by It was dark, damp, and dismal to say the least. The worse place anyone would ever want to be. Roughly, they tied the cords around him, pulled them tight, and lowered him into dark dungeon filled with a horrible stench. There were echoes of agony to be heard through the corridors of the thick darkness.
The cord went lower and lower until his feet sank into something slimy and utterly disgusting. At first, he felt no bottom. They continued to lower the cord and then his whole body slipped into the gross, decomposing matter. He was thankful for the heavy darkness that kept the light out. For once in his life, he did not want any light. He did not want to see any of the muck and mire that his body had sank into. Finally, at last his feet found something to stand upon. There was solid ground beneath the sludgy mess.
Wicked people from King Zedekiah had lowered Jeremiah into the dungeon.
Jeremiah 38:6 “…and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.”
Thankfully, God had someone looking out for Jeremiah. Ebedmelech who was an Ethiopian eunuch in the king’s house. Jer. 38:7-9
Ebedmelech went to King Zedekiah and told him what the wicked people had done to Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 38:10 “Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.”
Now that Ebedmelech had his orders to get Jeremiah out of the dungeon, he took the 30 men, got some old rotten rags and went to work at getting Jeremiah out of the dungeon.
In the thick darkness, Ebedmelech hollered down to Jeremiah,
Jeremiah 38:12 “…Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords…”
Note: One time in my life, I have walked in oozy, wet mud near the river at the outgoing tide. My feet would sink in the sticky mud and with each step, I would have to pull hard to get my foot loose from the muddy suction. I thought I would never get back to solid ground. My daughter was with me and now we look back at that day and laugh, but it was not funny at the time. I suppose it would have been something similar trying to pull Jeremiah out of the mire since the King had told Ebedmelech to take 30 men with him to help. If just half of Jeremiah’s body was stuck in a suction type of situation in the mire, it would have taken the strength of many men to pull him loose.
Jeremiah 38:13 “So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.”
Now, Jeremiah was at least out of the horrible stench and decomposing matter that would have created the mire in the depths of the dungeon. He was now in the “court of the prison.” He remained there for a while and then went under the custody of Gedaliah where he could also dwell among the people. Jer. 39:14 Soon Jerusalem would be taken away captive by the Babylonians and King Nebuchadrezzar. See Jer. 39-40 to see what happens further.
Now, let us turn our attentions back to the Ethiopian Eunich, Ebedmelech that helped Jeremiah out of the dungeon. The end of chapter 39 has a few interesting things to say about him.
Jeremiah is taken out of the prison court and committed to Gedaliah. Next, it is noted that the Lord had been talking with Jeremiah while he was in the prison court. Jer. 39:14-15. This is what the Lord wanted Jeremiah to tell Ebedmelech:
Jeremiah 39:16-18 “Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. 17 But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. 18 For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord.”
This Ethiopian Eunich, Ebedmelech, had gotten saved! Somehow, while Jeremiah was in the stench and mire of the dungeon, he still kept his testimony and when Ebedmelech and his men pulled him out, I have no doubt, Jeremiah witnessed to them. Ebedmelech got saved! Now, Ebedmelech may have gotten saved before or after Jeremiah’s dungeon adventure, we are not fully sure of the exact time of his salvation – but he did get saved.
Jeremiah continued – even in the dungeon – to be the witness for the Lord that he needed to be regardless of life’s circumstances. If Jeremiah hadn’t been what he needed to be for the Lord – even in the dungeon – I do not believe Ebedmelech would have worked so hard to pull him out of the mire. The Lord’s words about Ebedmelech were, “because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord.”
Maybe this Eunich was aware of the following promise God had made to Eunichs back in Isaiah. My husband showed me this when I talked to him about Ebedmelech.
Isaiah 56:4-5 “For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; 5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.”
What a wonderful promise made to the Eunichs. This Eunich could have been aware of this promise and knew he needed to “choose the things that please me (God).” So, he chose to help the man of God, Jeremiah, out of the dungeon and the mire. In the process, the man of God did his duty and witnessed to Ebedmelech and God said about Ebedmelech “…because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord.” Praise the Lord Ebedmelech, the Eunich got saved.
Extra note: Since Ebedmelech had chosen to serve the Lord and help Jeremiah, God would also help him (Ebedmelech) when the Babylonians came to capture Jerusalem. God would spare him from those he feared.
Jeremiah 39:16-18 “Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. 17 But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. 18 For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord.”
In conclusion, here is a thought-provoking question for the day and week. Do we witness like we should? Especially in the worst, most dismal pits of despair? When things are as bad as they could get and death seems to be around the corner, what do you do?
- Go out on visitation? Pass out tracts? Invite people to church? Probably not. But, we should.
- Go to church? Read the Bible? Pray? Possibly. But, we should always regardless of life’s circumstances.
Next time it seems as if the world is crumbling around you, think of Jeremiah in prison, then cast into the dungeon and sunken in the filth and stench of the mire. Yet, he still took time to witness to those around him. I think Jeremiah’s testimony to witness puts most of us to shame, but as along a we are alive; we can always do better. None of us are in as bad of a situation as Jeremiah. So, make an effort to witness this week. Pass out a tract. Go on visitation. Win souls for the Lord.
Win the next Ebedmelech that no one may know about but you and God, until your Ebedmelech steps forward to let the world know he is a child of God – thanks to your testimony and witness for the Lord.
