” 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. And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table, and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived.” (2 Kings 25:27-30, ESV)

This passage, boring on the surface, is full of meaning and application.  By the way of background, Jehoiachin was king in Judah for all of about three months.  His big political move was surrender of Jerusalem, the holy city, to the King of Babylon.  He and his family (and many others) were deported and Jerusalem destroyed.  The kingdom was no more.  Judah was now a fully subservient vassal state to Babylon.  The prophet Jeremiah let it be known under no uncertain terms that Jehoiachin would not return to Jerusalem and his sons would never sit as prosperous kings over the Promised Land (Jeremiah 22.28ff).

How often I could be compared to this pathetic deposed king!  How many the ways!   For instance, consider this passage as an elucidation of daily need.   Jehoiachin was in exile, a banished monarch now incapable of providing for himself and his family. In my sinful state I had not even a royal title on which to cling.  My hands empty, my status prisoner, my hope lost in the rubble of a life destroyed.  Yet the thought that is presented to me is that the Lord provided through the largess of Jehoiachin’s captor the daily needs of the king without a kingdom. How much more so shall He daily provide for us through the King of Kings our Savior Jesus?

It is especially odd to run across this passage because I was considering doing something different with my personal finances so that my family is better able to live within our means.  I have not been exempted from the financial difficulties swirling round us this year and I am trying to stretch what I have to cover both needs and desires.  I so want the best of everything for my family, but I do not have unfettered resources, so I must learn to sacrifice and discipline myself.  I know that it is imperative for me to become completely debt free and to remain so.

Please Lord let me keep this commitment of heart by the acts of my hands (and pocketbook).