Sermon Notes

38 7 Ebed-melech the Cushite, a eunuch in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. The king happened to be sitting at the Benjamin Gate, 8 So Ebed-melech left the king’s house and spoke to the king, 9 “My lord king, these men have acted wickedly in all they did to the prophet Jeremiah by throwing him into the cistern to die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city.” 10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take three men with you from here, and pull the prophet Jeremiah up from the cistern before he dies.” 11 So Ebed-melech 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 Ebed-melech the Cushite said to Jeremiah, “Just put the rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes.” Jeremiah did so. 13 Then they drew Jeremiah up by the ropes and pulled him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. (New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, NRSVue)

38 7-9 Ebed-melek the Ethiopian, a court official assigned to the royal palace, heard that they had thrown Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was holding court in the Benjamin Gate, Ebed-melek went immediately from the palace to the king and said, “My master, O king—these men are committing a great crime in what they’re doing, throwing Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern and leaving him there to starve. He’s as good as dead. There isn’t a scrap of bread left in the city.” 10 So the king ordered Ebed-melek the Ethiopian, “Get three men and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” 11-12 Ebed-melek got three men and went to the palace wardrobe and got some scraps of old clothing, which they tied together and lowered down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. Ebed-melek the Ethiopian called down to Jeremiah, “Put these scraps of old clothing under your armpits and around the ropes.” Jeremiah did what he said. 13 And so they pulled Jeremiah up out of the cistern by the ropes. But he was still confined in the courtyard of the palace guard. (The Message, MSG)

For many Africana bible readers—people who are African, Black Americans, or African-descended people living in the diaspora—Jeremiah 38 is one of the most important passages in the Hebrew Bible because of its illuminating portrayal of a Cushite or Black person. While the Hebrew Bible does not portray overt racism (what we know as racism in modern Western civilization is a product of European colonialism and imperialism), its portrayal of ethnocentrism and xenophobia nevertheless “others” individuals within the bible, devaluing them based on their clan, ethnicity, or nation. However, in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, Cushite peoples—Black people who hail from the ancient province called Nubia or Sheba, immediately located to the south and of Egypt—are consistently portrayed as positive individuals who are well-regarded for their education, intellect, literacy and personal integrity.
In this week’s lesson, Jeremiah is rescued from death by a Cushite named Ebed-melech who exhibits integrity, courage, and an ethical concern for justice regarding how the prophet is being unlawfully incarcerated. This palace official not only calls attention to the unjust and criminal actions of Jeremiah’s political opponents—who have imprisoned Jeremiah for preaching truth—he indirectly defies the will of King Zedekiah as he advocates on behalf of Jeremiah. Because of Ebed-melek’s quick-thinking and compassion, Jeremiah lives to continue proclaiming, “what thus says the Lord” to his fellow Judahites. The Cushite’s actions serve as an inspiration to all persons who endeavor to live in such a way that facilitates justice and mercy for those who lack the ability to advocate for themselves.

This week’s lesson text comes from a portion of Jeremiah that biblical scholars call “The Baruch Document” (Jeremiah 36:1 – 45:5). Unlike much of the book of Jeremiah, these chapters are primarily written in prose and center on biographical details of the prophet’s life. As a literary unit, this “document” begins with Baruch writing and publicly reading the scroll that Jeremiah dictated in chapter 36 and concludes with God promising protection for Baruch in chapter 45. Because Baruch features prominently in both chapters, this section of Jeremiah is linked to Baruch as a main character and possible author/compiler of portions of the book of Jeremiah.
Chapter 38, from which this week’s lesson is drawn, reveals that Jeremiah’s relationship with King Zedekiah continues to deteriorate because the prophet refuses to divert from the word of the LORD which automatically puts him at odds with the king and ruling princes. In a “flashback” moment in chapter 36, Baruch’s public reading of Jeremiah’s scroll in the temple irritates King Jehoiakim and places a political target on both of their backs. To further show his disdain for Jeremiah’s scroll, King Jehoiakim tears the scroll apart and literally throws the “word of the Lord,” into the fire.
In chapter 37, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon captures Jerusalem in 597 BCE, deports Jehoiakim to Babylon, and makes Mattiah (Josiah’s son and King Jehoachin’s uncle) the vassal king of Judah under the name of Zedekiah. However, Zedekiah does not listen to the “word of the Lord,”—which underscores that obedience to the LORD means submission to Babylon as God’s agent—and he tries to rebel against Baylon in partnership with Egypt. In 37:6-10, Jeremiah speaks, “the word of the LORD” which tells Zedekiah that his political alliance with Egypt will result in Jerusalem being burned to the ground. Jeremiah’s message causes him to be arrested and imprisoned in the court of the Jonathan, the Secretary of State, as a “Babylonian sympathizer.” In the first six verse of chapter 38, Jeremiah’s political enemies throw him into a cistern located on the property of Malchiah, Zedekiah’s son. This is where the printed lesson picks up.

7-9 Ebed-melek the Ethiopian, a court official assigned to the royal palace, heard that they had thrown Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was holding court in the Benjamin Gate, Ebed-melek went immediately from the palace to the king and said, “My master, O king—these men are committing a great crime in what they’re doing, throwing Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern and leaving him there to starve. He’s as good as dead. There isn’t a scrap of bread left in the city.”
In the opening verses of the lesson text, readers are faced with the reality that the word of the LORD, and the messenger of the LORD, seems to have been thwarted by the actions of nefarious political players who want to silence the prophet because his truth cuts into their political agenda (they are pro-Egyptian). However, out of nowhere we met a Cushite man—also translated as a Nubian or Ethiopian—who has not been mentioned in the Hebrew Bible before and his integrity, compassion, and personal ethics changes Jeremiah’s life forever. This Cushite who is in the king’s employ, shows up to attend to Jeremiah’s situation. The text makes no mention concerning Ebed-melek’s background, possible relationship to Jeremiah, or whether he has the backing of others within Judean governmental circles. Further, the lesson text does not explicitly say that Ebed-melek was directed by God to rescue Jeremiah. The text simply says that what these men are doing to Jeremiah is not right and he might die from starvation if he does not intervene on his behalf. The writers of the book of Jeremiah are making it clear that “something” is at work to ensure that the prophet should not die because of his political speech.
This point should inspire contemporary Christians to consider that God’s design and intent for history and humanity is that life bends toward justice. Wherever there are people with integrity, personal ethics, courage to defy the sinful, criminal, unspiritual, unconstitutional “powers that be,” then they will always seek to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves, and seek to rescue those are without power and who cannot rescue themselves.
10 So the king ordered Ebed-melek the Ethiopian, “Get three men and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”
In verse 10, we see the flip-flopping of King Zedekiah who makes a complete reversal of his previous actions. Verse 5, which is not in the printed lesson text, reveals that King Zedekiah was convinced by Shaphatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashur son of Malkijah (all members of the royal family), to imprison Jeremiah because of his prophetic speech. Now, in verse 10, Zedekiah agrees to release Jeremiah because of Ebed-melek’s request. The king is the worst kind of politician, the kind who bends at the insistence of anyone who stands in his presence. He has no backbone or conviction. He is the worst example of leadership. In fact, he is actually not a leader at all, he simply holds a leadership position.
11-12 Ebed-melek got three men and went to the palace wardrobe and got some scraps of old clothing, which they tied together and lowered down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. Ebed-melek the Ethiopian called down to Jeremiah, “Put these scraps of old clothing under your armpits and around the ropes.” Jeremiah did what he said.
In verses 11-12, Ebed-melek recruits three men, who obviously share his convictions, and they prepare to rescue Jeremiah. There are two important points that emerge from their actions. First, the text reveals there are often other people who want to do the right thing. However, they are waiting on someone to step forward to model what leadership looks like in difficult situation. Leadership is not going along with the status quo, or falling in line with those who are in power because they have the biggest platform or the largest microphone. Authentic leadership is having a willingness to do the right thing at all times, regardless of the cost and the realization that you might have to go all by yourself.
Second, once Ebed-melek gets to Jeremiah and offers the prophet help, Jeremiah listens to the instructions and accepts the help that is provided. “He did what he said.” Some people miss the help that is provided because we expect help to show up in a different manner or different package. When help arrives, we must be willing to accept the rescue that is offered.
13 And so they pulled Jeremiah up out of the cistern by the ropes. But he was still confined in the courtyard of the palace guard.
In the final verse of the lesson text, we see one singular point—but it is major. It took several people to pull Jeremiah out of the cistern and they worked together to do so. The late biblical scholar and theologian, Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggemann, makes the salient point: “The rescue of the prophet is no act of direct divine intrusion, but a determined, detailed human act.” Jeremiah survives the cistern because one man, Ebed-melek, makes it his mission to ensure that Jeremiah survives the cistern.
One person who is compassionate, ethical, and consumed with justice, can make a difference and save someone’s life. What if one person had intervened on behalf of Alton Sterling, George Floyd, or Emmit Till? They could have been rescued. Who is waiting for our intervention? Who is waiting for us to have the courage to show integrity and ethics? Who is waiting for us to use our influence to go to the “powers that be” and say, “this is not right”? Contemporary Christians should read Jeremiah chapter 38 and consider that countless Jeremiahs are waiting on us to be like Ebed-melek. We must not let them down!

i. For more information of early scholarship by Africa biblical scholars on the Black presence in the Bible see, Stony the Road we Trod: African American Biblical Interpretation by Cain Hope Felder, editor (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1991); Black Biblical Studies: An Anthology of Charles B. Copher by Charles B. Copher (Chicago: Black Light Fellowship, 1993); The Recovery of Black Presence, An Interdisciplinary Exploration: Essays in Honor of Charles B. Copher by Randall C. Bailey & Jaquelyn Grant, editors (Nashville, Abingdon Press, 1995); Can a Cushite Change His Skin?: An Examination of Race, Ethnicity, and Othering in The Hebrew Bible by Rodney S. Sadler Jr. (New York: T& T Clark, 2005).
ii. Brueggemann, Walter. A Commentary on Jeremiah: Exile and Homecoming (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1998) 338-339.
iii. Ibid., 364,