March 10, Jeremiah 38
So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud. - Jeremiah 38:6
Have you ever looked around and wondered how you got where you are? I've done that more than once on some country roads, especially in the days before GPS navigation on our phones and in our cars. I'd get turned around somewhere along the way, and surprise myself about where I came out when I reached a crossroads or some other landmark I recognized.
But today I'm thinking more about a circumstance instead of a physical location. We make a few bad choices, encounter a couple of unexpected events and wonder how we got ourselves into such a predicament.
Poor Jeremiah was imprisoned for at least the third time we know about, and this was the worst one yet. Back in Chapter 21, Pashur put him in the stocks overnight. In Chapter 37, he was in the dungeon under Jonathan's house before the king moved him to the court of the guard. But in Chapter 38, Jeremiah was in a deep cistern. His captors lowered him by ropes into it. There was no water in the dug out cistern, just mud. Jeremiah had sunk down into the mud. Maybe his captors who wanted him dead thought he would smother in the mud or die of thirst or starve down in that pit. How did a good man like Jeremiah find himself in such a bad place?
The last time Jeremiah was imprisoned, it was because of a false charge against him. But this time, telling the truth that God told him caused the officials to tell the king he needed to die for weakening the soldiers and the people. After Zedekiah gave them permission to do what they pleased to their prisoner, they cast him into the cistern.
No Israelite came to Jeremiah's aid. But he was rescued by a foreigner, an Ethiopian eunuch named Ebed-melech. He went to the king and told him what had happened to Jeremiah. The king gave this Ethiopian a detachment of 30 men to get Jeremiah out of the mud. Ebed- melech kindly and as gently as possible raised Jeremiah out of the mud with ropes, giving Jeremiah cloth to cushion the rough ropes from Jeremiah's skin.
The king sent for Jeremiah to come to a private meeting with him. He had not listened to Jeremiah's previous warnings, but he wanted to know what the LORD had told the prophet. He swore to Jeremiah that he wouldn't kill him or let the other officials harm him. Jeremiah told him there was still a chance that he could save his own life and his family's lives. By surrendering to the Chaldeans, Zedekiah could keep the city from being burned. Jeremiah told the king that all would be well with him if he would obey. But if he disobeyed God, all the destruction that had been promised would come.
The difference between Jeremiah and Zedekiah explains why the prophet was sinking in the mud in a cistern. Jeremiah was faithful to God. He did what God told him to do. He said what God told him to say. He was not swayed by fear of what anyone would say about him or do to him for faithfully speaking God's word. When they hated the message he brought, he did not retract his words. When Zedekiah asked him, he restated God's truth, regardless of the king's life or death power over him. Jeremiah was strong, courageous and faithful.
Zedekiah was the king, but he was not powerful. He was not in control of his own officials. He could have saved Jeremiah from their evil intentions, but he left it up to them to decide what to do with the prophet. If Ebed-melech had not interceded, Jeremiah could have died in the mud. After Jeremiah's rescue, Zedekiah wanted a secret meeting to hear the prophet's words. It's strange that he wouldn't obey but wanted to know. He swore by the Lord that he wouldn't harm Jeremiah, and he let the prophet live in the court of the guard until Jerusalem fell. But he wouldn't humble himself and obey what God said. He feared his officials, so he gave Jeremiah a cover story to conceal what the two men had discussed.
The kingdom would have been saved if there had been more men like Jeremiah, men of unyielding faithfulness and strength. But the nation and its leaders were corrupted and hardhearted rebels. Jerusalem was destroyed and many of its citizens were killed and captured and taken away because of their sin and their unwillingness to listen to God's words and turn back to him.
Every family, church and nation is strengthened and blessed by men and women who live and speak like Jeremiah. Likewise, the family, the church and the nation is weakened and endangered by unprincipled, fearful people like Zedekiah. You and I need to honestly ask ourselves if we're making our situation in life better or worse by our convictions and conduct. We each can do our part to honor God and bless our people instead of contributing to their ruin.
Copyright © 2024 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—March 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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