August 18: Jeremiah 38-40, Psalm 74, Psalm 79

August 18, Jeremiah 38-40, Psalm 74, Psalm 79

Jeremiah 38 Even though Jeremiah is in prison, he is still preaching that judgment will come because of Judah’s unfaithfulness and calling the people to repent. Jeremiah was also warning the people that those who submit to the Chaldeans shall live and those that go out of the city will die or be taken captive. Captivity is coming no doubt. This message was making the rulers of the city upset and they wanted him killed. So, they took Jeremiah and cast him into a cistern - a deep cave cut out of rock that is filled with mud in the bottom to give a slow painful sinking death. That is Jeremiah was for preaching God’s message…

We are introduced to Ebed-melech. He was an Ethiopian eunuch who was working for the King, most likely a guy from Egypt. He heard about it and went to the king and pleaded that he be taken out and the rulers had acted with evil and that Jeremiah would die in there. The king gave Ebed-melech permission to take 30 men and get him out. Ebed-melech was very resourceful and got a bunch of clothes and rags and threw them down to Jeremiah to put under his arm pits so they could pull him out and not rip his skin. Jeremiah was rescued.

King Zedekiah of Judah sent for Jeremiah. He wanted a direct answer to his questions and Jeremiah was concerned that if he was honest (again), he would be imprisoned or killed. He assured Jeremiah that he would live. What was God saying about the current times? “If you will surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then your life shall be spared, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live. But if you do not surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand.” Very similar to what Jeremiah has said numerous times. This time we learn that the king is scared of the Babylonians. Jeremiah reiterated that if he gives himself to them everything will be fine. The king knew the other rulers of the city would question Jeremiah on what they were talking about so he instructed Jeremiah to tell them that they were discussing where Jeremiah would live. And the king was right, they rulers wanted to know. But since nobody had overheard their conversation, Jeremiah did as instructed (and the Lord was obviously still protecting Jeremiah).

Jeremiah 39 The Fall of Jerusalem. This has been talked about numerous times and it is finally coming to pass, as Jeremiah and others said it would. This occurred around January 588 B.C. and the king of Babylon and his army came and besieged Jerusalem. When king Zedekiah saw what was happening, he fled out of the city at night. The army caught up to him and overtook him. His sons were killed before him as were his nobles. They plucked out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in chains. Then they burned down the city and everyone who ran was taken into exile. Those that stayed in Jerusalem were given land by the Babylonians in Judah, including the poor people - to have fields and vineyards. Just as Jeremiah had said it would come to pass - it did. Hard to believe though that by staying they could have lived.

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, commanded that Jeremiah be taken good care of. So, the captain of the guard looked after him and entrusted him to Gedaliah, one of the leaders, to take care of him. 

God’s Word came to Jeremiah while he was waiting to be released. God said go to Ebed-melech (the guy who saved him earlier from the cistern) and tell him “Behold, I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and not for good, and they shall be accomplished before you on that day. But I will deliver you on that day, declares the Lord, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the Lord.”  God was giving favor to Ebed-melech for being obedient. 

Jeremiah 40 Jeremiah is given options now where he could go live. He is no longer in chains and free to go to Babylon or stay in Judah or go wherever. He ends up staying with Gedaliah - the new Babylonian appointed Governor of Judah. 

Some men that escaped (army guys) came back to Gedaliah to see if he would lead a revolt. He would not but offered them land to make vineyards and stay in Jerusalem with the others, especially the poor people that now had land. Johanan, one of the leaders of the army of the open country came to him and said that Ishmael was conspiring against him and that he should die. Gedaliah said he could not kill him and that Johanan was speaking falsely against him… stay tuned!

Psalm 74 is a community lament - perhaps even written about the time we just learned about, Jerusalem being taken captive by the Babylonians. The people are mourning and asking God if He has forgotten about them. Their enemies had literally overtaken them and it is a sad Psalm. It seems as though they have forgotten their own sins and are asking God to do the same… 

Psalm 79 Like Psalm 74, a community lament This one is different because there is an emphasis on protecting God’s name to the nations and how His people are not a taunt to the other nations. But with humility we read, 

“Do not remember against us our former iniquities;[a]

    let your compassion come speedily to meet us,

    for we are brought very low.

Help us, O God of our salvation,

    for the glory of your name;

deliver us, and atone for our sins,

    for your name's sake!”

With humility, they came to God seeking His forgiveness and at the end still praising His Holy name and recounting the goodness of the Lord.

To sum it all up: 

• If God is continually telling you to do something - you best be obeying now before it is too late. What is God calling you to in obedience?
• Not everything God says to do makes sense. Like - when the enemy comes, don’t flee but stay and you will live. God has a plan, trust Him!