“Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Was not this knowing Me? says the LORD.” (Jeremiah 22:15–16, NKJV)

Josiah had been one of the best kings of Judah. He brought about many spiritual reforms, destroying the high places and smashing the idolatrous images. When he was killed in battle by Pharaoh Necho, the people greatly mourned. But Josiah’s sons did not walk in their father’s footsteps. Jehoahaz built his luxurious palace without paying his laborers. He lived in a large house with cedar paneling, but he did not reign justly. Therefore, after only three months, Pharaoh Necho took him away captive to Egypt.

Jehoiakim, another son of Josiah, was not much better than his brother, although he reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years. He shed innocent blood and was greedy. Therefore, no one mourned when he died at the age of thirty-six.

Lastly, Jehoiachin reigned with his mother for three months, and they were both taken captive to Babylon. He was so bad that the LORD said of him:

“Let the record show that this man Jehoiachin was childless. He is a failure, for none of his children will succeed him on the throne of David to rule over Judah.’” (Jeremiah 22:30, NLT)

Because of this prophecy, the Davidic bloodline was broken. Jesus traces his bloodline back to David not through Jehoiachin and Solomon but through David’s son Nathan.

If this chapter teaches us anything, it is that a righteous person does not necessarily have righteous children or grandchildren. This fact is especially difficult for godly people to accept—especially if they have been diligent to raise their children in the way of the LORD. But a child’s upbringing, as good as it may be, does not trump his will. How we need to earnestly pray for our children and grandchildren so that they will know the LORD and escape this godless generation!