“In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, Evil-merodach ascended to the Babylonian throne. He was kind to Jehoiachin and released him from prison on April 2 of that year. He spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him a higher place than all the other exiled kings in Babylon. He supplied Jehoiachin with new clothes to replace his prison garb and allowed him to dine in the king’s presence for the rest of his life.”
Here a wicked king of Babylon shows kindness to Jehoiachin. Why? His predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar had gouged out the eyes of Zedekiah after forcing him to watch as his sons were slaughtered.
The Lord is sovereign even in the midst of the most dire of circumstances. And even in judgement, the Lord does not forget to show mercy.
