August 23, 2024

Rēad to Read …Again

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 38-41

Jeremiah 39:18

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.

The promise was made to Ebed-melech, but the principle is for all men. For he, Ebed-melech, interceded before king Zedekiah for Jeremiah. The prophet was in the dungeon, the miry pit, being falsely accused as a traitor to the nation. The king gave Ebed-melech the authority to save Jeremiah from the pit, which he did. Because of this God, through Jeremiah, gave the man who rescued him the promise of life, he would not fall by the sword in the day of violence. His life, Ebed-melech’s life, would be unto him a prey. Meaning it would be a prize, like a hunter finding prey while on the hunt, this man found life. Or rather was given life as a prize just because he trusted in the Lord.

Sound familiar? Every person who has trusted in the Lord for eternal salvation has received the same promise. Their life, temporal perhaps, but eternal life for certain has been given them as a prize, a prey, because of their trust in the Lord. Ebed-melech trusted the Lord instead of those who falsely accused Jeremiah and put his faith to work in rescuing God’s man. He was bold in going to the king, yes. But there was something else that this man did that demonstrated his care and great devotion to the Lord God. He treated Jeremiah with great carefulness.

Notice the little thing. Not only did Ebed-melech drop cords down to the prophet, but he also provided some old clothes for Jeremiah to use as cushions. By putting the cast away clouts (clothes) and old rotten rags between his skin and the cords the prisoner could be lifted up with much less discomfort or abrasions that the bare cords would inflict. This may seem like a little thing, and it is, but to Jeremiah, who may not have had a shirt on, this was a gracious comfort for a difficult situation.

Throughout a man’s ministry, this type of “little thing” will take place over and over again. For those whom the minister will help greatly are oftentimes those who hurt him greatly. But if the minister is not close enough to be hurt, they are not close enough to help. Therein is the great challenge. Consider preaching. With each and every message a pastor, for example, puts his heart on the pulpit and gives it to the people. Sometimes that heart is cut, smashed, ridiculed, ignored, or even beaten. Not physically, but figuratively by the comments, questioning of his motives, and downright scorn aimed at him by words, and perhaps worse, by wrongful actions. This is the great challenge of preachers. Keep putting that heart out there to be examined in spite of the temptation not to.

But then there are those rare individuals that may not be members of the pastor’s church, that on occasion when needed treat him better, with greater consideration, and respect than his own members. They help him, and even comfort him in little ways that make a big difference. It is like Jesus said, …A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. (Matthew 13:57).

Ebed-melech honored Jeremiah when his own “house” tried to destroy and kill him. The Lord was right, as always, a true minister of God is honored by all except perhaps those of his own. His trust in the Lord was evidenced by his care for the man of God. Which God repaid. Of that make no doubt, God always repays in like fashion. Eternal salvation is not earned by works of any kind, but it is always able to be evidenced by good works of every kind.

Dr. William T. Howe