“I will surely save you…because you have trusted in me, says the Lord” (Jer. 39:18).
We began this series on Jeremiah back in October and here we are in December. I plan to end this study on Jeremiah this month and give my Blog a face lift for the New Year. Thanks for doing life with me and this new year invite a friend to journey with us. Now back to Jeremiah picking up where we left off.
"The bulk of the rest of Jeremiah describes Jeremiah’s trials as a prophet (chapters 35-45), his oracles against the nations (chapters 46-51) and the narrated fall of Jerusalem (chapter 52). One passage stands out with relation to work, the story of Ebed-melech. The narrative is simple: Jeremiah preached to the people as Jerusalem was besieged by the Babylonian army. His message was that the city would fall and anyone who would go out and surrender the Babylonians would live. The officials of Judah did not take this to be a properly motivational sermon. With the king’s permission, they threw Jeremiah into a cistern where, presumably, he would either die of hunger during the siege or drown during the next rain (Jer. 38:1-6).
Then a surprising thing happened. An immigrant named Ebed-melech, a servant in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate, Ebed-melech went out of the palace and said to him, “My lord king, these men have acted wickedly in all they did to the prophet Jeremiah by throwing him into a cistern to die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city.” Then the king commanded Ebed-melech, “Take three men with you from here and pull the prophet Jeremiah up from the cistern before he dies” (Jer. 38:7-10).
The turn of the king’s decision most likely showed a simple apathy in the matter. (Though God can use a king’s apathy as much as a king’s activity.) It is the nameless Gentile slave (Ebed-melech simply means “slave of the king”) who stands out as faithful.[1]Although his immigration status and racial difference made him a vulnerable worker, his faithfulness to God led him to blow the whistle on injustice in his workplace. As a result, a life was saved. An anonymous cog in the wheel made a life-and-death difference.
Ebed-melech’s action on the prophet’s behalf illustrated Jeremiah’s message that faithfulness to God outweighs all other workplace considerations. Ebed-Melech could not know in advance whether the king would act justly, or whether going outside the chain of command would be a career-limiting move (or a life-ending move, given what happened to Jeremiah). It appears that he trusted God to provide for him, however the king might respond. So Ebed-melech is praised by God. “I will surely save you…because you have trusted in me, says the Lord” (Jer. 39:18)."
The above is taken with permission from the Theology of Work Project, Inc.
"The bulk of the rest of Jeremiah describes Jeremiah’s trials as a prophet (chapters 35-45), his oracles against the nations (chapters 46-51) and the narrated fall of Jerusalem (chapter 52). One passage stands out with relation to work, the story of Ebed-melech. The narrative is simple: Jeremiah preached to the people as Jerusalem was besieged by the Babylonian army. His message was that the city would fall and anyone who would go out and surrender the Babylonians would live. The officials of Judah did not take this to be a properly motivational sermon. With the king’s permission, they threw Jeremiah into a cistern where, presumably, he would either die of hunger during the siege or drown during the next rain (Jer. 38:1-6).
Then a surprising thing happened. An immigrant named Ebed-melech, a servant in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate, Ebed-melech went out of the palace and said to him, “My lord king, these men have acted wickedly in all they did to the prophet Jeremiah by throwing him into a cistern to die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city.” Then the king commanded Ebed-melech, “Take three men with you from here and pull the prophet Jeremiah up from the cistern before he dies” (Jer. 38:7-10).
The turn of the king’s decision most likely showed a simple apathy in the matter. (Though God can use a king’s apathy as much as a king’s activity.) It is the nameless Gentile slave (Ebed-melech simply means “slave of the king”) who stands out as faithful.[1]Although his immigration status and racial difference made him a vulnerable worker, his faithfulness to God led him to blow the whistle on injustice in his workplace. As a result, a life was saved. An anonymous cog in the wheel made a life-and-death difference.
Ebed-melech’s action on the prophet’s behalf illustrated Jeremiah’s message that faithfulness to God outweighs all other workplace considerations. Ebed-Melech could not know in advance whether the king would act justly, or whether going outside the chain of command would be a career-limiting move (or a life-ending move, given what happened to Jeremiah). It appears that he trusted God to provide for him, however the king might respond. So Ebed-melech is praised by God. “I will surely save you…because you have trusted in me, says the Lord” (Jer. 39:18)."
The above is taken with permission from the Theology of Work Project, Inc.
So here is what I find interesting. Jeremiah talks about a cistern then he finds himself in one. The other thing I find interesting is that it took 30 men to get him out before he met his death. It was 30 pieces of silver that Judas was paid for Jesus's life. Whatever we find ourselves in Jesus paid the price to get us out. Jesus' life is enough for whatever circumstance and situation that I find myself in. Jesus is the answer to every problem I might have. The things that men have dug to answer their problem of thirst has now become a place of bondage for the very solution to their problem. Jeremiah preaches to them what they must do to be free and they throw him in a cistern. A cistern lets water in but not flow out. Just like the people living in sin in Jeremiah's time they took for themselves but would not repent and let go of the sin in their lives.
For Thought: How often do we find ourselves trying to satisfy ourselves rather than going to God and empting ourselves so that He can fill us with what we are truly lacking?
If your job was threatened would you still do right? Would you risk your job for someone elses's life? Isn't that what Jesus did? Jesus risk seperation from the Father and His home in heaven to save you and I.
Pndering this book of Jeremiah all these months has really got me thinking. Sure I am tired of being in this same book but I think this book is finally getting in to me. How about you?
Prayer: Lord don't let me be one that digs a cistern to answer the quest for a thirst only you (the living water) can fill and fulfill. Amen.
For Thought: How often do we find ourselves trying to satisfy ourselves rather than going to God and empting ourselves so that He can fill us with what we are truly lacking?
If your job was threatened would you still do right? Would you risk your job for someone elses's life? Isn't that what Jesus did? Jesus risk seperation from the Father and His home in heaven to save you and I.
Pndering this book of Jeremiah all these months has really got me thinking. Sure I am tired of being in this same book but I think this book is finally getting in to me. How about you?
Prayer: Lord don't let me be one that digs a cistern to answer the quest for a thirst only you (the living water) can fill and fulfill. Amen.
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