27In the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, released Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison, 28and he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon, 29and changed his prison garments. Jehoiachin ate bread before him continually all the days of his life; 30and for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him from the king, every day a portion, all the days of his life.
The book of Kings begins with the building of the Temple in Jerusalem and it finishes with its destruction. It begins with the dynasty of the House of David and ends in its chaos. Israel has, been captured and exiled to Assyria and Judah was also been defeated and exiled to Babylon. God had repeated told the people that if they did not return their hearts to him, he would no longer win their battles and they would be defeated by their enemies. Now his word had come to fruition. Did the people think that God would not do as he said? By this stage in their history they should have known that God is a God of his word.
There was of course another promise that God had made to David, that his family would continue to hold the hope of a royal line that would last forever. How could this ever happen now? The palace, the throne and the temple were destroyed and the royal family were slaves and prisoners of war. All hope is gone!
Jehoiachin should have been king in Judah, but he was a prisoner living in difficult conditions like everyone else and his chances of survival were weak. It is impossible for a king to continue a family line if he dies in exile. But God knows how to keep his promises and in the last 3 verses of the book of Kings there is a glimmer of hope again. As Jehoiachin finds favour in the eyes of the enemy King Merodach, who begins to look after him, ensuring he has clothes and food and a much better chance of survival. We know that Jesus would eventually become the great hope of the house of David, isn’t amazing to know that nothing was going to stop the plan for a saviour. God keeps his promises.