JEHOIACHIN RELEASED FROM PRISON

Reading from 2 Kings Ch. 25 vs 27-30

Things can change for the better no matter how long it takes and however the situation looks. I sometimes wonder about what we would today call a delusional way of thinking, where you believe that things will just go your way no matter what. But I suppose no one really talks about how you could think this way and believe with all your heart and nothing will seemingly change and maybe it might even get worse. Not the direction of this passage but my point is how do we then deal with the feeling of having hoped for something for so long and gotten disappointed. Some relentless people may still hold on but most of us might let go of that belief or even the way of thinking entirely but that’s not the attitude that God wants you to have. I understand it’s hard, waiting and hoping without signs is difficult but there is hope, let’s look at Jehoiachin and see.

Jehoiachin was the king of Judah at the time when the Babylonians came to besiege and take the Judeans captive. The situation was bad and he, his household and officials gave themselves up because they could see there was no use in fighting they were already in a bad place. Now I understand there’s some aspect of us that thinks of the Daniel situation and how they kinda just had to prove their greatness and work and such but it wasn’t like that for everyone. Johoiachin was the king but when they got to Babylon he was thrown into prison. Imagine the switch in dynamics from being a ruler to being a prisoner in a foreign land, it was a lot. Now maybe that seems normal but what was wild was how long he was kept in the prison, he was there for thirty seven years.

I know the lifestyle change is big but just think about the extremity of that, to sit almost 4 decades in prison, maybe he thought okay yes they want to punish us but eventually they’ll release us, months went by, then years and he was still locked up. Think of the things you hope for or how long it’s taking and think of Jehoiachin, we were never even kings. Think of the waiting and the hope, how much patience and endurance he had to go through, I’m not saying we should compare but think about how bad he had it, and it was probably worse because they knew he was the leader. It takes a lot to have hope and faith for most of the things we need and want and maybe our reasons are valid but still nothing is happening. It’s a very hard place to be in to wait on God but what we need to know is whatever God says he will bring it to pass.

What I found interesting was the specificity of the time, it was the thirty seventh year, in the twelfth month on the twenty seventh day of the month, that’s when Jehoiachin was free to go. Honestly I don’t think I can wait that long but we all need to get to points where no matter what it looks likes or how long it’s taking we should wait on God. Jehoiachin was in prison throughout Nebuchadnezzar’s reign and he at some point was made to feed like a beast and he did not free the king of Judah. But eventually tables do change or hands switch and yes we do wait, hope and pray but we might still find ourselves very surprised that it’s finally working out. Nebuchadnezzar even died but sometimes the thing we hope will be the one to answer our prayer might not be, if anything it might be the one holding onto the answer. When Nebuchadnezzar died a new king Evil-merodach began to reign and in his very first year he graciously freed king Jehoiachin from prison.

Sometimes we keep resisting the change that without our knowledge will align us to what we really desire or have been hoping for ourselves. Evil-merodach didn’t just free Jehoiachin, he also spoke with him kindly and gave him a seat above the kings who were in Babylon. And from that time he regularly dined with the king and was even given an allowance regularly to cater to his daily needs as long as he lived. We probably can’t even imagine it if we tried how it will be like when things finally change or when we get that thing we desired but we will have joy. Jehoiachin should be a reminder for us that waiting even though very long doesn’t mean denial, it just might mean elevation and more than what you could have hoped. He probably just wanted to be free but he ended up being cared for in what most likely was his old age.

God knows why we don’t get most of the things we desire and ask for just there and then, he might not tell us why and maybe we might just learn or figure out why. But what we should understand is we can trust in him that he who understands us and the right or perfect time for things will bring them to fruition then. Ask him to help you grow that patience as you wait and give you the peace through that season but know he isn’t deliberately keeping things from you, it’s always for your own benefit, so yes believe for the outrageous things but also know that there might be some waiting involved. He will be with you through it, remember Jesus loves you always!