Doing the Right Thing

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.'"


Included in just a few verses of the Holy Scriptures is the story of Ebed-Melech of Cush. We don't know very much about this man, other than he came from a region of eastern Africa near modern day Ethiopia. How he got to Judah, we also do not know. One wonders if his predecessors were captured years before when King Asa of Judah defeated King Zerah the Cushite at the Valley of Zephathah (see 2 Chronicles 14). The battle truly was a miraculous display of the power of God over seemingly insurmountable odds. Zerah had a mighty army of many thousands and was an indomitable foe in the region, but King Asa called upon the Lord for victory and the Lord responded to the king's request. We know that this Divine blessing occurred because, "the eyes of the LORD (were looking) throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts (were) fully committed to him" (2 Chronicles 16:9). King Asa at the time of this battle did what was "good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God" (2 Chronicles 14:2), and the Lord rewarded him for his faithfulness.


Fast forwarding to Ebed-Melech in Jeremiah's day, we know that there would have been a noticeable distinction between this man of African ethnicity and the Jewish population in Judah; and unfortunately this distinction likely would have brought disadvantage for the man who was not of true Jewish descent. We also know that Ebed-Melech likely was a eunuch in the royal palace, which was a common fate for a person (particularly of noble lineage) to be taken into captivity after a military defeat and assigned to the position as slave to the king.

One can only imagine the disposition of most people of noble lineage, who were taken away to a foreign land to serve as slaves . . . most would be embittered at the presumed twist of fate that would bring them to such a miserable state in life. Of course with Ebed-Melech (as with Daniel later), his commitment to the Lord in the midst of his difficult life experience aided him in triumphing over his circumstances to be all that God desired for him to be. In fact, it may be that Ebed-Melech was introduced to the One True God AFTER he had been taken captive by the Jews and placed in servitude to the king. Of course, this is speculative since we do not know for certain how Ebed-Melech came to serve in the house of Zedekiah.


The one thing that we do know about Ebed-Melech is that he was a man who knew that Jeremiah, the prophet of God, did not deserve to be thrown into a cistern to be left to die. Previously the officials of Judah had enticed the king to permit them to perpetrate this heinous sentence upon Jeremiah; and unfortunately, Zedekiah acquiesced to the wishes of his council.


There are several observations that we can note about the response of Ebed-Melech:


1. First, he was willing to approach the king. Whereas his position would have given him certain privileges with the king, still it was dangerous to approach the monarch to address a situation not first inquired of by the king. Ebed-Melech might have been executed if he approached the king without invitation or if he introduced a topic of no interest to Zedekiah.


2. Secondly, Ebed-Melech was willing to identify the behavior of the other royal and religious leaders as "wicked." Of course, this declaration would not have been popular with those who had positions of influence in Judah and had the ear of the king. By Ebed-Melech's identifying these leaders' behavior as evil, he in effect was suggesting that the king's granting them license to destroy Jeremiah also was a disdainful act. This bold declaration put the Cushite's life on the line. The king could have become so enraged at such a suggestion, that he could have ordered the Cushite executed.


3. Ebed-Melech also recognized Jeremiah as a prophet of the Lord. He knew that a messenger of God should not be treated with such contempt. This suggests that Ebed-Melech was not a part of the popular wicked trends of the people of Judah, who wanted to destroy Jeremiah for preaching against their immoral, idolatrous behavior. Ebed-Melech was a man who stood for the Lord when it was popular to do so.

Through the Providence of God, King Zedekiah did not become angry at his eunuch; instead, he instructed Ebed-Melech to take 30 men to rescue Jeremiah from the dark pit of mud. Why 30 men? Perhaps the king knew that if he sent Ebed-Melech alone, the officials responsible might have overtaken him and killed him to prevent Jeremiah's rescue. It seems that the king knew that this change of plans would not have been very popular, though it was the right thing to do.


Ebed-Melech secured some rags and worn-out clothes to use as ropes to lift Jeremiah from the cistern; and after rescuing the prophet, he took him to stay at the courtyard of the guard. Although Jeremiah would be freed from death, the officials and the king apparently still had an expectation that the prophet be incarcerated.


Later, after the eighteen month siege of Jerusalem, the Babylonian army overtook the city. They put to death the king's sons and all the nobles of Judah. After forcing Zedekiah to watch the demise of his sons, they put out his eyes, and carted the regent to Babylon in bronze shackles. All of those who tried to stop Jeremiah from heralding his warnings of Divine judgment for the wicked rebellion of the people were now dead, captured, or fleeing in the wilderness. In all of this hysteria, Jeremiah remained confined at the courtyard of the guard. The first word of instruction by the Lord to the prophet was in reference to the Cushite who had saved Jeremiah's life earlier. Specifically, God told Jeremiah to go and tell Ebed-Melech that even in the midst of His judgment upon the people of Judah, the Lord would save the Cushite from the Babylonians because Ebed-Melech trusted in the LORD (Jeremiah 39:18). God's salvation came to the one who feared the Lord and was willing to stand for what was right, even though it very well could have cost him his life.


This is such a good word for us today. We live in a culture that thrives in its own wickedness. It loves to perpetrate behaviors and actions that clearly are in opposition to the will of the Lord. How many of us have the resolve of Ebed-Melech to stand for what is right, even though it is not popular and might even bring persecution? We know from this account in the book of Jeremiah that God ultimately brought vindication and salvation to His Cushite servant for his faithfulness to Him as Lord. May we seek to be like Ebed-Melech and be willing to take a stand for the Righteousness of the Lord, knowing by faith that God will be with us, protect us, and ultimately reward us for our faithfulness to Him.