In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. – 2 Kings 25:27

 Today's Scripture Reading (July 2, 2023): 2 Kings 25

Awel-Marduk was chosen by his Father to succeed him as the ruler of Babylon even though he wasn't Nebuchadnezzar's oldest son. Little is known about him, including why he was chosen to be King. We do know that Awel-Marduk was neither the oldest son nor even the oldest living son of Nebuchadnezzar, and the prince didn't always have a good relationship with his Father. There seem to have been several disagreements between Nebuchadnezzar and his heir, making Dad's choice of who would take the reigns of power from him even more mysterious. It is possible that Awel-Marduk was simply tired of waiting to take control of the nation or that the prince wanted a more active role in his dad's empire; after all, Nebuchadnezzar II reigned for over forty years. It is also possible that, at some point, Awel-Marduk participated in a rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar, and as a result, Awel-Marduk was thrown in jail.

What is significant about Awel-Marduk's time in prison is that, while he was in prison, he may have become friends with Jehoiachin, also known as Jeconiah, the former King of Judah. Jehoiachin had been sitting in a Babylonian prison since his capture by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C.E.

Somehow, Awel-Marduk was released from prison and regained his status as the heir to the throne of Babylon. And on October 7, 562 B.C.E., Nebuchadnezzar died following an illness at the age of eighty, and finally, Awel-Marduk ascended to power. But, King Awel-Marduk suffered problems and rebellion almost immediately.

Awel-Marduk's time on Babylon's throne was troubled, and very early on, he began looking for support. Enter Jehoiachin. The release of Jehoiachin from prison probably served a few purposes. First, Awel-Marduk needed every friend that he could find, even one from his days in prison. And so, Awel-Marduk releases the King of Judah and invites him to sit at his table. Jehoiachin not only experiences freedom for the first time in thirty-five years but he is raised to a place of influence and has the ear of the king, eating with him at his table.

But Awel-Marduk also realized that the release of Jehoiachin would gain him some political credit with the Judean captives. Jehoiachin was not the last King of Judah; that title belonged to his uncle Zedekiah. But Zedekiah and his sons were killed during the battle for Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E., which meant that Jehoiachin was the last living King of Judah. Releasing Johoiachin from prison would have increased Awel-Marduk's status among the Jewish population in Babylon, and Awel-Marduk needed all the friends among his subjects that he could find.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 21