Black History in God's Story: Ebed-melech
Copyright: South Bay Community Church
Sermon Reflections: Black History in God's Story: Ebed-melech
Date: 18 February 2024
Speaker: Pastor Tammy Long
Sermon Text: Jeremiah 38:1-13, 39:15-18
Sermon Reflections: Black History in God's Story: Ebed-melech
Date: 18 February 2024
Speaker: Pastor Tammy Long
Sermon Text: Jeremiah 38:1-13, 39:15-18
Sermon Preamble
We are in a mini-series that highlights Black presence in the Bible, as part of our celebration of Black History. This gives us the opportunity to affirm not what it says about Black people, but what it says about God and all people of color. Through our diversity as brothers and sisters in the Kingdom of God, we truly reflect the breadth and beauty of God whom we serve. As we say yes to God’s Will and Way, God molds us into being a living sanctuary of God. African presence in the Bible can be missed because we often skip over the names and places that convey African presence. The word Africa does not appear in the Bible, but its lands and people do appear throughout God’s unfolding narrative. For example, Egypt, despite false attempts to portray it as the Middle East, is in Africa; Nubia refers to the upper Nile region below Egypt; Kush, the Greek translation for Ancient Ethiopia, is in Africa; Libya and Phut are in the northern coast of Africa. The focus of this message is on an African man from ancient Ethiopia named Ebed-Melech, referred to in Jeremiah 38:1-13 and 39:15-18. We learn about the breadth and beauty of the loving God: God forewarned what was about to happen. God had a plan for the people of the Southern Kingdom. God was faithful to remain present; God provided care through a person. God offered hope. From Ebed-Melech, we learn lessons: He used his position and influence for God; he took a risk to speak up; he exhibited courage; he spoke the truth and challenged authority; he upheld Godly morals and ethics; he advocated for justice.
Ebed-melech, like us today, faced pain, suffering, violence, injustices from the brokenness of the world
In the year between 588 and 586 BC, Ebed-melech faced one of the lowest and most terrifying points in the history of God’s people. For years, the prophet Jeremiah had been warning God’s people that judgement was coming, but as it says in Jeremiah 4, the people were skilled in doing evil and refused to repent in turning back to God. Even with Jeremiah’s warning, God waited more than a decade, but then judgement did come.
For us today, as beautiful as the world is, with creation and the beauty of laughter, love, kindness, and smiles, there is also pain, suffering, violence and injustices all around us. Global disasters, national tragedies, personal losses, and loneliness surround us in the brokenness of this world. With access to more information, at the touch of a screen or the swipe of a finger, we can be confronted with an earthquake, a mass shooting, or the latest alarm related to climate change. Our world faces hate based violence, artificial intelligence scares, wars, rumors of wars, grief, devastation, and poverty as the aftermath of war, as well as the scary political world nationally and globally.
Also in our personal lives, we experience brokenness and pain. To some degree, we have all experienced feeling overwhelmed, sad, depressed, afraid, or even hopeless. These are real human feelings that have been around for millennia.
Jeremiah gave the prophetic word from God of consequences for evil and lack of repentance
The Babylonians, under King Nebuchadnezzar, had been laying siege to Jerusalem for two years. They left momentarily to face the Egyptian army that the people of Jerusalem were hoping would come to their rescue. While the Babylonians were away, King Zedekiah of Jerusalem sought out the prophet Jeremiah for a word from the Lord. King Zedekiah was hoping for no consequences, but Jeremiah’s prophecy was the opposite.
“1Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah had been telling the people. He had been saying, 2 ‘this is what the Lord says: Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be life. They will live. 3The Lord also says: The city of Jerusalem will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.’” (Jeremiah 38:1-3). Jeremiah did not mince any words. He prophesied that the Babylonians will return and complete the destruction of Jerusalem, but also God’s Word for them was to surrender. The four princes in verse 1 took issue with Jeremiah’s prophecy. This could be a time for Jeremiah to have said, do not shoot the messenger. In essence, the four princes did try to shoot the messenger.
The princes accused Jeremiah of treason, and King Zedekiah agreed
“4So these officials went to the king and said, ‘Sir, this man must die! That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people. This man is a traitor!’ 5 King Zedekiah agreed. ‘All right,” he said. ‘Do as you like. I can’t stop you’” (Jeremiah 38:4-5). The princes accused Jeremiah of treason because his words sounded defeatist and disloyal to the Kingdom. They expected God would fight their battle and come to their defense like God had done in past times. However, they were not living according to God’s ways, and they were not heeding God’s repeated warnings. Getting rid of Jeremiah would not change God’s message.
The princes intended to kill Jeremiah without any hands on him or shedding any blood
“So the officials took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. It belonged to Malkijah, a member of the royal family. There was no water in the cistern, but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it” (Jeremiah 38:6). Cisterns in that day often had a narrow neck, only about 3-4 feet across and 3-4 feet deep. The neck then opened into a much longer bulging hole that could be of varying depths, much deeper than ankle depth. There would not be much light in the deep hole. Cisterns were for capturing and storing water; if the cistern was empty of water, the city was dealing with a water shortage. This left mud, mire, and sentiment at the bottom. Verse 6 specifies that Jeremiah sunk into a thick layer of mud when put into the cistern. This meant a slow and painful death from starvation, dehydration, exhaustion, and suffocation. Both the people of Jerusalem and Jeremiah faced lack of hope.
But God is moving through one of God’s agents, Ebed-melech, the African Ethiopian
“7 But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an important court official, heard that Jeremiah was in the cistern. At that time the king was holding court at the Benjamin Gate, 8 so Ebed-melech rushed from the palace to speak with him. 9 ‘My lord the king,’ he said, ‘these men have done a very evil thing in putting Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern. He will soon die of hunger, for almost all the bread in the city is gone’” (Jeremiah 38:7-9). The African, Ebed-melech is a court official. Saris, in the Hebrew, is used for a court official and also used for a eunuch, a court official who was castrated and given responsibility for the women harem of the king. Ebed-melech has some role and responsibility in the court of the King. The King listens to him. Ebed-melech has the courage to state his case. His case could have gotten him thrown into the cistern himself. Ebed-melech is opposing the princes that the King listened to in the first place.
Just as God had said would be the consequence, there is famine in the land. Bread was being rationed, which was the custom when food was scarce. Ebed-melech states that almost all the bread in the city is gone. Ebed-melech raises the unspoken question whether the King wants the death of a prophet attributable to the King.
The King flipped his prior position and instructed Ebed-melech to take men with him to pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies
“So the king told Ebed-melech, ‘Take thirty of my men with you, and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies’” (Jeremiah 38:10). The King provides protection and support for Ebed-melech to do something. For this decision, the King knew that he would face opposition from the princes.
Ebed-melech moves quickly with strategic thinking, wisdom, and compassion for Jeremiah
“11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to a room in the palace beneath the treasury, where he found some old rags and discarded clothing. He carried these to the cistern and lowered them to Jeremiah on a rope. 12 Ebed-melech called down to Jeremiah, ‘Put these rags under your armpits to protect you from the ropes.’ Then when Jeremiah was ready, 13 they pulled him out. So Jeremiah was returned to the courtyard of the guard—the palace prison—where he remained” (Jeremiah 38:11-13). This narrative shows Ebed-melech’s strategic thinking, wisdom, and compassion for someone in need. Depending on how long Jeremiah had been in the cistern, it is likely he was emaciated and weak. The ropes to pull Jeremiah out would have cut into his skin, so Ebed-melech provided rags and clothing to protect his skin. Ebed-melech thought through all of this as he planned the rescue.
Ebed-melech was a beacon of hope and courage, saving Jeremiah’s life. Jeremiah went back to the prison, but he was still alive. God was not through with Jeremiah yet. God used Ebed-melech to right the wrong as God’s appointed agent of hope and change.
In the Hebrew, Ebed-melech literally means “servant of the King.” Ebed-melech was servant not just for King Zedekiah, but for our Lord, Jesus, King of Kings for Ebed-melech’s part in God’s grand story.
For every story in the Bible, the main character is always God
We can celebrate Ebed-melech as a hero from Africa, but he is a supporting character in God’s story. Every story in the Bible tells us something about God’s character such as what God cares about, how God engages with humanity, God’s Ways, Will, and Heart. We learn how God, who is outside of time, moves in history and accomplishes the purposes of God in time and over time.
From this biblical story we learn about the loving God:
Loving God who forewarned God’s people about what was about to happen
God gave them many chances to correct their lives. God waited for over a decade with patience. God was slow to anger, not wanting anyone to perish. God gives us free will to choose.
Loving God who had a plan for God’s people
Even in the pending consequences from choices they made, God still offered a plan for their survival. God said through the prophet Jeremiah, “Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be life. They will live” (Jeremiah 38:2). In the midst of a trial of their making, God’s grace still offered a way of escape and a way to live!
Loving God who is faithful not to abandon God’s people
In keeping with the truth of God’s promise, God did not abandon Jeremiah or the people of God. No matter what the people of God are going through, God will never fail or abandon us (See Deuteronomy 31:8).
Loving God who positions people to be God’s hands and feet of care and hope
God positions people as agents of care and hope in a hopeless and harsh world at the right time, in the right roles, and with the right influence and gifts. This loving God we serve no matter what is happening around us. No matter how hopeless things may appear, God has a master plan. The arc of God’s story is long. God is putting things in place long before we know what is happening or where the story is going. Through Ebed-melech, God provided hope and care; this is still the same God we serve today.
Our Lord, Jesus Christ said, “Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Hope does not disappoint because Jesus is our living hope.
From this biblical story, we learn lessons from Ebed-melech
When Jeremiah is in trouble, on God’s cue, Ebed-melech enters the story. He is a role model for us in so many ways:
Ebed-melech used his position and influence for God.
Ebed-melech took a risk to speak up.
Ebed-melech exhibited courage in the face of possible peril.
Ebed-melech spoke truth to power and challenged authority.
Ebed-melech upheld Godly ethics even though it was unpopular.
Ebed-melech advocated for justice on behalf of another.
Ebed-melech stood in the gap for the voiceless until the right thing is done.
Ebed-melech embodied compassion, caring toward the weak.
Ebed-melech organized a response plan.
Ebed-melech was an agent of hope and an agent of change.
Ebed-melech did not quit until the job was done.
Each of us might assert that Ebed-melech inspires us, and we want to be like that African hero. We are all called by God to be like Ebed-melech. We are all to be agents of hope, agents of change, and agents of restoration wherever there is brokenness. We cannot address it all, but we can look around and ask God for our part wherever God has placed us within our sphere of influence. God has no other hands and feet except ours.
God trusts us and we trust God as we serve
God entrusts ordinary people like us to be agents of hope and to simply trust God with the rest. We can trust God because we serve a God who is faithful. We can trust as we do our part in God’s story, God will do God’s part in our story. We can trust God when we take care of God’s business. We can trust God when we care for those who are weak, hurting, voiceless, or hopeless. Even when life gets messy, we get pushback, we get tired, or life is hard and painful, we can trust God’s faithfulness.
The book of Jeremiah records another word of encouragement for Ebed-melech as for us today
"15 The Lord had given the following message to Jeremiah while he was still in prison: 16 Say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will do to this city everything I have threatened. I will send disaster, not prosperity. You will see its destruction, 17 but I will rescue you from those you fear so much. 18 Because you trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward. I will rescue you and keep you safe. I, the Lord, have spoken!’” (Jeremiah 39:15-18). God’s Word was an encouragement to Ebed-melech like it is for us today. Trouble was coming; that hadn’t changed. God said that God will rescue him, give him his life as a reward, and keep him safe. What Ebed-melech did for Jeremiah, God promised to do for Ebed-melech. God emphatically ends the promise with, “I the Lord have spoken!”
As you put your life journey into the biblical characters, what does God want you to hear?
Perhaps, you are in need of hope. God wants you to know that God sees you. God has not forgotten you and has a plan to pull you out of whatever cistern you are in right now. Trust God.
Or perhaps, God is reminding you that you have a part in the grand story of God. There are people in your sphere of influence who need hope, an advocate, or someone to come alongside and stand in the gap.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS INCLUDING FAMILY GROUPS
Sermon Preamble
-Islamic Arabs from the Middle East conquered Egypt in the 7th Century AD. Despite this historical truth, when have you seen presentations in art, movies, and literature that ancient Egyptians (from biblical days, the advanced Egyptian civilization, or in the first centuries after Christ when Alexandria, Egypt was the center of Christian theology) were Middle Eastern or other non-African people?
Ebed-melech, like us today, faced pain, suffering, violence, injustices from the brokenness of the world
-In what circumstances have you had the feeling, like Jeremiah, that people, even though created in the image of God, were skilled at evil in the broken world and refused to repent by turning back to God?
Jeremiah gave the prophetic word from God of consequences for evil and lack of repentance
-In what circumstances have you been led by God, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to give a message from God, like Jeremiah, opposite what they wanted to hear without judging them? How did you feel?
The princes accused Jeremiah of treason, and King Zedekiah agreed
-When have you, similar to Jeremiah, been personally attacked or threatened when you conveyed a message from God?
-If you are leader, similar to King Zedekiah, of a team that has personal disputes with each other, what has been your reaction and response?
The princes intended to kill Jeremiah without any hands on him or shedding any blood
-What hate crimes have you become aware of people from a group or nation killing a person in a way that evidence could not be traced to them by laying hands on them or shedding blood?
But God is moving through one of God’s agents, Ebed-melech, the African Ethiopian
-What dangers does Ebed-melech face when he exhibits courage to speak to the King? ------What dangers might you face when you have the courage to speak up in compassion for another?
The King flipped his prior position and instructed Ebed-melech to take men with him to pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies
-If you are leader of a team where the threats against each other get out of hand, why would you be willing to change your initial position that you had adopted?
Ebed-melech moves quickly with strategic thinking, wisdom, and compassion for Jeremiah
-Under the leading of God, Jesus our Lord, and the Holy Spirit, when have you moved with strategic thinking, wisdom, and compassion for another?
From this biblical story we learn about the loving God
-What resonates with you about what you learned from this biblical story about the loving God?
From this biblical story, we learn lessons from Ebed-melech
-What resonates with you about what lessons you learned from Ebed-melech?
God trusts us and we trust God as we serve
As we serve God, why does it sometimes come down to trusting in God’s faithfulness?
The book of Jeremiah records another word of encouragement for Ebed-melech as for us today
-Ebed-melech, a colored African Ethiopian, could have expected no mercy from the Babylonians who might have taken him to be pro-Egyptian, the enemy of the Babylonians. When have you needed promises of protection from God related to attacks from others?
We are in a mini-series that highlights Black presence in the Bible, as part of our celebration of Black History. This gives us the opportunity to affirm not what it says about Black people, but what it says about God and all people of color. Through our diversity as brothers and sisters in the Kingdom of God, we truly reflect the breadth and beauty of God whom we serve. As we say yes to God’s Will and Way, God molds us into being a living sanctuary of God. African presence in the Bible can be missed because we often skip over the names and places that convey African presence. The word Africa does not appear in the Bible, but its lands and people do appear throughout God’s unfolding narrative. For example, Egypt, despite false attempts to portray it as the Middle East, is in Africa; Nubia refers to the upper Nile region below Egypt; Kush, the Greek translation for Ancient Ethiopia, is in Africa; Libya and Phut are in the northern coast of Africa. The focus of this message is on an African man from ancient Ethiopia named Ebed-Melech, referred to in Jeremiah 38:1-13 and 39:15-18. We learn about the breadth and beauty of the loving God: God forewarned what was about to happen. God had a plan for the people of the Southern Kingdom. God was faithful to remain present; God provided care through a person. God offered hope. From Ebed-Melech, we learn lessons: He used his position and influence for God; he took a risk to speak up; he exhibited courage; he spoke the truth and challenged authority; he upheld Godly morals and ethics; he advocated for justice.
Ebed-melech, like us today, faced pain, suffering, violence, injustices from the brokenness of the world
In the year between 588 and 586 BC, Ebed-melech faced one of the lowest and most terrifying points in the history of God’s people. For years, the prophet Jeremiah had been warning God’s people that judgement was coming, but as it says in Jeremiah 4, the people were skilled in doing evil and refused to repent in turning back to God. Even with Jeremiah’s warning, God waited more than a decade, but then judgement did come.
For us today, as beautiful as the world is, with creation and the beauty of laughter, love, kindness, and smiles, there is also pain, suffering, violence and injustices all around us. Global disasters, national tragedies, personal losses, and loneliness surround us in the brokenness of this world. With access to more information, at the touch of a screen or the swipe of a finger, we can be confronted with an earthquake, a mass shooting, or the latest alarm related to climate change. Our world faces hate based violence, artificial intelligence scares, wars, rumors of wars, grief, devastation, and poverty as the aftermath of war, as well as the scary political world nationally and globally.
Also in our personal lives, we experience brokenness and pain. To some degree, we have all experienced feeling overwhelmed, sad, depressed, afraid, or even hopeless. These are real human feelings that have been around for millennia.
Jeremiah gave the prophetic word from God of consequences for evil and lack of repentance
The Babylonians, under King Nebuchadnezzar, had been laying siege to Jerusalem for two years. They left momentarily to face the Egyptian army that the people of Jerusalem were hoping would come to their rescue. While the Babylonians were away, King Zedekiah of Jerusalem sought out the prophet Jeremiah for a word from the Lord. King Zedekiah was hoping for no consequences, but Jeremiah’s prophecy was the opposite.
“1Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah had been telling the people. He had been saying, 2 ‘this is what the Lord says: Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be life. They will live. 3The Lord also says: The city of Jerusalem will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.’” (Jeremiah 38:1-3). Jeremiah did not mince any words. He prophesied that the Babylonians will return and complete the destruction of Jerusalem, but also God’s Word for them was to surrender. The four princes in verse 1 took issue with Jeremiah’s prophecy. This could be a time for Jeremiah to have said, do not shoot the messenger. In essence, the four princes did try to shoot the messenger.
The princes accused Jeremiah of treason, and King Zedekiah agreed
“4So these officials went to the king and said, ‘Sir, this man must die! That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people. This man is a traitor!’ 5 King Zedekiah agreed. ‘All right,” he said. ‘Do as you like. I can’t stop you’” (Jeremiah 38:4-5). The princes accused Jeremiah of treason because his words sounded defeatist and disloyal to the Kingdom. They expected God would fight their battle and come to their defense like God had done in past times. However, they were not living according to God’s ways, and they were not heeding God’s repeated warnings. Getting rid of Jeremiah would not change God’s message.
The princes intended to kill Jeremiah without any hands on him or shedding any blood
“So the officials took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. It belonged to Malkijah, a member of the royal family. There was no water in the cistern, but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it” (Jeremiah 38:6). Cisterns in that day often had a narrow neck, only about 3-4 feet across and 3-4 feet deep. The neck then opened into a much longer bulging hole that could be of varying depths, much deeper than ankle depth. There would not be much light in the deep hole. Cisterns were for capturing and storing water; if the cistern was empty of water, the city was dealing with a water shortage. This left mud, mire, and sentiment at the bottom. Verse 6 specifies that Jeremiah sunk into a thick layer of mud when put into the cistern. This meant a slow and painful death from starvation, dehydration, exhaustion, and suffocation. Both the people of Jerusalem and Jeremiah faced lack of hope.
But God is moving through one of God’s agents, Ebed-melech, the African Ethiopian
“7 But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an important court official, heard that Jeremiah was in the cistern. At that time the king was holding court at the Benjamin Gate, 8 so Ebed-melech rushed from the palace to speak with him. 9 ‘My lord the king,’ he said, ‘these men have done a very evil thing in putting Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern. He will soon die of hunger, for almost all the bread in the city is gone’” (Jeremiah 38:7-9). The African, Ebed-melech is a court official. Saris, in the Hebrew, is used for a court official and also used for a eunuch, a court official who was castrated and given responsibility for the women harem of the king. Ebed-melech has some role and responsibility in the court of the King. The King listens to him. Ebed-melech has the courage to state his case. His case could have gotten him thrown into the cistern himself. Ebed-melech is opposing the princes that the King listened to in the first place.
Just as God had said would be the consequence, there is famine in the land. Bread was being rationed, which was the custom when food was scarce. Ebed-melech states that almost all the bread in the city is gone. Ebed-melech raises the unspoken question whether the King wants the death of a prophet attributable to the King.
The King flipped his prior position and instructed Ebed-melech to take men with him to pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies
“So the king told Ebed-melech, ‘Take thirty of my men with you, and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies’” (Jeremiah 38:10). The King provides protection and support for Ebed-melech to do something. For this decision, the King knew that he would face opposition from the princes.
Ebed-melech moves quickly with strategic thinking, wisdom, and compassion for Jeremiah
“11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to a room in the palace beneath the treasury, where he found some old rags and discarded clothing. He carried these to the cistern and lowered them to Jeremiah on a rope. 12 Ebed-melech called down to Jeremiah, ‘Put these rags under your armpits to protect you from the ropes.’ Then when Jeremiah was ready, 13 they pulled him out. So Jeremiah was returned to the courtyard of the guard—the palace prison—where he remained” (Jeremiah 38:11-13). This narrative shows Ebed-melech’s strategic thinking, wisdom, and compassion for someone in need. Depending on how long Jeremiah had been in the cistern, it is likely he was emaciated and weak. The ropes to pull Jeremiah out would have cut into his skin, so Ebed-melech provided rags and clothing to protect his skin. Ebed-melech thought through all of this as he planned the rescue.
Ebed-melech was a beacon of hope and courage, saving Jeremiah’s life. Jeremiah went back to the prison, but he was still alive. God was not through with Jeremiah yet. God used Ebed-melech to right the wrong as God’s appointed agent of hope and change.
In the Hebrew, Ebed-melech literally means “servant of the King.” Ebed-melech was servant not just for King Zedekiah, but for our Lord, Jesus, King of Kings for Ebed-melech’s part in God’s grand story.
For every story in the Bible, the main character is always God
We can celebrate Ebed-melech as a hero from Africa, but he is a supporting character in God’s story. Every story in the Bible tells us something about God’s character such as what God cares about, how God engages with humanity, God’s Ways, Will, and Heart. We learn how God, who is outside of time, moves in history and accomplishes the purposes of God in time and over time.
From this biblical story we learn about the loving God:
Loving God who forewarned God’s people about what was about to happen
God gave them many chances to correct their lives. God waited for over a decade with patience. God was slow to anger, not wanting anyone to perish. God gives us free will to choose.
Loving God who had a plan for God’s people
Even in the pending consequences from choices they made, God still offered a plan for their survival. God said through the prophet Jeremiah, “Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be life. They will live” (Jeremiah 38:2). In the midst of a trial of their making, God’s grace still offered a way of escape and a way to live!
Loving God who is faithful not to abandon God’s people
In keeping with the truth of God’s promise, God did not abandon Jeremiah or the people of God. No matter what the people of God are going through, God will never fail or abandon us (See Deuteronomy 31:8).
Loving God who positions people to be God’s hands and feet of care and hope
God positions people as agents of care and hope in a hopeless and harsh world at the right time, in the right roles, and with the right influence and gifts. This loving God we serve no matter what is happening around us. No matter how hopeless things may appear, God has a master plan. The arc of God’s story is long. God is putting things in place long before we know what is happening or where the story is going. Through Ebed-melech, God provided hope and care; this is still the same God we serve today.
Our Lord, Jesus Christ said, “Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Hope does not disappoint because Jesus is our living hope.
From this biblical story, we learn lessons from Ebed-melech
When Jeremiah is in trouble, on God’s cue, Ebed-melech enters the story. He is a role model for us in so many ways:
Ebed-melech used his position and influence for God.
Ebed-melech took a risk to speak up.
Ebed-melech exhibited courage in the face of possible peril.
Ebed-melech spoke truth to power and challenged authority.
Ebed-melech upheld Godly ethics even though it was unpopular.
Ebed-melech advocated for justice on behalf of another.
Ebed-melech stood in the gap for the voiceless until the right thing is done.
Ebed-melech embodied compassion, caring toward the weak.
Ebed-melech organized a response plan.
Ebed-melech was an agent of hope and an agent of change.
Ebed-melech did not quit until the job was done.
Each of us might assert that Ebed-melech inspires us, and we want to be like that African hero. We are all called by God to be like Ebed-melech. We are all to be agents of hope, agents of change, and agents of restoration wherever there is brokenness. We cannot address it all, but we can look around and ask God for our part wherever God has placed us within our sphere of influence. God has no other hands and feet except ours.
God trusts us and we trust God as we serve
God entrusts ordinary people like us to be agents of hope and to simply trust God with the rest. We can trust God because we serve a God who is faithful. We can trust as we do our part in God’s story, God will do God’s part in our story. We can trust God when we take care of God’s business. We can trust God when we care for those who are weak, hurting, voiceless, or hopeless. Even when life gets messy, we get pushback, we get tired, or life is hard and painful, we can trust God’s faithfulness.
The book of Jeremiah records another word of encouragement for Ebed-melech as for us today
"15 The Lord had given the following message to Jeremiah while he was still in prison: 16 Say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will do to this city everything I have threatened. I will send disaster, not prosperity. You will see its destruction, 17 but I will rescue you from those you fear so much. 18 Because you trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward. I will rescue you and keep you safe. I, the Lord, have spoken!’” (Jeremiah 39:15-18). God’s Word was an encouragement to Ebed-melech like it is for us today. Trouble was coming; that hadn’t changed. God said that God will rescue him, give him his life as a reward, and keep him safe. What Ebed-melech did for Jeremiah, God promised to do for Ebed-melech. God emphatically ends the promise with, “I the Lord have spoken!”
As you put your life journey into the biblical characters, what does God want you to hear?
Perhaps, you are in need of hope. God wants you to know that God sees you. God has not forgotten you and has a plan to pull you out of whatever cistern you are in right now. Trust God.
Or perhaps, God is reminding you that you have a part in the grand story of God. There are people in your sphere of influence who need hope, an advocate, or someone to come alongside and stand in the gap.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS INCLUDING FAMILY GROUPS
Sermon Preamble
-Islamic Arabs from the Middle East conquered Egypt in the 7th Century AD. Despite this historical truth, when have you seen presentations in art, movies, and literature that ancient Egyptians (from biblical days, the advanced Egyptian civilization, or in the first centuries after Christ when Alexandria, Egypt was the center of Christian theology) were Middle Eastern or other non-African people?
Ebed-melech, like us today, faced pain, suffering, violence, injustices from the brokenness of the world
-In what circumstances have you had the feeling, like Jeremiah, that people, even though created in the image of God, were skilled at evil in the broken world and refused to repent by turning back to God?
Jeremiah gave the prophetic word from God of consequences for evil and lack of repentance
-In what circumstances have you been led by God, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to give a message from God, like Jeremiah, opposite what they wanted to hear without judging them? How did you feel?
The princes accused Jeremiah of treason, and King Zedekiah agreed
-When have you, similar to Jeremiah, been personally attacked or threatened when you conveyed a message from God?
-If you are leader, similar to King Zedekiah, of a team that has personal disputes with each other, what has been your reaction and response?
The princes intended to kill Jeremiah without any hands on him or shedding any blood
-What hate crimes have you become aware of people from a group or nation killing a person in a way that evidence could not be traced to them by laying hands on them or shedding blood?
But God is moving through one of God’s agents, Ebed-melech, the African Ethiopian
-What dangers does Ebed-melech face when he exhibits courage to speak to the King? ------What dangers might you face when you have the courage to speak up in compassion for another?
The King flipped his prior position and instructed Ebed-melech to take men with him to pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies
-If you are leader of a team where the threats against each other get out of hand, why would you be willing to change your initial position that you had adopted?
Ebed-melech moves quickly with strategic thinking, wisdom, and compassion for Jeremiah
-Under the leading of God, Jesus our Lord, and the Holy Spirit, when have you moved with strategic thinking, wisdom, and compassion for another?
From this biblical story we learn about the loving God
-What resonates with you about what you learned from this biblical story about the loving God?
From this biblical story, we learn lessons from Ebed-melech
-What resonates with you about what lessons you learned from Ebed-melech?
God trusts us and we trust God as we serve
As we serve God, why does it sometimes come down to trusting in God’s faithfulness?
The book of Jeremiah records another word of encouragement for Ebed-melech as for us today
-Ebed-melech, a colored African Ethiopian, could have expected no mercy from the Babylonians who might have taken him to be pro-Egyptian, the enemy of the Babylonians. When have you needed promises of protection from God related to attacks from others?
Posted in Black History in God\\\'s Story
Posted in Jeremiah 38, Jeremiah 39, Egypt, Africa, Middle East, Nubia, Kush, Cush, Ethiopia, Libya, Phut, forewarn, faithful, care, hope, courage, truth, moral, ethic, justice, violence, AI, war, consequence, repent, Babylonia, prince, Eunuch, Ebed-melech, famine, cistern, strategic, wisdom, compassion, risk, trust
Posted in Jeremiah 38, Jeremiah 39, Egypt, Africa, Middle East, Nubia, Kush, Cush, Ethiopia, Libya, Phut, forewarn, faithful, care, hope, courage, truth, moral, ethic, justice, violence, AI, war, consequence, repent, Babylonia, prince, Eunuch, Ebed-melech, famine, cistern, strategic, wisdom, compassion, risk, trust
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