1. The Protecting

At the close of Jeremiah 39, God spoke to His prophet again. He told Jeremiah to relay a message to another man who was also trapped within the besieged city of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 39:15-18

"While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him: ‘Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Cushite, 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. But I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD; you will not be handed over to those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.'"

If you are like me, the first question that came to mind was, why this guy? What did Ebed-Melech do to get God’s attention? And that is where the story gets very interesting.

Flip back one chapter to Jeremiah 38:7-13 and notice the heroic story of a man who protected the man of God.

"But Ebed-Melech, a Cushite, an official in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate, Ebed-Melech went out of the palace and said to him, ‘My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern, where he will starve to death when there is no longer any bread in the city.’"

"Then the king commanded Ebed-Melech the Cushite, ‘Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.’"

"So Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went to a room under the treasury in the palace. He took some old rags and worn-out clothes from there and let them down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. Ebed-Melech the Cushite said to Jeremiah, ‘Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.’ Jeremiah did so, and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard."

As part of the "Jeremiah Generation", you might be called upon to be a Jeremiah, but more likely, you will be called upon to be an Ebed-Melech. Most of those in the "Jeremiah Generation" will not have a high-profile role like the prophet of God. Although their role is supportive in nature, may they never underestimate its importance or its value in the heart of God.

Consider three ways that Ebed-Melech defended the man of God and, in return, gained God’s favor and His protection.

1. Ebed-Melech took the initiative and placed himself and his reputation between the man of God and his enemies. See Jeremiah 39:7-8. Are you willing to stand between the man of God and a power hungry church bureaucracy that wants a hired man, not a messenger of change? Would you defend an elder who is seeking positive change even if it meant losing friends in the process?

2. Ebed-Melech identified the actions of those persecuting God’s man for what they were, wicked. See Jeremiah 39:9. Are you courageous enough to call the actions of those who oppose repentance and positive change wicked?

3. Ebed-Melech honored the man of God by gently rescuing him from danger. See Jeremiah 39:11-12. Are you loving enough to honor the elderly messengers of God with gentle rescuing when they are looked down upon by the younger generation?

Will you be an Ebed-Melech?

2. The Protected

In Jeremiah 40:1-5, the prophet of God is bound in chains. He has lined up with the other captives and prepared himself for the long journey to Babylon. But God had other plans.

Jeremiah 40:1-5

"...Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard ... found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, ‘The LORD your God decreed this disaster for this place. And now the LORD has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. ... But today I am freeing you from the chains on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don't come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.’ ... Then the commander gave him provisions and a present and let him go."

Isn’t that an amazing passage? If I had been Jeremiah, I might have been faithful up until they put me in the slave line bound for Babylon. But at that point, I’m pretty sure I would have started doubting.

My father has a favorite little poem that he likes to quote every time God answers his prayers at the last minute.

"Be patient oh my heart,

Have faith in God and wait.

Although He often lingers long,

He never comes too late."

-Author unknown

The "Jeremiah Generation" needs to remember that Jeremiah principle. God may not come when you think He should, but He always comes. It is not your job to figure out how long you must hang on, it is your job to hang on.

We must be faithful to the end and even beyond. Remember the statement of Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it... But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Daniel 3:17-18)

God has not promised freedom from suffering. Sometimes it is our suffering that the world needs to see. He has not promised that we will never hurt. He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us.

"’Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’" (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Did you know that the word "forsake" in the verse above is the same word Jesus used on the cross when He said, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) In other words, God has promised us something that He could not even give His own Son. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, our companionship with the Father need never be interrupted.

Whether we are taken out of the line-up as in the case of Jeremiah, or we are preserved in the midst of captivity as in the case of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, God will always be with us. He will never forsake us.

3. The Protector

The most remarkable part of this story is the way God used the enemy of Israel to do His will because His own people refused to do so. In Jeremiah 39:1-6, God’s man is honored, awarded his freedom and even given a present (vs. 5) by the conquering enemy. The modern parallel is sadly true but oh so common. Many times, God’s messenger of repentance is better received by the world than he is by those who call themselves God’s children.

The great application is this, "...all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28, KJV) Are you "called according to His purpose"? Are you living within the will of the Father? If so, know this. When friends forsake you, when family members refuse to stand with you, when those who should know better do not, God can use even the enemy to bring you protection. Trust Him. Be the "Jeremiah Generation".

Copyright 2006 by Childs Family Publications

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