by Donna Poole
What magical sounds, sights, or smells transport you back to your childhood? When I hear the words, “Once upon a time,” I’m instantly a child again. I love story; it captures elusive truth and hands it to me so I can carry it close to my heart.
Once upon a time the prophet, Jeremiah, dared to tell a terrible truth. Judah, his homeland, was at war with Babylon.
“Babylon is going to win this war,” Jeremiah proclaimed in a message from God. “Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die, but those who leave and go over to the Babylonians will live.”
What? Defect to the enemy? Traitor! That’s how many people branded Jeremiah. His wasn’t a message any red-blooded patriot wanted to hear.
Some politicians who were members of the royal family were outraged. “Kill Jeremiah,” they said to King Zedekiah. “He’s bad for morale. He’s weakening the military and the people with his words.”
“Do what you want.” The king shrugged. “I’m not strong enough to stand against your wishes.”
The politicians wanted Jeremiah dead, but they didn’t want to murder him outright. That wouldn’t look good, and they didn’t want blood on their hands. So, they lowered him with ropes into a deep, narrow cistern where he sunk in mud. He could die a slow and painful death from exposure or starvation there, but they hadn’t exactly murdered him themselves, had they?
Shivering and miserable, stuck in mud and his own filth, unable to climb out of the pit, Jeremiah began the slow process of dying. What would claim him first, starvation or exposure? No wonder Jeremiah’s nickname was “the weeping prophet.”
What had he done to earn such terrible suffering? He’d told a hard truth God had instructed him to tell. He hadn’t liked sharing it; Jeremiah loved his country and wanted it to prosper as much as the next patriot. Now he was dying in agony, forgotten by God and man.
Or was he? God never forgets, and God always has a man.
Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian servant, was God’s man.
Bravely, he told the king. “Those princes of yours have done a wicked thing. Jeremiah is starving to death.”
The easily influenced king said, “Take thirty men with you, and get Jeremiah out of that pit before he dies.”
It wouldn’t take thirty men to pull one emaciated prophet from a pit; the men were for protection.
Ebed-Melech grabbed some ropes and old rags and hurried to the pit.
Someone defined compassion as “your pain in my heart.” Ebed-Melech felt compassion. He must have imagined what it would feel like to be in so much pain, half starved, and then hauled up by ropes. How could he make it easier for Jeremiah?
“Put these rags under your arms so the ropes don’t cut into your skin,” he called down to Jeremiah. Then they hauled Jeremiah up to safety.
Wanted: Kindness and old rags.
It seems that kindness felt but not acted out turns to callousness. We see and hear of so much need, so much agony in the world around us. People are suffering in pits of pain, mentally, physically, emotionally. We hear it on the news; we read it on Facebook.
What would Ebed-Melech do? We might want to haul everyone out of pits; that we cannot do, but a little kindness goes a long way to someone suffering. I think old E.M., if he were alive today, would find a way to send a rag even if it were just by a card or a name breathed in prayer. And if he could do more, he would do that too.
I love story, and Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story” was one of my favorites. What was the rest of the story for E.M.? Jerusalem did fall to Babylon, just as Jeremiah had said, but God spared E.M.’s life. You can read about it in Jeremiah 39:15-18.
Ebed-Melech wasn’t even his real name; those words just mean “servant of the king.”
Once upon a time, there was a nameless man, who did a great deed of kindness with a heartful of courage and a handful of old rags. I bow to you, E.M. We desperately need more of you in the hurting story our world is writing today. May your tribe increase!
Amazingly, I have been thinking about Jeremiah a lot lately. Over the past several years, Jeremiah has become one of the people I want most to see in heaven, as well as his unlikely deliverer, Ebed-Melech. Through the bumpy road of this campaign year I have often pondered Jeremiah and his message of judgment. He knew God’s clear message of punishment to Israel and Judah, His idolatrous people. Jeremiah also knew it would bring public attack and even violence against himself, but he was resolved to obey the LORD. Today, in America and around the globe, our present-day Jeremiah’s increasingly face the same trials. And because we serve a merciful and gracious Savior, I know He will not leave His Jeremiah’s friendless and alone. I believe God has an army of Ebed-Melech’s spread out, living among us, bolstering and lifting up the hands of those proclaiming the sure Truth of God’s Word. It takes a special kind of courage and resolve to be an Ebed-Melech in the face of murderers and insidious evil. As you said, Donna, may their tribe increase. We all should pray for our pastors, that they will not fear to preach the truth of God’s coming judgment in the face of our nation’s vile sins. And may we also pray for the wisdom, strength, and courage to rise up and become Ebed-Melechs, willing to step in to defend, protect, and rescue our fellow Christians in the dark days to come … for yes, I do firmly believe God’s judgment is just beginning to fall upon our nation – though, like Jeremiah, it grieves me to say it.
Thank you so much for this piece about Jeremiah and his friend, Ebed-Melech. We, indeed, all need to ponder their lives and come to the realization of what this means for us, in our world. May God help us as we enter 2021. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. You are ever in my prayers, dear Donna. Thank you for being such a blessing to me and so many others.
Thank you for your prayers, Deborah.
This is outstanding! This piece about Jeremiah and his friend, Ebed-Melech is what is needed today. We all need to peruse Jeremiah and ponder the truths therein. God bless you for your God-given insight.
Joe, thank you for your encouragment.
You’ve done it again, Donna – taken our thoughts down a road that does our hearts good. We need to focus on what helps others and then ourselves in the process. Blessings on your day for blessing ours.
Mary, coming from you, that means a lot. Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing. A very well-written piece.
Becky, thank you!
Thank you, we do need more E.M.’s in our world today! Love you, praying for you.
Thank you, Mary. Love you!
This is so true. Thank you for always bringing us back to the truth! We need to trust the Lord. May our Lord bless you as you rest in His care! Praying for you. Live you!
Gwenevere, thank you for your prayers. God bless you!
This is so true. Thank you for always bringing us back to the truth! We need to trust the Lord. May our Lord bless you as you rest in His care! Praying for you. Love you!
You did it again…… 😊❤️
You blest me.
And I I can’t enough Donna. Just love this piece on Jeremiah and his helper.. We are so blest with those who hold our arms up by prayer. Thank The Lord for them.
We are reminded that ‘throughit all’ Jeremiah stayed close to God.
Yes we do need to be thankful for those who stand by us and thankful to our Pastors who too need encouraged..
Thx so much for causing me to take stock to think of those who help me. You bring one if them Hugs
Jennifer, thank you for the many times you have encouraged me. God bless you.
I LOVE this! Thank you.
Thank you Debbie!