Joacim - 2 Reyes 23:36-24:7

By: Henri L. Rossier

2 Kings 23:36‑24:7

La misma observación se aplica a la madre de este rey como a la madre de Joacaz. Su nombre es Zebuddah, la hija de Pedaiah de Rumah. Probablemente vino de una de las ciudades de Judá. Joacim, al principio tributario de Faraón, luego se convierte en tributario de Nabucodonosor, cuyo reinado comenzó el cuarto año de Joacim. Las advertencias del Señor son prodigadas sobre él por Jeremías (Jer. 22:13-19¹³Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbor's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work; ¹⁴That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion. ¹⁵Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? ¹⁶He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the Lord. ¹⁷But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it. ¹⁸Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory! ¹⁹He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem. (Jeremiah 22:13‑19)) y otros profetas; no se les presta atención. Él mata a Urijah, un profeta que profetizó contra Jerusalén y contra Judá, pero que, careciendo de fe en presencia de los planes asesinos del rey, huyó a Egipto (Jer. 26:20-23²⁰And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the Lord, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjath-jearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah: ²¹And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt; ²²And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt. ²³And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people. (Jeremiah 26:20‑23)). Jeremías también corre los mismos peligros, pero este hombre de Dios confía en la palabra del Señor: “Y he aquí, te señalo hoy como una ciudad fuerte, y una columna de hierro, y muros de bronce, contra toda la tierra; contra los reyes de Judá, contra sus príncipes, contra sus sacerdotes y contra el pueblo de la tierra. Y pelearán contra ti, pero no prevalecerán contra ti, porque yo estoy contigo dice Jehová, para librarte” (Jer. 1:18-19¹⁸For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. ¹⁹And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee. (Jeremiah 1:18‑19); ver también Jer. 6:27; 15:20-21²⁷I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way. (Jeremiah 6:27)
²⁰And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord. ²¹And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible. (Jeremiah 15:20‑21)). El Señor vela por él según esta palabra. Cuando en su incredulidad el rey, después de haber cortado el rollo de la profecía de Jeremías con una navaja y arrojarlo al fuego, busca aún más apoderarse del profeta y su fiel compañero, Baruc, se nos dice que “Jehová los escondió” (Jer. 36, especialmente Jer. 36:23, 26²³And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. (Jeremiah 36:23)
²⁶But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the Lord hid them. (Jeremiah 36:26)).

Jeremías había comenzado a profetizar en el decimotercer año del fiel Josías, cuando el pueblo todavía disfrutaba de la prosperidad que la fidelidad del rey les había procurado, pero el pueblo no había escuchado. Entonces el profeta anunció los setenta años de cautiverio bajo el yugo de Babilonia (Jer. 25:11¹¹And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. (Jeremiah 25:11)), el destino de todas las naciones, a la cabeza de las cuales colocó a Jerusalén, comparándola con los pueblos idólatras, y finalmente, el destino de Babilonia misma (Jer. 25:17-29¹⁷Then took I the cup at the Lord's hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the Lord had sent me: ¹⁸To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day; ¹⁹Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people; ²⁰And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod, ²¹Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon, ²²And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea, ²³Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners, ²⁴And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert, ²⁵And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes, ²⁶And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them. ²⁷Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you. ²⁸And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink. ²⁹For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the Lord of hosts. (Jeremiah 25:17‑29)). Este relato indica cómo sería la monarquía universal iniciada por Babilonia, independientemente de cuán corto pueda ser su dominio en comparación con el largo dominio asirio. Pero Asiria nunca había formado un reino compacto, bien establecido y universalmente reconocido como el de Babilonia.

Joacim había cambiado de maestro. Apenas podía esperar para rebelarse contra Nabucodonosor. Después de que su tierra se había convertido en parte en presa de todos sus vecinos (2 Reyes 24:2), este monarca se levantó contra él y lo ató con cadenas de bronce para llevarlo a Babilonia (2 Crón. 36:6). Aprendemos por medio de Jeremías qué palabra había pronunciado Jehová acerca de él: “Por tanto, así dice Jehová acerca de Joacim, rey de Judá: No tendrá a nadie que se siente sobre el trono de David; y su cadáver será echado fuera de día al calor, y de noche a la escarcha” (Jer. 36:30³⁰Therefore thus saith the Lord of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost. (Jeremiah 36:30)).

“Ciertamente, por mandamiento de Jehová aconteció contra Judá, que fueran quitados de su vista, por los pecados de Manasés, según todo lo que había hecho; y también por la sangre inocente que había derramado; porque había llenado Jerusalén de sangre inocente, y Jehová no quiso perdonar” (2 Reyes 24:3-4). Desde el tiempo de Manasés este decreto irrevocable había salido del Señor; había sido suspendido durante el reinado de Josías, y habría permanecido así durante los reinados de sus sucesores si hubieran estado dispuestos a escuchar (Jer. 25:1-11¹The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; ²The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ³From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the Lord hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened. ⁴And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear. ⁵They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever: ⁶And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. ⁷Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the Lord; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt. ⁸Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, ⁹Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. ¹⁰Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. ¹¹And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. (Jeremiah 25:1‑11)). Había dos causas para este juicio final: idolatría y sangre inocente; y Joacim, como Manasés, se había despojado de este último según su poder en Jerusalén, la ciudad que ha matado a los profetas y apedreado a los que fueron enviados a ella.

Desde entonces Faraón no volvió a salir de su tierra (2 Reyes 24:7), ya que el imperio babilónico lo había privado de todas sus posesiones desde el Nilo hasta el Éufrates.