Grace May Take Time

“And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth [day] of the month, [that] Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the [first] year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison,” (Jer 52:31 AV)

What came to mind was the king of Israel became an object lesson to the rest of Israel of God’s coming grace.  Evil-Merodach, Nebuchadnezzar’s son, may have served some prison time with Jehoiachin.  Jewish tradition says that Evil-Merodach mocked his father while he suffered seven years madness.  Because of this, it is said, Evil-Merodach was thrown in prison and befriended Jehoiachin.  Upon the death of his father, Evil-Merodach freed the prisoner and elevated him to a place of honor above all other kings in captivity.  What came to mind was a generation would pass and the LORD would visit Israel in Babylon.  Much like Nebuchadnezzar passed and his son showed mercy.  When the generation of the disobedient passes, then God visited his children again to show mercy.  There is hope!  There is a future!

One of God’s most valuable assets is time.  We often want an immediate answer to our situation.  Especially when we caused it ourselves.  However, there may be nothing that can be done.  Time!  As a pastor, we are faced with difficult situations that have no immediate solution.  Or, the solution may end up causing more problems than allowing time to take care of it.  Hasty problem solving sometimes creates more problems that we initially had.  When it comes to personal failures, there may not be an immediate solution.  A generation or age may have to pass away before grace comes again.

I am reminded of our young adult years.  Those are scary years.  Years when we have the freedom to make adult decisions, but lack the discipline or wisdom to make the right ones.  If someone makes a mistake in those years, it is usually one whose consequences may last a life time.  There are no immediate solutions.  We can try to pick up the pieces as best we can.  But time is the only fix.  In Jehoiachin’s case, it took an empathetic individual who could understand his suffering to show him some mercy.  To the rest of the world, he was a rebel and failure.  To Evil-Merodach, he was a prisoner who spent far too many years in a prison sentence which was more than his crime deserved.  God knows our situation.  Whether self-inflicted or not.  Time will take care of it.