Leaving an Impression
“As surely as I live,” declares the Lord, “even if you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off.”
Jeremiah 22:24
I want to focus on one word this week: hotam (חוֹתָ֖ם), which is translated above as “signet ring”. What is a signet ring and how does it help us better understand the imagery being used?
The word is broader than “signet ring”, although that fits the context here the best. It is a unique stamp which identifies the individual who made the impression. Generally, one would seal a letter with wax or clay and then stamp it with his seal. This validated who it came from and showed that the document had not been tampered with. Documents could be sealed by multiple people, leaving multiple seal impressions on them (see Revelation 5:1). Imagine it like a password, verifying to the website that you are who you say you are. These small objects were important to their owners!
They came in a variety of sizes and styles. The nobility often had the seal on a ring, like in this passage. The most common style was a cylinder seal, which would be rolled to create the image. It had a hole in it so it could be hung on a strap around the neck.
They are mentioned throughout the Bible. Judah gave his seal to Tamar, as a pledge to pay her for her, er, services (Genesis 38:18). Jezebel wrote instructions in Ahab’s name sealed with his seal (1 Kings 21:8). The book of Job describes a new day like like fresh clay imprinted with a seal (Job 38:14). Jeremiah later mentions transactions being performed and sealed (Jeremiah 32:44). Jesus’ tomb was sealed (Matthew 27:66), which wasn’t to keep it from being opened but to demonstrate it had not been tampered with.
What is the Lord saying about Jehoiachin? Even if Jehoiachin was as important as God’s personal, noble seal on his hand, he would be cast away. It is a very strong statement! There was so much corruption and injustice that even his importance wouldn’t save him from judgement.
However, the house of David was not forever doomed. The Lord would later call Zerubbabel his signet ring (Haggai 2:23), possibly hinting back at this prophecy of Jeremiah and reversing the curse.
To Ponder…
- If you are God’s stamp, what sort of impression are you leaving on this world? Does it represent him well?