Daily Devotions
Jeremiah
"Go and speak to Ebed-Melech"
Text: Jeremiah 39:16
EBED-MELECH THE ETHIOPIAN
Ebed-Melech was an Ethiopian eunuch who served king Zedekiah. He showed much kindness to Jeremiah when he spoke to the king and enabled him to escape from the dungeon. His kindness was not forgotten by the LORD.
“Meanwhile the word of the LORD had come to Jeremiah
while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
‘Go and speak to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying,
‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:
‘Behold, I will bring My words upon this city for adversity and not for good,
and they shall be performed in that day before you.
But I will deliver you in that day,’ says the LORD,
‘and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid.
For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword;
but your life shall be as a prize to you,
because you have put your trust in Me,’ says the LORD.””
Jeremiah 39:15-18
1. “Meanwhile the word of the LORD had come to Jeremiah while he was shut up
in the court of the prison, saying”
a) Jeremiah was in prison when a special word came from the LORD.
b) The LORD continued to speak to Jeremiah even though he was in prison.
2. “Go and speak to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts,
the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will bring My words upon this city for adversity
and not for good, and they shall be performed in that day before you””
a) This was a message that Jeremiah was to deliver to Ebed-Melech, the Ethiopian.
b) The identity of the LORD was disclosed:
i) He is the LORD of hosts.
ii) He is the God of Israel.
c) He made reference to the city of Jerusalem in the first part of the message.
i) Adversity would come to the city of Jerusalem.
ii) All that God had said about the city would be fulfilled.
3. “‘But I will deliver you in that day,’ says the LORD,
‘and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid'”
a) But God will cause Ebed-Melech to be delivered.
b) The LORD was aware that Ebed-Melech was afraid of the Babylonians.
c) He knew that he might be killed because he had served Zedekiah loyally.
4. “‘For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be
as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me,’ says the LORD”
a) God assured Ebed-Melech that he would be delivered.
b) He would not fall by the sword.
c) His life would be preserved.
d) This was his blessing and reward for his trust in the LORD!
e) Ebed-Melech, the Ethiopian had trusted the LORD while the majority of Judah
had rejected Him!