JEHOIACHIN
You are looking at the ruins of ancient Jerusalem. When the worshipped the Lord, they were prosperous. When they worshipped idols, they destroyed themselves.
When you read the biographies of the Judean kings, you feel like weeping. God did everything to save them from destruction but they were stubborn in their decision not to serve and love Him.
Let me tell you about the most insignificant wicked kings who ruled in Jerusalem.
2 Kings 24:8-10 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.
I was surprised when I read the Babylonian Chronicle to find Jehoiachin’s name there. In spite of the fact that he was so wicked and so insignificant Nebuchadnezzar mentions his name.
You are looking at the ruins of Beth Shemesh in Israel. Archaeologists found clay impressions of a stamp seal that bear the inscription: “Belonging to Eliakim, steward of Yaukin.”
Here amongst the ruins of ancient Babylon 300 cuneiform tablets were found. I was amazed to discover that one of them referred to Jehoiachin.
2 Kings 25:27-30 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin from prison…
He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honour higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table. Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.
According to some scholars the jail was just outside the Marduk gate. And this is where the wicked king spent his days.
What a victorious climax to a story of loss and exile. Suddenly the humiliated king heard the kind voice of the monarch of the ancient world.
He took off his prison clothes and dressed him in royal clothes. No longer did he eat in jail, he was no seated next to the greatest king of the day. He received a continual allowance from the wealthy king.
This is the message of the gospel. God knows about the least of us. And even though we are in a prison of pain, shame and guilt, He wants to speak kindly to us.
He wants to change our filthy garments of sin and clothe us with His garment of perfect righteousness. We longs to have us with Him so that we can sit next to Him in His dining room.
He longs to spoil us for an eternity in His palace of everlasting happiness. I want to be there. What about you?
The ancient Sumerians took two objects to describe the greatest thing in the world. Ki which means earth, and aga which means distance. Ki aga in the Sumerian language means “I love you.” If you want to use the superlative, its ki aga, aga.
When I read these Sumerian words for the first time at the University, I thought of a verse in the Bible which brings out the same idea:
Psalms 103:11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
My dear friend. You are so precious in the eyes of God. Not because you are so marvellous, but because God is so marvellous and so loving. Somehow He loves sinners like you and me. When we accept this tremendous truth, it brings a life changing experience in our lives.
Ki aga aga.