ESOCS Devotional 28 March 2024 – God Sends A Helper
MEMORY VERSE: “My Lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon, and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.” Jeremiah 38:9
TEXT: JEREMIAH 38:1-13
Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken to all the people, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord: ‘He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes over to the Chaldeans shall live; his life shall be as a prize to him, and he shall live.’ 3 Thus says the Lord: ‘This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it.’ ”
4 Therefore the princes said to the king, “Please, let this man be put to death, for thus he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man does not seek the welfare of this people, but their harm.”
5 Then Zedekiah the king said, “Look, he is in your hand. For the king can do nothing against you.” 6 So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the king’s son, which was in the court of the prison, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire. So Jeremiah sank in the mire.
7 Now Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon. When the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin, 8 Ebed-Melech went out of the king’s house and spoke to the king, saying: 9 “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon, and he is likely to die from hunger in the place where he is. For there is no more bread in the city.” 10 Then the king commanded Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take from here thirty men with you, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he dies.” 11 So Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took from there old clothes and old rags, and let them down by ropes into the dungeon to Jeremiah. 12 Then Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Please put these old clothes and rags under your armpits, under the ropes.” And Jeremiah did so. 13 So they pulled Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the dungeon. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
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The Psalmist said, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivereth him out of them all” (Ps. 34:19).
Indeed, righteous Jeremiah had many afflictions from his countrymen whom his ministry stood out to save, but who would not hearken unto saving truth. This time he was not only committed to the prison courts (Jer. 7:21) but deep into the dungeon that had sinking mire at the bottom and no water. The design of the princes was obviously to have him die ingloriously, but God showed up for him.
Let every prophet, every preacher and messenger of God bear this in mind: though your persecutors be many and stronger than the immediate authorities, God will show up for you, He will send you a helper. For Joseph, God raised Judah among his brethren to plead his course and bring him out of the dry pit (Gen. 37:26-27). For Paul the apostle, God used his sister’s son to deliver him from the lying in wait of 40 Jews, which had bound themselves on oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul (Acts 23:14-22). The Prophet Jeremiah had Ebedmelech an Ethiopian eunuch in Zedekiah’s house sent to speak to the king; and so powerful was his intercession for the Prophet that the king immediately gave him order to save Jeremiah and empowered him with 30 men of the royal guard. This had to be done quickly before the mire swallows him up or before he starved to death, since there was no more bread in the city. The care that Ebedmelech took in choosing the type of life line (soft clothes) for the prophet to avoid injury while pulling him up is worthy of note; and only God could have planted this care in this stranger’s heart, while Jeremiah’s own people went about to kill him.
God who did it for Joseph, Jeremiah, Paul and others is still on His throne. He has the Judahs and Ebedmelechs of today to send for your rescue. Therefore, cast off all fear and speak forth His word of righteousness with all boldness. Whether in prison or spiritually caged by your persecutors, be courageous and watch out: your Ebedmelech will show up in God’s own time.
- Are you persecuted and afflicted? Expect your God sent helper.
- O Lord God of Jeremiah the Prophet, I pray thee deliver me out of all my, in Jesus name.
Further Reading: Genesis 37:23-30; Jeremiah 37:21
ESOCS Devotional 28 March 2024
