Jeremiah 22:13-17

Do we never learn? When we stand up for the least among us we are living God’s way and we know and understand Him. Using others without fair treatment to build your own wealth is wrong. Any nation can be judged by the way that it treats those who have no money and no power of their own, the least of its’ citizens.

The key terms for true, biblical leadership quality—righteousness and justice—were negated by the king’s actions.  The king was supposed to be the guardian of his people, but Jehoiakim enslaved his fellow Israelites to build his self-aggrandizing palaces. 

Israel perished because of its lack of knowledge of God (see Hos. 4:6). Knowledge of God here is related to concern for the poor and needy (20:13). 

Jeremiah 22:13-17

¹³ “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness 

And his chambers by injustice, 

Who uses his neighbor’s service without wages 

And gives him nothing for his work, 

¹⁴ Who says, ‘I will build myself a wide house with spacious chambers, 

And cut out windows for it, 

Paneling it with cedar 

And painting it with vermilion.’ 

¹⁵ “Shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar? 

Did not your father eat and drink, 

And do justice and righteousness? 

Then it was well with him. 

¹⁶ He judged the cause of the poor and needy; 

Then it was well. 

Was not this knowing Me?” says the Lord. 

¹⁷ “Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, 

For shedding innocent blood, 

And practicing oppression and violence.”