Reading
SAA Notes
Jehoiachin is the King mentioned in Matthew 1:11 as Jeconiah or Coniah. Jeremiah gives the prophecy “Record this man as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah.” Solomon’s biological line peters out here. Jehoiachin’s heir is a distant cousin descended from Nathan, Solomon’s full brother.
SJA Notes
* God of Light, our eyes long for Your salvation and for the fulfillment of Your righteous promise.
“And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.”
Sometimes we humanity just don’t learn.
The LORD had specifically sent Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 19, Habakkuk 1).
The Lord had done this because of His great wrath toward His people for their continual sin.
The Bablyonians were a sword in the hands of the Lord, a winnowing fork, an instrument.
This was done with a strong and faithful intent for the good of His people, because of His love.
The remnant would return.
We read previously in 2 Kings 19,
“For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD will do this.”
From the book of Ezra (right at the beginning) we read the words of Cyrus, king of Persia,
“Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel …”
The remnant did return to the city of the Lord.
What about us?
Sometimes we just don’t seem to learn.
As with Zedekiah, so with us. Rebelling against the sovereign will of the Almighty God.
So we can come with great thanks before Him – That both His great love for His people AND His great wrath at our sin, they both meet together in God in the Person of the Son – our King, Jesus.
He bore the wrath from His own Father for our sin.
He bore it so that we could be set free from dead hearts and stubborn wills, from the just punishment deserved for each of us rebelling against our creator God.
He bore it so that we could have His righteousness as our, given an inheritance of eternal life, life to the full!
* Father God in Heaven,
We praise You for saving us Lord God!
Thank You for saving us through Your grace.
Thank You for saving us through Your righteousness, death, blood and life.
Thank You for saving us through Your illumination, Your renovation and Your preservation.
Thank You Lord!
Amen.