Black History in God's Story: Ebed-melech

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.