Jeremiah 38-40; Psalms 74, 79

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2038-40;%20Psalm%2074,%20Psalm%2079&version=ESV

Poor Jeremiah. He has already been imprisoned. Now in chapter 38, Jeremiah is lowered down into the cistern of Malchiah, in which there was no water but only mud, and Scripture says Jeremiah sank in the mud.

Jeremiah has been continually preaching a message of repentance to Judah, yet the people refuse to listen. He is urging and pleading for them to repent, but they continue in their ways. Worse than that, they are abusive to Jeremiah. Imprisoning him, and now lowering him into a cistern full of mud. As we continue on reading the book of Jeremiah, we will read that he will be further persecuted.

There are so many parallels to what Jeremiah experienced versus what believers often experience when we proclaim the Gospel to unbelievers. Unbelievers often don't want to hear the message. They deride they message. And they often persecute the messenger.

Scripture says we are to be the messenger. We should be faithful in the proclamation and delivery of the Gospel to the World. We should not worry about the results. Now we should pray for those that we have shared with, but God is sovereign and He will direct their hearts and not us.

Jeremiah is an example of a faithful servant. He is unlike many televangelists today with their ministries of the thousands, and huge buildings. He rested on the Word of God. A fruitful ministry is not based on the size of the ministry. It is a fruitful ministry is faithful to the Word of God. And in every account, Jeremiah's ministry was a faithful ministry.

I love how the Lord provided a way of rescue for Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 1:18-19, the Lord told Jeremiah,

"And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you.”

In this instance, the Lord provided Ebed-melech to help Jeremiah out of the pit. Scripture says,

" Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe in the storehouse, and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let down to Jeremiah in the cistern ropes. Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, "Put the rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes." Jeremiah did so. Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard."

(Jeremiah 38:11-13)

This picture reminds me so much of the picture of Psalm 40. In Psalm 40, the psalmist writes,

"He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure."

(Psalm 40:2)

The Lord keeps His promises. Jeremiah was faithful to the Lord and the Lord protected him just as He said he would.

We, as Christians, should strive to live obedient lives like Jeremiah. It may not always be fun, in fact, we are promised suffering in the Scripture, but as Paul writes so eloquently in the book of Romans,

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. "

Romans 8:18

Soli Deo Gloria.

Today's post was submitted by Russ Shellhamer.