Hope During the Exile (2 Kings 25:27-30)
Hope During the Exile
2 Kings 25:27-30
Well, we have now reached the end of our study of the kings.
While it has certainly been enlightening,
We cannot say that it has always been cheerful.
The story of the kings is a story of
Wicked kings
Stubborn people
Ignored prophets
And an Angry God
That has been clearly seen in the last couple of weeks
As God’s judgment has been poured out upon this group of apostates.
God has thoroughly and systematically removed all of Israel
From the promised land and has exiled them into a foreign country.
It has been a difficult judgment to watch.
And our lesson has been clear.
Seek God
Trust God
Obey God
Love God
And don’t do any of those things for any other god.
And since Israel did not take that advice,
It has been a depressing book to study.
UNTIL TODAY
The writer of kings actually concludes this story on a very positive note.
And this is good, for even in the midst of the judgment of Israel, God never failed to have words of encouragement.
TO ILLUSTRATE THIS BEST,
I want to spend a few minutes in the book of Jeremiah.
You know Jeremiah.
He was a prophet who lived in Jerusalem.
He was widely ignored…
He was often persecuted…
But he was extremely faithful.
And he was appointed by God to announce the coming doom of Judah,
Which he did faithfully.
But it was in the midst of this doom,
That God had some of the brightest words of hope He ever spoken
Through this same prophet.
TURN TO: JEREMIAH 29
Jeremiah 29 begins with a letter written by Jeremiah to those exiles who were taken over on one of the first two waves. (Remember Nebuchadnezzar took them in three shifts)
And Jeremiah’s counsel is that they should dig in
And prepare themselves to be there a while.
READ 29:4-7
And so Jeremiah reveals that this judgment is for real,
And it will last a very long time.
But it is then, while announcing that discouraging news, that Jeremiah gives a few words of hope.
READ 29:10-14
How many times have we quotes that very passage.
It was preached by Jeremiah
In one of the darkest moments of Israel’s history.
God promised that what He did, He did for Israel’s good.
It was in her best interest that she go to Babylon.
For it would be in Babylon that Israel would finally learn
To seek God and to seek Him with all their heart.
And because Israel would finally learn to seek out God,
It would be in Babylon that Israel would finally find Him.
(14) “I will be found by you,” declares the LORD”
And so Jeremiah was giving some hope in the midst of despair.
But that is not the only words of hope Jeremiah had for these judged people.
TURN TO: JEREMIAH 31
This is another extremely famous passage of Scripture.
Again Jeremiah is preaching
During one of the darkest moments in Israel’s history.
Most have been killed, many have been exiled, and the city of Jerusalem is under attack, about to fall to Nebuchadnezzar.
It is at this moment that Jeremiah uttered a few more words of hope.
READ 31:31-34
It runs very close to the truth we learned in the 29th chapter.
That God was about to do something in their lives
That was truly remarkable.
You and I know it as the “New Covenant”
In which salvation no longer depended upon our obedience,
But upon God’s mercy.
Even while destroying Jerusalem,
God was promising a day when righteousness
Would be the order of the day and God’s favor would follow.
And still God is not finished.
TURN TO: JEREMIAH 32
There again, if you were to read the entire chapter you would know that God gave a strange command to Jeremiah.
He commanded Jeremiah to buy a field in Judah.
You must know that land wasn’t worth much,
Seeing as how Babylon was about to seize it all.
Yet God commanded Jeremiah to buy some,
And God had a purpose in this.
READ 32:15
The point is that God has a plan to one day bring
A purified and devoted people back to the land of Israel.
READ 32:36-41
God again has a message of hope
In the midst of judgment and destruction.
Let me show you one more.
TURN TO: JEREMIAH 33
If you read the first part of this chapter you will see that
Jeremiah received this prophecy while in prison.
Jeremiah appeared to the people to be a traitor, because he prophesied against the city and therefore he was held in custody.
But again, during this dark moment God reveals words of hope.
READ 33:14-26
The point is that even during Israel’s darkest moments
God never failed to leave them with a promise of hope.
Judgment may be coming, but there was always hope
That God would not fully forsake them.
God would remember them and God would deliver them.
God never failed to give hope.
And therefore it is only fitting that as the writer of kings
Brings this book of warning to a close
That he also end it with a few words of hope.
Now the writer of kings doesn’t utter a prophecy,
What he does do is give a real life illustration of God’s plan for Israel is.
The writer will focus on the king you and I know as Jehoiakin,
And through his circumstances give us hope as well.
Hopefully you remember Jehoiakin.
We covered him quickly.
Also called Jeconiah.
We called him “The Despised King”
Jeremiah 22:24-30 “As I live,” declares the LORD, “even though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet ring on My right hand, yet I would pull you off; and I will give you over into the hand of those who are seeking your life, yes, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. “I will hurl you and your mother who bore you into another country where you were not born, and there you will die. “But as for the land to which they desire to return, they will not return to it. “Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered jar? Or is he an undesirable vessel? Why have he and his descendants been hurled out And cast into a land that they had not known? “O land, land, land, Hear the word of the LORD! “Thus says the LORD, ‘Write this man down childless, A man who will not prosper in his days; For no man of his descendants will prosper Sitting on the throne of David Or ruling again in Judah.'”
This king was despised by God.
This king was promised to have no descendants on the throne.
Of all the kings this story could be about,
The writer chooses one that was truly disliked by God.
He does so on purpose.
Because if God could show mercy to Jehoiachin
Then certainly He could show mercy to Israel.
Lets look at a living picture illustration of what God has planned for Israel.
There are four things here that occur for Jehoiachin
#1 HE WAS SET FREE
2 Kings 25:27
You immediately notice that we are “in the thirty-seventh year of the exile”
That means that Jehoiachin has been in prison for 37 years.
He was taken captive when he was 18, he is now 55
He spent his prime years in a Babylonian prison.
But now, 37 years into the exile Babylon gets a new king.
Nebuchadnezzar has died and his son Evil-merodach became king.
And in that first year, this new king “released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison;”
No doubt Nebuchadnezzar had sentenced him for life,
And surely at age 55 Jehoiachin had lost all hope of ever being released.
He was a refugee…
He was a criminal…
He was under the wrath of God…
And it must have appeared to him that all hope was lost.
Until the unthinkable happened and Jehoiachin was released.
But that isn’t all that happened.
#2 HE WAS SHOWN FAVOR
2 Kings 25:28
Now it is one thing to be released and free to go where you please,
But it appears that Evil-merodach went the extra mile with Jehoiachin.
“he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon.”
To put it simply, Evil-merodach befriended Jehoiachin.
He just started being nice to him.
He even bestowed on him a ceremonial title.
He put him above all the other conquered kings.
Certainly this was a “shadow position”
And had no real authority, but what throne isn’t?
It must have felt nice to know that he was so popular with the ruler.
Jehoiachin was set free Jehoiachin was shown favor
#3 HIS SINS WERE FORGIVEN
2 Kings 25:29
The writer reveals that “Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes”
This may seem insignificant to you, but I promise you it is anything but.
Throughout Scripture garments represent character.
Those seen in filthy garments are seen as wicked and evil.
Those seen in clean garments are seen as righteous.
Perhaps you remember Joshua the high priest
When he was being accused by Satan.
Zechariah 3:3-4 “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.”
You may also remember the parable of the wedding banquet
Where the man sought to slip into the wedding banquet
Without wedding clothes (i.e. clean garments)
In Revelation, those who are saved are those who have been washed.
Revelation 7:13-14 “Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
That is why the Psalmist said:
Psalms 96:9 “Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.”
That is also why when Isaiah preached salvation he said:
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.”
The point is that garments are representative of character
And by allowing Jehoiachin to remove his prison clothes,
It was more than just cleaning up.
It was signifying that Jehoiachin had a change in status.
He was no longer to be considered a fugitive,
He was to be considered a friend.
Jehoiachin had been forgiven.
He was set free He was shown favor His sins were forgiven
#4 HE WAS SAVED FOREVER
2 Kings 25:29b-30
Here we certainly see more about the favor he received.
(29) “had his meals in the king’s presence regularly”
(30) “a regular allowance was given him by the king, a portion for each day”
And both of those are absolutely mind boggling.
Here is an enemy king, a man in prison,
Being released and treated like a son.
And that alone is amazing, but the truly amazing part
Is the duration of each of these benefits.
Both of them occurred “all the days of his life;”
These benefits never expired.
He never lost his status.
He never lost his provision.
He did nothing to deserve it,
But once it was conferred to him, it was his forever.
It sort of mirrors that familiar passage:
Psalms 23:6 “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
No doubt you could look at Jehoiachin and say,
“What a lucky guy!”
But this story is far from coincidence.
Jehoiachin is a prophetic picture of Israel.
He was a despised king – Israel had become a despised nation
He was imprisoned – Israel was in bondage to sin
He was clothed in filthy rags – Israel was also covered in iniquity
He had no worth – Israel did not either
Yet, what Evil-merodach did for Jehoiachin,
God was going to do for Israel.
God was reminding her of the promises that were given.
God will
Set her Free
Show her Favor
Forgive her Sin
Save her Forever
This story is meant to be beautiful
Because of the horrific backdrop behind it.
Israel had done nothing to ever expect
That God would ever be gracious again.
But that goes against the nature of our great God.
Psalms 103:8-14 “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.”
The point here is easy to see.
Regardless of how faithful Israel was to God,
God chose to remain faithful to Israel.
A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WE TALKED ABOUT LAMENTATIONS.
To keep from falling into the deepest of despair,
Jeremiah focused on God’s faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:19-33 “Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. Surely my soul remembers And is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he should bear The yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and be silent Since He has laid it on him. Let him put his mouth in the dust, Perhaps there is hope. Let him give his cheek to the smiter, Let him be filled with reproach. For the Lord will not reject forever, For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion According to His abundant lovingkindness. For He does not afflict willingly Or grieve the sons of men.”
It was that passage that inspired Thomas Chisholm to write these words:
“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father, there is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.”
“Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!”
The lesson learned is that God is faithful even when we are not.
2 Timothy 2:11-13 “It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”
Boy did Israel ever learn that.
They brought upon themselves the judgment of God
Because they denied Him.
Yet, their faithlessness could not undo God’s faithfulness.
He had chosen to be faithful to Israel, and no amount of infidelity could change that.
Even today, God is remaining faithful to faithless Israel.
Having rejected the Messiah, they are currently under the judgment of God, yet God’s faithfulness remains.
Paul said:
Romans 11:25-29 “For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery — so that you will not be wise in your own estimation — that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” “THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”
The point is this:
GOD’S FAITHFULNESS IS NOT DEPENDANT UPON OURS
And that is absolutely proved here at the end of the book of Kings.
We are dealing with a people who have rejected God at every turn
And in every possible way.
They have forsaken His temple…
They have forsaken His ordinances…
They have ignored His messengers…
They have done it all right in front of God’s face.
YET THE PROMISES OF GOD REMAIN
Now this is not a sermon meant to encourage you
To sin without fear of punishment.
Israel was punished.
70 years in captivity is no laughing matter.
So this sermon is not meant to yet you think that sin is no big deal.
Rather, this sermon is meant to encourage those of us who have sinned and desire to be restored to God.
For those in here like that, the news is good!
GOD STILL ACCEPTS PRODIGALS
He will set you free
He will show you favor
He will forgive your sin
He will save you forever
It is simply time for you to call upon Him.
What He did for Jehoiachin was just a picture
Of what He had already promised to do for Israel.
AND WHAT HE’LL DO FOR YOU
Run to Him, Seek Him, Obey Him, Trust Him,
Love Him with all your heart.
And God will receive you.
Luke 15:20-24 “So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.”
