Jeremiah 38:1-13.  Today’s story is very similar to yesterday’s reading.  It is so similar that some scholars think it is the same story being retold.  But there are difference too.  In yesterday’s story Jeremiah was arrested as he was trying to leave the city.   He was accused to being a traitor because he had been telling the people of the city that the Babylonians would win and that they should to submit to the Babylonians.  In yesterday’s story the message that came right before the story of the arrest though was directly to King Zedekiah.  The message to the king was similar to the message that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people in verses 2-3 of today’s reading, but the audience was different (the king verses the people).

In yesterdays reading he was arrested by the captain of the guard but was taken before certain “officials”.  Those officials beat him and put him in a dungeon (probably a cistern) at the house of Jonathan.  In today’s reading we have officials too (v. 4) they are probably the guys named in verse 1.  In today’s reading the officials take Jeremiah to the king and request that he be put to death for discouraging the people.  In another show of weakness (remember the sneaking Jeremiah to the palace yesterday) Zedekiah bails out on his duty and tells them that they have Jeremaih and what can he do about it.  WE see no beating in today’s reading but it doesn’t say they didn’t either.  Instead of killing him outright they stick him in (another?) cistern.  The word here is different from the words used in Jeremiah 37:14-15 that doesn’t prove that it is a different story but it might be why a different word is used.  Bible experts think that the place he was put in Jeremiah 37 was a cistern but it could have been some other sort of basement.  Here in chapter 38 it is definitely a cistern or well.  We also see that this one is in a different place the house of Zedekiah’s son.  The wording of verse 6 indicates pretty harsh treatment, he was “thrown in with ropes”.  They probably didn’t kill him directly because it is strictly forbidden in the Old Testament Law to kill an innocent person.  They may not have liked his discouraging messages but they were not punishable by death under the law.

In verse 7 we meet an interesting person Ebed-Melech, we are told that he an Ethopian and a eunuch.  The word for eunuch can be translated “eunuch” or “official” and was used in the book of Genesis for an official named  Potipher who was married (Genesis 39:1).  The important thing to notice here is that he was an Ethopian, not a Jew.  Ebed heard what had been done to Jeremiah and he went looking for the king.  The king was sitting by one of the city gates (ironically the Benjamin Gate the one where Jeremiah was arrested in yesterday’s reading).  Kings usually sat in the gates to hear cases; to act as judges.  That is ironic too if that is what Zedekiah was doing since he had just sold out Jeremiah.  Maybe he was trying to sooth a guilty conscience.  Ebed confronted the king with the situation and called it what it was, evil; the officials had been wicked.  The word here can mean harmful or displeasing.  Their actions were harmful to Jeremiah and were also displeasing to God.  Ebed informed the king that Jeremiah would die right there in the mud because there was no more bread in the city.  I suppose that was sort of a reference to the message that Jeremiah was giving when these guys arrested him.  People could survive if they left the city and turned themselves over to the Babylonians (Chaldeans).  On the outside they would probably be fed.  Jeremiah was trapped and could not leave.  It is interesting that in yesterday’s story, after Jeremiah was rescued by the king in secret, that he was brought to the palace where he was kept in the courtyard and given food “until it ran out”.  That tells me that this story is later than that one.

Although the king had said he couldn’t stop the officials earlier now he orders Ebed to take thirty men and rescue Jeremiah before he dies.  This was not a night time secret rescue.  Ebed then rescued Jeremiah in a way that contrasted the rough treatment he had received from the Jewish officials.  He even made sure he was comfortable when being pulled up out of the mud (which can suck on pretty good to things).  Jeremiah was returned to the court of the guard.

It is clear that this is a different story that follows the one before.  I think the picture of Zedekiah is interesting, he was a weak leader and his people were suffering because of it.  He was also somewhat of a hypocrite in that he said he didn’t have power when he did and that he was acting like a good judge when he had sold out one of God’s most faithful servants.  The contrast between the officials and Zedekiah with Ebed-melech is cool too.  Jews verses Ethiopian; he was a foreigner and more faithful and took more risks that any of the local guys.  It is important to know that, although the Israelite people have a special place in God’s plan that they are not the only people God is interested in nor the only people that can serve God (see “The Old Testament Connection“).    The Jewish people wee supposed to be an example to the nations of the world, a good example, unfortunately their disobedience and rebellion against God, reduced them to prisoners and exiles.   But even in their failure the world gets to learn about God and his standards and God will fulfill all his good promises to them, promises that we will all benefit from.  God is awesome that he can make something good out of the mess we have made in the world.

God thank you for having a place for any of us in your world and your eternity.  Thank you for finding ways to teach us what we need to know about you.  Thank you for your faithfulness and the good and perfect eternity you have waiting for all who will give their lives to you.  Thank you for loving me.