He sets the captives FREE!

2 Kings 25:27-30 (NIV)

²⁷ 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. 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.

 

I finished my reading of 1st and 2nd Kings today.  It has been a historical adventure of the nation of Israel.  The Old Testament (covenant) was not God's idea for His people when He chose them out of all the nations of the world to be His peculiar people.  By Grace and favor He blessed Abraham and made him into a great nation. By His strong arm He delivered them out of Egypt to bring them to the land he had prepared for them.  It was the people of Israel themselves who presumed they could measure up to God's holy and righteous standards as they entered into a new, law based covenant carved in stone.  And it was these same people who desired to be like the nations around them and demanded to be governed by kings and by a king of their own choosing. 

 

This turned out horribly for the nation who ended up divided, dispersed and ultimately exiled from their land.  Had it not been for God's GRACE and favor for His people despite their failures, they never would have survived.  But God never forgot His promise to Abraham that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through him.  The world would indeed be blessed and saved through this "promise".  So while the historical reading of the books of 1&2 Kings is up and down, filled with failures, prophetic warnings and reformation attempts, it is still just a small section of God's wonderful plan of redemption for the world.  It is like watching a parade through a knothole in a tall wooden fence waiting for Mickey Mouse, Santa Clause or Snoopy to come by.  Our vision is limited to what we can see through the limited parameters of that little hole.  There is a whole parade there that if one could get high enough could be seen from beginning to end.  God's plan of salvation for all mankind through Jesus Christ was laid out from the foundation of the world (see 1 Peter 1:20-21).  

 

So while these historical books seem to end on a downer note there is yet a picture of hope is these last lines. Jehoiachin became king when he was 18 years old and only reigned over Judah for three months.  At that time, king Nebuchadnezzar carried him into exile in Babylon and put him in prison.  One more king ruled while Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to the land and conquered it completely but while it seemed that all was lost, God was still at work carrying out His plan.  Thirty seven years later, Nebuchadnezzar died and his son succeeded him as king.  This king showed favor to king Jehoiachin and released him from prison.  He spoke encouraging words to him and gave him a seat of great honor.  He removed the prison clothes and redressed him and Jahoiachin ate at the kings table and received provision all the rest of the days of his life.

 

What a beautiful picture of what our King does for us.  While in the world are in the prison of our sin and the future is indeed dim.  We are held captive as slaves just as the Israelites were in Egypt and as Jahoiachin was in Babylon.  It was God's wonderful plan of salvation and His hand that brought deliverance from these two types of captivity and it is this same plan that saves us.  Isaiah 61:1-3 says, "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor." In Luke chapter 4 we read where Jesus declares that He is the fulfillment of this prophecy and He is indeed for all who would believe in Him.  Without Him we are poor, broken, prisoners.  We are lost and imprisoned with no hope at all.  We mourn in dust and ashes unable to save ourselves with the prison clothed in a spirit of despair but praise be to God we are not left there.  Our King of Kings and Lord of Lord's has shown favor on us!  By His Grace He lifts up our heads and brings the good news of salvation through the blood of the Lamb.  Because of Him we are released from our prison.  We are no longer under the curse of the law but FREE!  Through Christ and in Him there is no more anger, no more judgment, no more condemnation from God.  Instead we are clothed in righteousness and in garments of praise.  We are made righteous in Christ, crowned in beauty and given a place at the Kings table forever and ever!  Thank you Jesus for setting me free.

 

Grace to you! 

Pastor Tony

Freedom Church, USA