Posts made in September, 2020


Ebed-Melech: A Profile in Courage

Ebed-Melech: A Profile in Courage


Posted By on Sep 10, 2020

Upon hearing the prophet Jeremiah’s pronouncement of God’s judgment, that was soon to fall on the city of Jerusalem [which at that time was under siege from Babylon]; the irate princes cried to King Zedekiah: “Please, let this man [Jeremiah ] 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.” (Jer. 38:4, cf. 26:11).  The pusillanimous King failed to protect Jeremiah and handed him over to the charge of the princes, thus consenting to their pernicious plot (Jer. 38:5).  With murder in their hearts the princes took Jeremiah and lowered him into a filthy, miry cistern whereby Jeremiah sank in the sludge. (Jer. 38:6).  Because Jerusalem was in the latter stages of the siege from Babylon, it was unlikely that Jeremiah would receive food or water.  Therefore, a slow agonizing death from deprivation appeared inevitable. That said, a most unlikely candidate came to Jeremiah’s rescue.  Ebed-Melech meaning servant of the king, an Ethiopian eunuch and perhaps the head of king Zedekiah’s harem.1  After hearing of Jeremiah’s dire predicament, he boldly approached the king and said: “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet whom they have cast into the cistern; and he will die right where he is because of the famine, for there is no more bread in the city.” (Jer. 38:9).  What courage and bravery were demonstrated by Ebed-Melech!  Not only did he risk his life by approaching the king while he was conducting official business (v. 7), but he accused the king’s princes of evil-doing—for he was just a foreigner, a lowly slave.  It must be noted that Ebed-Melech displayed care and compassion for the Lord’s prophet, that no other person demonstrated.  By God’s providence King Zedekiah granted Ebed-Melech permission to free Jeremiah.  Immediately upon receiving royal permission, Ebed-Melech acted and cleverly devised a plan to rescue Jeremiah from his miry grave.  He lowered old clothes down by ropes, telling Jeremiah to put the clothes under his arms as he raised him up with the ropes. (Jer. 38:11-13).  Ebed-Melech’s self-sacrificing courage may have went unnoticed by the people at that time, even by King Zedekiah; but God who sees everything (Job 28:24), blessed the lowly slave.  When God’s judgment befell Jerusalem utterly destroying the city, in which very few people had survived and the rest were taken as Babylonian slaves; God remembered the kindness Ebed-Melech exhibited toward...

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