Lessons on Jehoiachin (3)—To Do You Good in the End - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. He spoke kindly to him, and gave him a more prominent seat than those of the kings who were with him in Babylon and [Jehoiachin] ate bread regularly before the king all the days of his life.
2 Kings 25:27-29 NKJV

Lessons on Jehoiachin (3)—To Do You Good in the End
We see a magnificent picture of God's goodness in the release of Jehoiachin in the 37th year of his reign, when he was 55 years old.

Manasseh humbled himself before God when in prison in Babylon; he was then released. We do not know if Jehoiachin had a similar experience, but we can certainly appreciate God's kindness to him. Jehoiachin had humbled himself when he surrendered to the king of Babylon, and now he is released and elevated. God did him good in the end.

The apostle Peter wrote, "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Pet. 5:6-7). This is exactly what happened to Jehoiachin. After humbling himself, when the time came, according to God's governmental dealing with him, he was elevated. He was spoken to kindly, his prison clothes were changed, he ate bread before the king of Babylon, and he was cared for all the days of his life.

God cares for us and wants to do us good in the end. When will we be exalted, as Jehoiachin was? Paul gives us the answer: "When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory" (Col. 3:4). Meanwhile, if there are sorrows and difficulties on our path—often due to our old fallen nature—let us not forget the words of James: "We count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful" (Jas. 5:11). Yes, He is compassionate and merciful, and His kindness endures forever (Ps. 118:1).

-- Alexandre Leclerc