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!"
- Mike Minnix
ILLUSTRATION: A French preacher was appointed the king’s chaplain. Shortly after the chaplain’s appointment, the king was taken by death. His son succeeded him. After a chapel service, some men of the court came to the chaplain. "Your preaching is offensive to the new king," they said. "If you do not change, you may be replaced." He is my king when I am in my home," the chaplain replied. "When I stand in the pulpit, Jesus Christ, my King of kings, is the only one to whom I must be obedient."
Jeremiah had the same attitude, even though it might cost him his life.
B-We See Their Declaration: 4B, 5
for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm."
5: King Zedeki’ah said, "Behold, he is in your hands; for the king can do nothing against you."
All real power was in their hands, and as they affirmed that Jeremiah’s death was a matter of necessity, the king did not dare refuse it to them.
These men were against the working of God, and would go to any extreme to stop it.
ILLUSTRATON: Charles Haddon Spurgeon, "Prince of Preachers," preached his last sermon at the Tabernacle in London on June 7, 1891. Years before, his ministry had almost come to an early end. His congregation had grown so large they had to erect this special building to accommodate the crowds who came to hear him. While it was being built he rented a hall in Surrey Gardens. A 22-year-old man, he had already been preaching five years at the time. An overflow crowd filled the Surrey Garden hall. As he prayed aloud, malicious pranksters yelled, "Fire," and shouted that the balcony was about to collapse. In a panic, people surged toward the exits. Seven people were trampled to death and dozens more taken to hospital badly injured. Spurgeon collapsed in horror. He had to be carried from the pulpit and fell into such deep depression that he later said he doubted anyone had ever passed as close to madness and yet escaped with sanity intact.
III-NOTICE THE PERSECUTION OF JEREMIAH: 6
A-Notice The Casting Into The Dungeon: 6A
6: So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchi’ah, the king’s son
Every house in Jerusalem was supplied with a subterranean cistern, so well constructed that the city never suffered in a siege from want of water. So large were they that when dry they seem to have been used for prisons
Jeremiah’s not the only person to end up at the bottom of a pit, in the bible we see a couple of other instances. Remember Joseph was thrown into a pit by his brothers and Daniel was tossed into the Lions Den, which was just a big pit
There are worse places to be then at the bottom of the dungeon.
PREACHERS STORY ON SERMON CENTRAL (Denn Guptill) There is an ad on the radio that drives me nuts, it’s for a pump company and it says something like: what’s worse then discovering you have no water. And I told MY WIFE that I’m going to make a whole list of things that are worse then discovering you have no water and every time the ad comes on I’ll just call them and say something like “finding out you have cancer.” “Being fired” “Being poked in the eye with a sharp stick” “having your house burn down, your car stolen and your spouse leave you.” There’s always something worse. It’s like the man said “I was sad because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.”
Remember it could always be worse.
ILLUSTRATION: Sir Alexander Mackenzie is a Canadian hero. An early fur trader and explorer, he accomplished a magnificent feat when he led an expedition across Canada from Fort Chippewyan on Lake Athabasca to the Pacific Ocean. His incredible journey was completed in 1793, 11 years before Lewis and Clark began their famous expedition to the west. Mackenzies earlier attempt in 1789, however, had been a major disappointment. His explorers had set out in an effort to find a water route to the Pacific. The valiant group followed a mighty river (now named the Mackenzie) with high hopes, paddling furiously amid great danger. Unfortunately, it didn’t empty into the Pacific, but into the Arctic Ocean. In his diary, Mackenzie called it the River of Disappointment.-Paul Fritz
Surely, Jeremiah was disappointed too, but knowing his faith in God, I believe he was seeking God in this situation.
B-Notice The Condition Of The Dungeon: 6B
And there was no water in the cistern, but only mire, and Jeremiah sank in the mire.
It was a deep dungeon, for they let him down into it with cords, and a dirty one, for there was no water in it, but mire; and he sunk in the mire, up to the neck, says Josephus. Those that put him here doubtless designed that he should die here, die for hunger, die for cold, and so die miserably, die obscurely, fearing, if they should put him to death openly, the people might be affected with what he would say and be incensed against them.
Many of God’s faithful witnesses have thus been privately made away, and starved to death, in prisons, whose blood will be brought to account in the day of discovery. We are not here told what Jeremiah did in this distress, but he tells us himself (Lam 3:55,57), I called upon thy name, O Lord! out of the low dungeon, and thou drewest near, saying, Fear not.
ILLUSTRATION: For many young people in Fort Worth, Texas, September 15, 1999, started with prayer around their high school’s flagpole. After taking a public stand for their faith, about four hundred youth gathered in the sanctuary of Wedgwood Baptist Church for a See You at the Pole rally that night. Alleluias rang out as a Christian band led the group in singing praises. Suddenly a lone gunman burst in. Larry Ashbrook killed seven people—Shawn Brown, 23; Sydney Browning, 36; Justin Ray, 17; Cassie Griffin, 14; Joey Ennis, 14; Kristi Beckel, 14; Kim Jones, 23—before committing suicide. Many of the youth, plus 150 adults and children, at Wedgwood that night must have wondered where God was.
IV-NOTICE THE PITY OF EBELMELCH: 7-8
A-We See His Hearing: 7
7: When E’bed-mel’ech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern -- the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate
Ebed-melech was an Ethiopian, a stranger to the commonwealth of Israel, and yet had in him more humanity, and more divinity too, than native Israelites had. Christ found more faith among Gentiles than among Jews. Ebed-melech lived in a wicked court and in a very corrupt degenerate age, and yet had a great sense both of equity and piety
ILLUSTRATION: A man was walking down a busy New York sidewalk with a companion. Buses and trucks were roaring by on the street, taxis were honking, the roar of a jack-hammer could be heard in the distance. Suddenly he stopped and said, "Do you hear the cricket?" His companion gaped at him in astonishment. The man, however, walked over to a potted shrub and parted the leaves. Sure enough -- there among the branches was a little cricket. Continuing down the sidewalk, his companion asked him, "How could you possibly have heard the cricket in all this noise?" "Because I listened for it," said the man. "Here, let me demonstrate." Having said that, he reached into his pocket for a handful of coins and let them all to the sidewalk. At the sound of the dropping/rolling coins every head within a block swivelled around. "See," he said, "it depends on what you are listening for."
B-We See His Helping: 8
8: E’bed-mel’ech went from the king’s house and said to the king,
Ebed-melech went immediately to him, for the case would not admit delay; the prophet might have perished if he had trifled or put it off till he had an opportunity of speaking to the king in private.
ILLUSTRATION: Date: April 20 2004 A jilted husband tried to kill himself by throwing himself into the tiger enclosure at a zoo in central China.The depressed man hoped to be eaten alive after climbing into the tiger enclosure in Wuhan Dongxihu Shengshan Happy World, the South China Morning Post reported yesterday. Zookeepers distracted the tigers by throwing them chickens and then hauled the man to safety, the newspaper said. The man became suicidal after his wife dumped him.
Well, Ebed-melech didn’t dump Jeremiah, but he sought out the king to help him get out of the dungeon.
V-NOTICE THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KING: 10-13
A-The Compassion Involved: 10
10: Then the king commanded E’bed-mel’ech, the Ethiopian, "Take thirty men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies."
Being affected with the case of the prophet; and repenting of the leave he had given the princes to do with him as they pleased, shows compassion in ordering the men to deliver Jeremiah out of the cistern.
ILLUSTRATION:A little girl was sent on an errand by her mother. She took much too long in coming back. Mother, therefore, demanded an explanation when she finally did return. The little girl explained that on her way she had met a little friend who was crying because she had broken her doll. ’Oh,’ said the. mother, ’then you stopped to help her fix her doll?’ ’Oh, no,’ replied the little girl. ’I stopped to help her cry.’
NOTE-Thirty men So large a number suggests that Zedekiah expected some resistance.
B-The Care Involved: 11-12
11: So E’bed-mel’ech took the men with him and went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe of the storehouse, and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let down to Jeremiah in the cistern by ropes.
12: Then E’bed-mel’ech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, "Put the rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes." Jeremiah did so.
The rags were to serve as pads to the ropes which were to be placed under the arm-pits, to prevent the ropes from cutting the flesh w hen Jeremiah had been drawn out in this way from the deep pit of mire.
Things we cannot do
Sow bad habits and reap good character!
Sow jealousy and hatred and reap love and friendship!
Sow disloyalty and reap loyalty from others!
Sow cruelty and reap kindness!
C-The Company Involved: 13
13: Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
We see that these men all worked together in lifting Jeremiah out of the cistern. It shows there is strength or harmony in unity,
ILLUSTRATION: Charles Osgood told the story of two ladies who lived in a convalescent center. Each had suffered an incapaciting stroke. Margaret’s stroke left her left side restricted, while Ruth’s stroke damaged her right side. Both of these ladies were accomplished pianists but had given up hope of ever playing again. The director of the center sat them down at a piano and encouraged them to play solo pieces together. They did, and a beautiful friendship developed. What a picture of the church’s needing to work together
So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
CONCLLUSION:
When death seemed so close to Delos Miles in a bunker in North Korea, he began to pray. As he lay on the ground, a Chinese soldier put a rifle to his head. Miles prayed something like this: "Lord, if you are all-powerful like I’ve always heard you are, you can bring me out of here alive. If you will save my life, I’ll do anything you want me to do." The soldier fired. Instead of going through Delos’ head, the bullet went down across the right side of his head. After 18 hours in that bunker pretending to be dead and 3 days and nights’ Delos made it back to the First Marine Division.
He now serves as Professor of Evangelism at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
