Mercy

27 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin from prison on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. 28 He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table. 30 Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived. (2 Kings 25:27-30)

First and Second Kings gives a long list of kings of Judah and Israel. Most of the kings did evil in the eyes of the Lord, with only a few kings, all from Judah, trying to walk in His way. The ending for both kingdoms was total destruction. God had warned that this would happen if the Israelites were not faithful to Him.

But Second Kings ends on a different note. Instead of focusing on destruction, there is mercy. Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim and grandson of Josiah, had rebelled against Babylon and only reigned as king for three months (2 Chronicles 36:9). In 597 BC he was taken into captivity and spent the next 37 years in prison.

But when Nebuchadnezzar died and his son Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon, mercy was given to Jehoiachin (2 Kings 25:27). He was released from prison, spoken kindly to by the new king, and given a seat of honor higher than the other kings that were in Babylon. The release of Jehoiachin was not the end of the Babylonian Captivity, or even the beginning of the end, but it marked a change.

As we read about the Jews experience of captivity in Babylon, we can see more and more that God had not abandoned them. Through the darkness, there were glimmers of light: the gentle treatment of Jehoiachin, the experiences of Daniel as he served successive kings, and finally the merciful release of the Jews by Cyrus to return to Jerusalem.

Times would still be hard for the Jews. After the Babylonian captivity, there would be domination by Persia, conflict with Greeks, conquest by Romans and finally, once again, Jerusalem would be taken and the temple destroyed.

God does not promise that our times will be easy. Instead His promise is greater than that, reaching into eternity with a word: “never”. “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

Prayer:
• When have you seen glimmers of light during times of darkness in your own life or other people’s lives? How do you respond to these glimmers?
Pray that God will open your eyes during times of difficulty to see that He is still with you.