Deliverance From The Dungeon

DELIVERANCE FROM THE DUNGEON

Jeremiah 38:2-13

Have you ever taken one of those vacations? You planned to arrive at a distant location where you knew you’d have a great time, but on the way you had so many traveling difficulties that you wondered if the journey was worth it. Car problems. Traffic delays. Getting lost. Sick kids. Irritable fellow travelers. You knew the destination would be great, but the trip was anything but smooth. Yet you kept pressing on because you knew it would be worth the trouble. —Dave Branon

Jeremiah knew all about trouble for he had experienced it, but he kept on doing the Lord’s will.

This chapter is taken up in giving an account of Jeremiah’s being cast into a dungeon; his deliverance from it; and private conversation with King Zedekiah. The occasion of the prophet’s being cast into a dungeon was his discourse to the people, which four of the princes represented to the king as seditious, and moved to have him put to death; and, being delivered into their hands, was put into a miry dungeon,

I-NOTICE THE PREACHING OF JEREMIAH: 2-3

A-It Was Correct Preaching: 2A, 3A

2: Thus saith the LORD, 3: Thus says the LORD,

ILLUSTRTION: When the war between the states flared up, a young Texan enlisted and marched off to fight with his friends. "We won’t be gone long," he claimed, "cause we can lick them Yankees with broom sticks." Four years later when the fighting was finally over, the young man came home, a beaten man. One of his neighbors asked, "What happened? I thought you were gonna beat them Yankees with broom sticks." "We could have," replied the young man, "Except we couldn’t get ’em to fight with broomsticks."

Jeremiah wasn’t battling with broomsticks but with the Word of God. It was a correct message because it was from God.

He had the authority of God for it. He knew it was true, and he never wavered.

B-It Was Courageous Preaching: 2-3

2: "Thus says the LORD, He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out to the Chalde’ans shall live; he shall have his life as a prize of war, and live.

3: Thus says the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and be taken."

Jeremiah persists in his plain and courageous preaching; what he had many a time said, he still says.

He had the boldness to speak the truth about the consequences of their wickedness even when he knew there might that he might get in hot water with the people. .

ILLUSTRATION: A famous Methodist evangelist named Peter Cartwright was known for his uncompromising preaching. However, one day when the President of the United States, Andrew Jackson, "Old rough and ready," came to Cartwright’s church, the elders warned the Pastor not to offend the President. In those days, the President had great power to influence a denomination for good or bad. Content, that their Pastor would not say anything to discredit their church, the elders retired to the back of the sanctuary. When Cartwright got up to speak, the first words out of his mouth were, "I understand that President Andrew Jackson is here this morning. I have been requested to be very guarded in my remarks. Let me say this: "Andrew Jackson will go to hell if doesn’t repent of his sin!" The entire congregation gasped with shock at Cartwright’s boldness. How could this young preacher dare to offend the tough old general in public, they wondered. After the service, everyone wondered how the President would respond to Cartwright. When Andrew Jackson met the preacher at the door he looked at him in the eye and said, "Sir, If I had a regiment of men like you, I could conquer the world!"

II-NOTICE THE PROTEST OF THE PRINCES: 4-5

A-We See Their Demand: 4A

4: Then the princes said to the king, "Let this man be put to death,

They represented him to the king as a dangerous man, for he seeks not the welfare of this people

Note, It is common for wicked people to look upon God’s faithful ministers as their enemies.

ILLUSTRATION: I heard about a man who was walking a pit bull down the road. The dog got away and walked up to a preacher and bit him on the knee. Then the dog went across the street and bit a beautiful young woman. The owner was brought before a judge who asked, "Why did your dog bite the preacher?" The man answered, "I don’t know! He’s never done anything like that before." Then the judge asked, "Well why did he bite the young woman?" The owner replied, "Oh that’s easy to answer! He wanted to get the taste of that preacher out of his mouth!"