Jehoiachin was taken captive to Babylon by
Nebuchadnezzar and went into exile for some 36 years or so. Then in
the 37th year, his fortune changed for the better. He found
favor with Evil-Merodach, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, who succeeded his father
on the throne. He was released from prison by the new monarch who showed him
kindness, and treated and spoke to him kindly. Evil-Merodach even gave him a
higher position than kings of other nations whom his father had taken as
captives alongside Jehoiachin. Jeremiah 52:29 tells us that Jehoiachin’s prison
clothes were changed, and he was allotted a place to dine with Evil-Merodach
regularly. The king even apportioned a daily allowance to Jehoiachin for each
day of his life as long as he lived.
Why did Evil-Merodach show Jehoiachin
such kindness? No reason was given for this change in attitude. A sanctified
guess would be that he was showing amnesty to the captive kings to celebrate
his inauguration as the new king of Babylon, in place of his father. This favor
shown by this new monarch was God’s way of giving hope to the people in
captivity. This was like a foretaste to the people concerning God’s promise of
their release from captivity.
The lesson: Our surest hope is in
God. No matter how trying our circumstances in life may be, God will come
through for us. Psalm 30:5 assures us, "For His anger is but for a
moment, His favor is for a lifetime; weeping may last for the night,
but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” There is great hope in God. No matter how much tribulation we may
be undergoing, in trusting God, we will have a positive outcome. So at the
bidding of Hebrews 10:35-36. Let us “Therefore, do not throw away
your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when we have done
the will of God, we may receive what was promised.” So let us learn to
stay confident in our faithful God!
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