Imagine having such a reputation as a whiner that your name becomes a synonym for complaining! That was the case with the prophet Jeremiah. His name provides the basis for the English word jeremiad, which means “lament” or “complaint.”
Jeremiah was no whiner, but it seemed that way to Jerusalem. God had called the prophet to take His complaints to the people. His message pretty much went like this: “Your sins are awful. The Babylonians will slaughter you and take the survivors into captivity. Repent!”
The officials of Jerusalem felt the message was nothing short of traitorous. They thought, Jeremiah is aiding and abetting the enemy by discouraging the people! So three of them went to King Zedekiah and demanded that Jeremiah be killed. “Do as you like,” said the king. “I can’t stop you” (Jeremiah 38:5). So they threw the prophet into a muddy cistern. None of the Judeans dared come to Jeremiah’s rescue. But an Ethiopian did.
We don’t know much about Ebed-melech. The Bible simply calls him “an important court official” (Jeremiah 38:7), but he alone defended God’s prophet. “ ‘My lord the king,’ he said, ‘these men have done a very evil thing in putting Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern. He will soon die of hunger’ ” (Jeremiah 38:9). So Zedekiah permitted Ebed-melech to rescue him.
Ebed-melech feared the invading hordes (see Jeremiah 39:16-17), but he feared God more. When Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem he “slaughtered all the nobles of Judah” (Jeremiah 39:6), which likely included the three who conspired against Jeremiah. But God told Ebed-melech, “Because you trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward. I will rescue you and keep you safe” (Jeremiah 39:18). May we also trust God and do what honors Him.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Acts 11:1-18
More:
Read Jeremiah 39:1-18 to see the tragic culmination to the story of Jerusalem’s siege (Jeremiah 39:1-10), but also the happier endings for Jeremiah and Ebed-melech (Jeremiah 39:11-18).
Next:
Where are the sources of fear in your life? How can you display courage and honor to God today?
Gary Shultz on October 25, 2015 at 7:25 am
My thoughts are, we set on perilous times also, we still enjoy, for the most part, life as it has been, but as in Jeremiah’s day we see on coming times of at least uncertainty. Toward later years or for the young person great concern and indecisiveness grips the heart. I found myself getting wrapped up in all the “conservative” clatter and I really had to step back and be saturated in God’s word and presence. We need people with peace, God’s peace and promise. Like Jeremiah we might not be very popular, but we will have promise, hope and assurance as the gauntlet of events presses life. It is such a freeing feeling to know God’s got this. Some real hardships may be ahead, but God stands above, bringing us through. Thanks
Roxanne Robbins on October 25, 2015 at 7:26 pm
When I started reading this I thought of Naomi, in the book of Ruth, who said she should be called Mara which means bitter. Circumstances and loss caused her to fall into depression. In Jeremiahs case he didn’t change his own name but rather his oracle gained a new definition based on how he was perceived. It’s fascinating to consider what significance Old Testament names have.
Mike Wittmer on October 25, 2015 at 9:47 pm
It’s good to remember that Jeremiah was against something because he was for something, or Someone. Every no must be for a better YES. May God grant us wisdom to project the hope we have in Christ, even when that hope prompts us to resist sin in ourselves and the world around us.
Winn Collier on October 28, 2015 at 5:35 pm
I’ve always been drawn to Jeremiah, with his description of the ‘weeping prophet.’ Those tears sometimes just cary you away.