Jehoahaz

2 Kings 23:30‑34; 2 Chronicles 36:1‑4  •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 9
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(or Shallum)
Jehovah-seized
2 Kings 23:30-3430And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father's stead. 31Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. 33And Pharaoh-nechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold. 34And Pharaoh-nechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there. (2 Kings 23:30‑34); 2 Chron. 36:1-41Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem. 2Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 4And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt. (2 Chronicles 36:1‑4)
Contemporary Prophets: Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem. Lamentations 4:1212The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem. (Lamentations 4:12)
The regular succession to the throne of Judah ceased with the lamented Josiah. Jehoahaz was not the eldest son of the late king. Johanan and Jehoiakim were both older than he. In Jer. 22:1111For thus saith the Lord touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more: (Jeremiah 22:11) he is called, significantly, Shallum (“to whom it is requited”), and by this name he is registered in the royal Judean genealogy (1 Chron. 3:1515And the sons of Josiah were, the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. (1 Chronicles 3:15)). He was made king by popular choice: it was the preference of the multitude, not the appointment of God. “And his mother’s name was Hamutal [‘delight’], the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.” He and Zedekiah, the last of Judah’s nineteen kings, were born of the same mother (2 Kings 24:1818Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. (2 Kings 24:18)). He was about nine years older than his brother Zedekiah, though in 1 Chron. 3:1515And the sons of Josiah were, the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. (1 Chronicles 3:15) his name is placed last, probably because of his much shorter reign.
He is likened in Ezek. 19:1-41Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, 2And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions. 3And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men. 4The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt. (Ezekiel 19:1‑4) to “a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.” This is the only hint given us as to the character of his sin. Josephus said of him that he was “an impious man, and impure in his course of life” (Antiquities 10.5.2). He was probably guilty of deeds of violence. His name is omitted from among those of our Lord’s ancestors in Matt. 1. Necho, it is said, made Jehoahaz’ half brother Eliakim “king in the room of Josiah his father,” which may imply that God did not recognize Jehoahaz, the people’s choice, as being in a true sense the successor.
“And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold” (2 Chron. 36:33And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. (2 Chronicles 36:3)). It is elsewhere stated that he was taken to Riblah in the land of Hamath and bound, which in no wise contradicts what is quoted above. History informs us that after his victory at Megiddo, Necho intended to march to the Euphrates. But hearing of Jehoahaz’ elevation to the throne by popular acclamation, he sent a division of his army to Jerusalem, which deposed him and brought him captive to Riblah, where Necho and his chief forces were. This he did, it is said, because he believed Jehoahaz leaned toward an alliance with Assyria against him.
“And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim.
And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt.” He never returned from Egypt. Jehoahaz (“Jehovah-seized”) had seized the throne that was not his by right, and in turn he was seized by Necho, God’s instrument. He was carried to a land of exile, there to find a grave far from the sepulchers of his fathers.
He was anointed at his coronation, but no extraordinary ceremony could make up for his defective title to the crown (2 Kings 23:3030And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father's stead. (2 Kings 23:30)). Men have similar thoughts today. They feel they have no real title to a throne in Heaven with Christ, so they increase forms and elaborate ceremonies. Hence the rapid growth of ritualism. “And the end is not yet.”