God's Grace

I came across a story in the Bible this week that made me stop and think. It was about Jehoiachin (aka Jeconiah), king of Judah.

Jehoiachin became king in 598 BC at the age of 18 and "did evil in the eyes of the Lord." Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin's father, another evil dude, gave him the kingdom.

The thing that got me thinking about this story was that this man, even though he did bad things, suddenly was released from prison at the end of his earthly life, given new clothes, and sat and was fed at the king's table all the remaining days of his life.

God blessed him. Why?

"In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. 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. So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table. Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived." - 2 Kings 25:27-30

Why was Jehoiachin important? Why is he in the Bible? He only reigned for three months and ten days. And he did evil! Yet, at the end of his life,  he was treated with grace and respect.

Well, he was the last king of Judah and he was a decendant of King David, therefore in the lineage of Jesus. Jehoiachin was the last king of Judah.... until Jesus, the Lion of Judah, came upon the earth.

In the story above we see how God can still extend grace to those who sin against him, even though, by God's will, he was punished for his sins (prison).

Doesn't Jehoiachin represent each of us in a way? We all do evil in the eyes of the Lord. Yet God has extended us grace through His Son, Jesus. And won't we be putting on new clothes in heaven one day? Clothed in righteousness through our faith in Jesus.

And we too will "sit at the Kings table" and be fed all the days of our eternal lives because of our faith in Jesus, a decendant of Jehoiachin.

Jehoiachin is a good reminder of God's righteous judgement, but also of His grace.

"He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free." - Psalm 146:7