Jeremiah 22:30 - Thus says the LORD: Write this man (Jeconiah) down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah.


No matter what we do, or how we fail God, His plan will never fail. Satan had, time after time, tried to stop God’s promises from being fulfilled concerning the coming Messiah. All the evil people and demonic entities in Noah’s time could not defeat God’s plan. Now, the terrible, willful sin of one man could not stop it either. But neither could God overlook the sin of this man just to make His promise come true. Jeconiah’s punishment had to stand, and God sealed it as a curse on his father, Jehoiakim: he should be called childless. This means God would not count Jeconiah as being a valid king of the Jews.

Yet, in Matthew 1:11-12, Jeconiah is named in the lineage of Jesus. Did God break His word? Was Jesus’ kingly line more important than cursing this man’s sin? The answer to both questions is no. God always keeps His promises, and sin is always punished – either through Jesus’ death on the cross, or by God’s discipline in our lives. There would always be consequences to Jeconiah’s sin – his blood would not be part of the heritage of the Messiah (he would not be part of Mary's blood line to Jesus), but repentance placed him in Joseph’s bloodline. Through Joseph, Jeconiah could be the adoptive ancestor of Jesus.

Lord God, thank you that no sin, however great, can separate me from the love of Jesus when I put my faith in His atoning work on the cross. Thank you for loving me and thank you for always fulfilling Your promises! In Jesus' name, Amen.