremiah is referring to here is Jehioakim. He was 25-year-old when he became king and he reigned for 11 years. God sent the prophet Jeremiah to warn him about how to reign and if he failed, it would not go well with him as verses 18-19 imply. When we read verses 18-19, this is the Old Testament’s version of, “Ain’t Gonna Cry” by Bryan Adams.” No one, not even his family was sad to see him go. This is sad to me. How horrible of a person do you have to be for even your own family to be glad you’re dead and gone?
Old Testament Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus (37-100 AD) tells us exactly what happened when Nebuchadrezzar marched on Jerusalem in December of 598 B.C. Jehoiakim was given a donkey’s burial. His body was treated like an animal carcass. The historian Josephus records that it was “thrown before the walls, without any burial” (Source: Josephus, The Antiquities of the Jews, in The Works of Josephus, trans. William Whiston (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1987), X.vi.3 (p. 272).
There are people that when they die, we do not grieve at all their passing or death (ex. Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Castro, and Osama Bin Laden) just to name a few. In fact, many times there is rejoicing and celebration. Jehioakim would be only 36-years-old when he died in 598 BC. He was so horrible that he would not even be given a state funeral. Instead, his body would be treated like a dead donkey – discarded as a dead animal carcass to rot and be eaten by vultures. Jehioakim had so much cedar in his palace that he was practically living in a forest. He thought that such opulence and wealth made him someone. His palace displayed him, and not the Lord. As a result, God through the prophet Jeremiah questions some ideology in Jeremiah 22:15.
Reflection Assignment: This story reveals where we really put our faith and security. Though you may say, “I put my faith and security in the Lord,” the question is: do you? When life does not go the way you desire, is the Lord the first one you go to about it? What do you check more – your means to live and your retirement funds or your relationship with the Lord? When things get tight or an unexpected expense comes, is your first response to go to the Lord or do you think it is all on you to figure out a way to pay it or fix it or restore it?
Scripture To Meditate On: Revelation 3:6, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says” (ESV).
Prayer To Pray: “Lord, I do not want to put my trust in anything or anyone but You. Forgive me when I think, “If it is to be, it’s up to me.” I do not depend on You as much as I need and should. I want my life to honor You and serve You. I want my residence to display you, not me. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly