Act II: Jehoiakim

A New King

Unlike Ezekiel, there are few timestamps in Jeremiah. So it is hard to pinpoint when Jehoahaz/Shallum becomes king after Josiah is killed in battle with Egypt. I picked this chapter, because of the warning addressed to the king that seems meant for Jehoiakim. It could have been chapter 11 as well, as maybe the death of Josiah emboldened those that hated Jeremiah.

Josiah was succeeded by Jehoahaz, who favored the Chaldeans over Egypt like his father. But the king of Egypt, defeated by the Chaldeans at Carchemish, deposed Shallum, installed Jehoiakim, and imposed a heavy tax. After 4 years, Nebuchadnezzar came, took Jehoiakim, Daniel, Ezekiel, and many others back to Babylon after a short seige. Then Nebuchadnezzar sent Jehoiakim back to Judah as a vassal, with much more reasonable taxes. After 3 years, Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, breaking his oath of allegiance sworn before Nebuchadnezzar in the name of Jehovah.

Nebuchadnezzar waged various proxy wars against Judah as warning, increasing in intensity until Jehoiakim was killed in a skirmish, or more likely assassinated and thrown over the wall (as no one mourned or honored him) to send the beseigers away.