ROOTED - Friday, May 15, 2026
Jeremiah 22:24-25; 52: 31-34
24 “As I live, declares the Lord, though Coniah the son of
Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I
would tear you off 25 and give you into
the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are
afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand
of the Chaldeans.
31 And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of
Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month,
Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously
freed Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison. 32 And
he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings
who were with him in Babylon. 33 So Jehoiachin put
off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the
king's table, 34 and for his allowance, a regular
allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, until the
day of his death, as long as he lived.
Reflection: Jehoiachin
Written By: Pastor Jesse Caro
Coniah (also known as Jehoiachin), the son of
Jehoiakim was taken captive by Babylon. Coniah/Jehoiachin began his rule when
he was 18 years old. According to 2 Kings 24, he was taken prisoner in the 8th
year of his reign in 560 BC. For 37 years he lived in captivity, serving the
Babylonians as a servant/slave, having lost all hope. And this is the sadness
of the book of Jeremiah… it is a book that is mostly one of judgment. While
Isaiah strikes a balance of judgment and the prophetic hope of the Messiah, Jeremiah
serves as a call to repentance and judgement. The book of Jeremiah serves as the
loudest and most bold reminder that God is holy and “will not leave the guilty
unpunished” (words we read often in Jeremiah).
However, as we conclude the book, we read a passage that comes
through like a bright ray of hope. Jehoiachin, after 37 years of exile, is
released from prison (597 BC). That is the surprising end of Jeremiah: an
obscure king who is hardly mentioned, is released from prison, shown grace, given
new clothes, and is given access and friendship to the king. If that does not
sound at all familiar, then I encourage you to read it with spiritual eyes.
This is, in fact, a clear foretelling of the Gospel. We were once in prison to
sin and death, hopeless and in chains. Until our King released us from our debt,
clothed us in his righteousness, and gave us access to him… to be his friend
and to fellowship with him. Make no mistake, this is (at the very end) the high
point of the book of Jeremiah. Not all hope is lost! God has not left us
abandoned! He makes a way of salvation in the middle of our sin and bondage!
Lord
God, thank you that we were once like Jehoiachin, in prison and a slave to sin.
But you have, in your mercy, shown us grace and clothed us with your
righteousness!