2 Kings 25:27-30--Jehoiachin Released from Prison

2 Kings 25:27-30
English Standard Version
​
Jehoiachin Released from Prison
27 And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. 28 And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table, 30 and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived.

---

This is the end of the book of 2 Kings.  It has taken us from the end of Elijah's earthly ministry to the Exile of both Israel and Judah.  In the thirty-seventh year of the exile (they were exiled for seventy years, so we are a little more than halfway through the Exile), there was a new king in Babylon who released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison.  This occurred in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month.  Not only did Evil-merodach, king of Babylon, free Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison, but also gave him a seat at the king's table (he treated him like one of his own sons).  We don't know for sure, but perhaps this has to do with the influence of Daniel and his three friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, for they were given authority as political leaders in the palace and in the province of Babylon (the capital city).

We know next to nothing about Evil-merodach other than what is mentioned here, but we know that another ruler in Babylon would arise (I won't call him king because he was only the second-highest ruler in the kingdom from what we can tell) who would not know of Daniel and his friends nor of the miraculous things that the LORD had done for Nebuchadnezzar.  That ruler named Belshazzar would act foolishly so as to incur God's wrath and in a single night his kingdom would be taken away from him (we have to look to the book of Daniel for this history).  The rest of the Babylonian Exile would be served under the reign of the Medo-Persian Empire, and the LORD would use this king (we have different names for him in different Old Testament books as he has a Jewish name, a name given by the Medes, and a name given by the Persians), to protect and restore the Jews.  We also don't want to forget that during this time came the story of Esther and the story of Purim where the LORD upset all the enemies within the Persian kingdom that desired to destroy the Jews.  So, even while His people are in Exile, God is working among the nations to change His people, bring them back to Him, to destroy their enemies, and to make the Torah, the Psalms, and some of the books of Prophecy known even to these Gentile nations (this is our best explanation of why the wise men were looking for a star when they came to visit Jesus in Matthew 2, for it is part of a prophecy made by Balaam in the book of Numbers).  God is at work in his people to show them they are in need of a better king and a better kingdom, but also they are in need of a better covenant (some of the prophets will also talk about this) for they cannot keep the Mosaic Covenant and they risk being sent into Exile again and again or having the LORD become so angry with them that He might destroy them like He did the Canaanites, Hivites, Jebusites, Perizzites, and other Gentile nations.  At this point in the story we long for the people to be reunited, restored, and for Messiah, the Son of David, to appear and take His place on David's throne in Jerusalem, for the city of Jerusalem to be rebuilt and for the Temple of the LORD to be rebuilt so that sacrifices can be made once again and the nations of the world can come to see and to hear the gospel (not just in the Temple, but it was at work in the lives of the people of God who were called by His name).