What would we expect from a king with this name? I suppose that the question answers itself. But things are not always as they seem. And while his name literally translated has nothing to do with our English word "evil," I believe that we can learn an amazing lesson from seeing his name how the translators of our Bible wrote it. To get to the heart of this matter, we must go back in time and review all of the events leading up to where we find Evil-merodach, king of Babylon.
The story of Evil-merodach begins during the reign of his father, king Nebuchadnezzar and in II Kings chapter 24. Nebuchadnezzar had set up Jehoiachin, an eighteen-year-old boy as the king over the lands of Judah and Israel, while he ruled the entire Babylonian empire from his headquarters in Babylon. Jehoiachin ruled wickedly for three months before God decided to cut him off. Nebuchadnezzar came into Jerusalem and took Jehoiachin captive. He threw Jehoiachin into a nasty dungeon, where he would stay for the next thirty-seven years! He deserved this punishment- he had spurned the laws and commandments of God, rather than turning Israel to the one who could save them. Most stories of a defeated king would end here. But not Jehoiachin's story.
After 37 years, in II Kings 25, Evil-merodach came to the throne, taking over for his father. He went to the prison and decided it was time that Jehoiachin be removed. Most would assume that a king of one country when he decides to remove a king from somewhere would be removing him completely from the earth. When one reads in II Kings 25:27 that Evil-merodach "did lift up the head of Jehoiachin," he would assume that the Babylonian was chopping the head of the Hebrew king. Not this time.
A king named Evil brought the king of Judah out of the deepest, darkest dungeon. A king named Evil spoke kindly to Jehoiachin, while no one would have spoken kindly to him for years. A king named Evil gave the king of Judah a throne over all the other kings of Babylon -- he elevated Jehoiachin over his own people! A king named Evil removed the rags of the prison from Jehoiachin and gave him kingly garments. A king named Evil gave Jehoiachin a daily allowance of food, that was more than enough for him to live on.
If a king named Evil would do all this, what about a king named Almighty God?
A king named Jesus brought me up out of the deep, dark dungeon of my sin. A king named El Elyon spoke kindly to me when the world only desired to curse me. A king named Adonai will elevate me to a throne in heaven when I go to meet Him one day. A king named I AM removed my filthy rags from me and clothed me in a robe of righteousness. A king named Jehovah-Jireh provides for my daily needs and keeps me safe every day.
How do I know all this is true? Look at these verses from Matthew 7: "What man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" Just like Evil-merodach provided good things for Jehoiachin, and just like an earthly father provides good things for his children, our heavenly Father provides all of our needs- from salvation to daily needs.
The principles in this lesson were originally taken from a message by Dr. Jeff Redlin at the Pensacola Christian College Opening Meetings on August 28, 2017.
