2 Chronicles 36:1-4
“Then the people of the land took Joahaz the son of Josiah and made him king in place of his father in Jerusalem. Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem. Then the king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem, and imposed a fine on the land…….” (1-3a) Joahaz’s father Josiah failed to heed God’s warning to not get involved in war with Egypt and lost his life. Now the son of Josiah, who reigned in his place, is deposed, taken to Egypt, and Neco, king of Egypt, imposed a fine on Judah. Though Josiah was a good king, his failure to heed God’s voice impacted not only his life, but the life of his son and the lives of those he served. In fact, Neco installed Joahaz’s brother Eliakim king of Judah and changed his name to Jehoiakim. The authority of Neco over Israel was permitted by God because of the persistent rejection of God’s rule. Now Judah would be exposed to the rule of their enemies. When we reject God’s rule, God will allow us to see what it is like to suffer under our enemy’s rule. May God give us the wisdom to see the value of His rule in our lives!