Just a Servant of the King

Sometimes the little mentioned and lesser known people in the Bible are my favorite examples. They are just ordinary enough for us to imagine ourselves in their sandals and yet extraordinary enough for us to imagine being that heroic.

I am reading the book of Jeremiah and while the determination and heroism that Jeremiah displays amazes me, there is another guy that has my attention. Ebed-Melech was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in service to the king . As a matter of fact, his name literally translates, “servant of the king”. I’m assuming the king may have had a say in that. The question is, to which king was he servant

He was in the palace of King Zedekiah. Wielding borrowed power, Zedekiah was a “puppet” king of Judah appointed by none other than the King of Babylon, His Royal Highness King Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah wasn’t just a Babylon royal flunky or a street urchin from Jerusalem, he was actually the son of King Josiah of Judah, but not of the same caliber. His biggest failure was of course, disobeying the Lord.

“Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the LORD had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.”

Jeremiah 37:2

But he did like some prayer cover from Jeremiah. He is recorded saying, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us.” Jeremiah 37:3b. He would send for Jeremiah secretly and ask for a word from God. I’ve seen this before. All of my life, U.S. Presidents, would call on Rev. Billy Graham to pray on the eve of an important event. They might not be obedient to the Lord themselves, but hey, Rev. Graham was, so let’s get him to ask God for help. It couldn’t hurt. Personally, I was always glad to see it. The same was true of Zedekiah. He knew that the Lord’s blessing was needed to survive but obeying just never came easy.

Who was Jeremiah?

Jeremiah was a prophet with an unpopular message and to ask him to pray was to ask for the truth of God’s message to the people, no matter how harsh. Jeremiah had already endured great suffering for the messages God gave him. He had been flogged, held in a cell, a dungeon, stocks, and was forced to hide from his own people. God had also put some demands on him. He was told to walk around without clothes for a time, wear a metal collar, buy property in a land going into captivity, and other extreme”object lessons”.

Why so much hatred for Jeremiah? His message: Judah was going to be captured by Babylon and the only way to survive was surrender. Just follow your captors and make the best of it. If you stay here in the Promised Land and try to fight you will surely die. Your great sin has brought God’s judgement. Not exactly patriotism and prosperity.

As a matter of fact that scripture that we all love so much and quote as our own promise:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

Those are instructions for going into captivity. Jeremiah gives them this promise right after telling them their captivity would last seventy years and then God would come do all the good things He had promised. Knowing their condition makes this verse an even more welcome promise.

Setting all that aside, we know Jeremiah made personal enemies throughout his life by calling out false prophets and denying the swelling words of Israel’s leaders. He could have originated the saying, “don’t shoot the messenger.” Jeremiah said in chapter 20:8, “When I speak, the words burst out, ‘Violence and destruction!’ I shout. So these messages from the Lord have made me a household joke.” Yet, Jeremiah was faithful to the true warning and His God who spoke to Him.

Opposition Comes – Brings Opportunity

In chapter 38, a group of court officials decided they had heard enough. Without going into the backgrounds of each, suffice it say they had either had confrontations with Jeremiah themselves or their father and grandpa had and there was a family grudge against him.

So these officials went to the king and said, “Sir, this man must die! That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people. This man is a traitor!

King Zedekiah agreed. “All right,” he said. ” Do as you like, I can’t stop you.”

Jeremiah 38: 4,5

Okay Zedekiah. These are court officials. Your court officials. You are the king. I don’t know what kind of royal politics is being played here, but kings usually trump princes. Nevertheless, they won and Zedekiah sat on his weak hands and let the man of God suffer.

A song titled: Alone in a Muddy Pit

The Bible says “they took him from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. There was no water in the cistern but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom and Jeremiah sank down in it.” (The pictures above were taken from the plot of ground said to be Caiaphas’ yard. He had several cells behind his home and this cistern. These were from Jesus’ time and a church has been built on top.) The fact that there was a thick layer of mud makes me think this would have been in the rainy season, probably cold. Jeremiah is sitting in this deep, dark, wet mudhole waiting until starvation took his life. The mud is making his skin sensitive. He is cold with no relief. All of his clothes are wet and heavy with mud. Soaked to the bone but thirsty beyond words, Jeremiah sits and laments. Literally, he was the author of the book of Lamentations. He wrote this of his experience.

My enemies, whom I have never harmed, hunted me down like a bird. They threw me into a pit and dropped stones on me. The water rose over my head and I cried, “This is the end!”

Lamentations 3:52-54

That’s where our friend, Ebed-melech appears. Jeremiah 38 tells us that when Ebed-melech realized what had happened to Jeremiah, he ran to King Zedekiah who was holding court in the Benjamin Gate. Surrounded by more court officials, Ebed-melech accuses the other officials of wickedness for putting Jeremiah in the muddy cistern. The food had nearly run out in city and Jeremiah would surely die.

A servant telling a king that his decision was wrong, his court officials were wicked, and making this pronouncement while the king is holding court is unthinkable. Ebed-melech was only a servant of the king. He took a great chance. He spoke against the popular opinions of the day. This wouldn’t lead to promotion. It might lead to death. It’s becoming more clear, which King he serves.

“Speak up for those who can not speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.”

Proverbs 31:8

King Zedekiah, always the puppet, agreed with Ebed-melech this time. “Take thirty of my men with you, and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies.” 38:10.

Serving the King is ALWAYS an Adventure

The Bible tells us that Ebed-melech went to a room in the palace beneath the treasury and found some rags to soften the ropes he would use to pull out Jeremiah. Ebed-melech called down to Jeremiah, “Put these rags under your armpits to protect you from the ropes.” vs. 12. When Jeremiah was ready they pulled him out.

Ebed-melech’s care shows extraordinary compassion. It wouldn’t do for Ebed-melech to tie off a cattle rope and throw it down to Jeremiah with the instruction to pull himself up. Ebed-melech didn’t say, “Hey, I talked to the king. You thirty guys heard him. Get him out.” Ebed-melech didn’t even rush Jeremiah. The Bible points out that he didn’t pull a single inch until Jeremiah was ready.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience

Colossians 3:12

He was a servant of the KING. He knew a servant should be entrusted with a job from start to finish, and that his work reflected on his king. His king loved Jeremiah and he was worth the effort.

The rescue is completed and the book of Jeremiah continues. Jeremiah is held in prison, not free, but not in a muddy cistern. While he is there and shortly before the captivity of Jerusalem is completed by Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah received this message from the Lord.

Jehovah Remembers

Say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will do to this city everything I have threatened. I will send disaster, not prosperity. You will see its destruction, but I will rescue you from those you fear so much. Because you trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward, I will rescue you and keep you safe. I, the Lord, have spoken!’

Jeremiah 39:16-18

The Lord sends word that Ebed-melech’s service was not only noticed but would be rewarded. He’s told that his rescue of Jeremiah will result in God’s rescue of him. The city would fall. The disaster, as promised, would come but that which Ebed-melech feared wouldn’t destroy him. He was a believer in the messages of judgement Jeremiah had preached. He feared God’s wrath on Jerusalem. The LORD’s final words must have brought such relief. “I will rescue you and keep you safe. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

God never loses count. He can destroy and spare simultaneously. Ask Rahab. He knows those who belong to Him. He really knows them. It’s the kind of knowing that says, “I know your fears.”, “I saw that selfless act.”, and “I know you are trusting me.”

Even when the “king” we serve at the moment may not seem just or wise; or the times we must swim against the flow of popular demand, He sees. Those opportunities you have taken to go the extra mile; bringing soft rags when ropes were all that was required, have been recorded by The KING. Don’t believe me? Then why do we know Ebed-melech’s name?

And the rewards are certain. The KING that Ebed-melech served has spoken.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the LORD, not human masters, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the LORD, as a reward. It is the LORD Christ you are serving.”

Colossians 3:23-24

What is you’re calling? Just a Servant to the KING.