The Unsung Hero: Ebed-melech and the Rescue of Jeremiah
The story of Ebed-melech (Jeremiah 38:7-13) is a small but brilliant narrative of moral courage and immediate action during the darkest days of the Kingdom of Judah. He was an Ethiopian eunuch serving in the court of King Zedekiah, whose faithfulness to God’s prophet, Jeremiah, secured his own preservation from the Babylonian invasion.
1. The Prophet’s Peril: The Dungeon of Mire (Jeremiah 38:4-6)
The prophet Jeremiah was repeatedly persecuted for delivering God’s unpopular message: surrender to the Babylonians. The princes of Judah hated his message and successfully convinced King Zedekiah to remove Jeremiah, claiming he was weakening the people’s morale:
“Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.” (Jeremiah 38:6, KJV).
The intent was effectively to execute Jeremiah by starvation and suffocation in the deep, muddy cistern without technically shedding his blood.
2. The Intervention: Courage in the Court (Jeremiah 38:7-9)
Amidst the fear and hostility of the court, the only person to act with courage and compassion was Ebed-melech, a Gentile and a servant of the King. His name, meaning “servant of the king,” contrasted sharply with his true allegiance to the King of heaven.
He heard the news of Jeremiah’s peril and, at great personal risk, went directly to the King, who was sitting in the gate of Benjamin:
“Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; (the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;) Ebed-melech went forth out of the king’s house, and spake to the king, saying, My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.” (Jeremiah 38:7-9, KJV).
Ebed-melech’s appeal was courageous and direct: he charged the princes with evil and reminded the King of the prophet’s imminent death.
3. The Rescue: Humility and Detail (Jeremiah 38:10-13)
King Zedekiah, demonstrating a weak will, granted Ebed-melech permission for the rescue. Ebed-melech did not just order the rescue; he oversaw it with meticulous, humble care:
“So Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.” (Jeremiah 38:11, KJV).
He provided the prophet with the rags to place under his armpits so the ropes would not cut into his flesh while he was lifted from the mire. Ebed-melech ensured that Jeremiah was gently delivered from the pit and placed safely in the court of the prison.
4. The Reward: The Promise of Preservation (Jeremiah 39:15-18)
When Jerusalem finally fell to the Babylonians, God delivered a specific message to Jeremiah regarding the fate of his rescuer. While the princes who had cast Jeremiah into the pit were judged, Ebed-melech was promised safety:
“Go and speak to Ebed-melech 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 before thee in that day. 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. 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.”
— Jeremiah 39:16-18 (KJV)
The Prophetic Hotspot: Trust Saves
The reason for his deliverance is the Prophetic Hotspot: “because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.” His act of mercy and courage toward God’s prophet was recognized and honored as an act of faith, saving him from the national catastrophe.
The Return Question: Action in the Face of Peril
The Lord’s Return will be a time of great peril for those who cling to God’s unpopular truth (like Jeremiah). How does the story of Ebed-melech—who risked his life and position to rescue the ostracized prophet—serve as an assurance that God grants a unique promise of protection to those who demonstrate active faith and put their trust in Him by showing mercy to His persecuted servants in the final days?
Ebed-melech provides a clear answer to The Return Question: God will specifically remember and protect those who act decisively to support the faithful during times of persecution and national distress. His story is a model of active faith and immediate obedience, assuring believers that courage and mercy shown to the King’s servants will be rewarded with personal, guaranteed deliverance when the judgment falls.