Jeremiah 39:16-17 (NIV) “Go and tell Ebed-Melek the Cushite, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city—words concerning 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 given into the hands of those you fear.”

Jeremiah was a prophet during a very bad time in the history of Judah. The people of Judah were very sinful and rebellious and refused to live in obedience to God’s commands and even worshipped other gods. They did not listen to the warnings that God gave them through the Prophet Jeremiah. The king and the leaders were even worse. One day after Jeremiah had angered the leaders with yet another prophesy about the judgement of God that was going to come, they convinced the evil king Zedekiah to allow them to kill Jeremiah. Zedekiah conceded and they devised an evil way of getting rid of him. They lowered him into a cistern that had no water but that had mud on the bottom. Jeremiah sank into the mud and they left him there to die. When Ebed-Melek heard about it (he was an official in the royal palace), he went immediately to King Zedekiah to intercede on behalf of Jeremiah. The king had a change of heart and told Ebed-Melek to go and rescue Jeremiah. Ebed-Melek took some men with him and went to pull Jeremiah out of the cistern with ropes, taking care to lower down rags and worn-out clothes for Jeremiah to put under his arms so that the ropes wouldn’t hurt him. Jeremiah was saved that day and was put instead in the courtyard of the guard.

A few years later, the day arrived for the prophesies that Jeremiah had given about the people being captured by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and Jerusalem being ransacked and destroyed to be fulfilled. Zedekiah and the officials were captured, with the leaders and soldiers being killed along with Zedekiah’s sons. Zedekiah’s eyes were plucked out for his refusal to surrender to Nebuchadnezzar. Houses were burned down and everyone was taken captive, with only the very poorest of the people being left behind. While all of this was happening, God gave Jeremiah a message to give to Ebed-Melek. Because of what he did for Jeremiah in caring for him and saving his life, his own life would be spared and he would not suffer the fate of the rest of the people. God remembered the good that he had done for His prophet, Jeremiah.

Ebed-Melek, who wasn’t even Jewish, cared about the plight of this prophet that was rejected by everyone. He intervened and convinced the king that what was done was wrong and then personally led the way to bring Jeremiah out of a death trap. He then went on his way, fulfilling his duties as a royal official and not expecting anything for what he did. What he did he did from his heart out of his personal conviction of right and wrong. He didn’t know that the Lord was watching the whole time. Because of his righteous act of rescuing Jeremiah, God rescued him.

Everything we do is done under the watchful eye of our Creator. He sees everything that we do, good or bad. Even when we do something for someone that we consider a small thing, such as giving someone who is thirsty a glass of water (Matthew 25:35), Jesus sees it and considers it as it having been done for Him. When Ebed-Melek watched out for and saved Jeremiah, the Lord took that as something done personally for Him and then He blessed him for it. Live your life caring for and helping others because God is not only watching, but He is looking for someone that mirrors His heart of care and compassion so that He can bless that person. He never forgets a kindness done to one of His children and He won’t forget anything that you do for anyone in His name.  

Pastor Joey Vazquez