Happy JULY!
We are journaling through the Bible this year to learn about God’s promises. Over 180 of God’s Promises have already been transcribed if you started working with us in January. We’ll learn about 31 more of God’s promises in Scripture this month.
This month two of the verses we will be journaling are from Jeremiah 39. Let’s look at these verses together.
Jeremiah 39:17-18 – But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.
Background
The reason Jeremiah is referred to as “The Weeping Prophet” is that he prophesied during a perilous period in Judah’s history, which led to him experiencing immense sorrow. Judah was being given over to the Babylonians by God as a result of her great wickedness and idolatry. Exile was coming soon.
When you read through the book of Jeremiah, he doesn’t seem to gain any followers. His pleas for repentance seem to go unanswered (Jeremiah 4). His fellow Judeans don’t pay attention to God’s warnings or his pronouncements of judgment. In reality, among the idolaters, Jeremiah is the only one left, aside from his scribe Baruch. This kind of reminds me of today’s society.
His warning from the Lord was so unpopular that his fellow citizens stoned him to death, beat him, put him in jail, and dumped him in a cistern.
On one of his close calls with death, Jeremiah was forced into an abandoned cistern by his adversaries, but an Ethiopian named Ebed-Melech saved his life. The Lord praises Ebed-Melech’s bravery in defying the king and saving Jeremiah in these passages. Despite the fact that Judah would soon be occupied and destroyed by Babylon, he would not face repercussions because he had faith in the Lord.
“I Will Rescue You”
We recognize that Ebed-Melech received the words of Jeremiah 39:16–18 from God for the reasons outlined in the previous section. They were not addressed to either of us at the time they were written. However, there is a lesson that we may draw from this one brave man’s pledge of God’s blessing.
Let’s examine Charles Spurgeon’s comments from his daily devotional, Faith’s Checkbook.
“When the LORD’s faithful ones are suffering for Him, they shall have sweet messages of love from Himself, and sometimes they shall have glad tidings for those who sympathize with them and help them.
Ebed-melech was only a despised Ethiopian, but he was kind to Jeremiah, and so the LORD sent him this special promise by the mouth of His prophet. Let us be ever mindful of God’s persecuted servants, and He will reward us. Ebed-melech was to be delivered from the men whose vengeance he feared. He was a humble man, but Jehovah would take care of him. Thousands were slain by the Chaldeans, but [he] could not be hurt.
We, too, may be fearful of some great ones who are bitter against us; but if we have been faithful to the LORD’s cause in the hour of persecution, He will be faithful to us. After all, what can a man do without the LORD’s permission? He puts a bit into the mouth of rage and a bridle upon the head of power. Let us fear the LORD, and we shall have no one else to fear. No cup of cold water given to a despised prophet of God shall be without its reward; and if we stand up for Jesus, Jesus will stand up for us.”
“… BECAUSE YOU TRUSTED IN ME.”
“Behold the protecting power of trust in God. The great men of Jerusalem fell by the sword, but poor Ebed-melech was secure, for his confidence was in God. Where else should a man trust but in his Maker? We are foolish when we prefer the creature to the Creator. Oh, that we could live by faith in all things, for then we would be delivered in all times of danger! No one ever trusted in the Lord in vain, and no one ever will.
The Lord says, I will surely deliver thee. Notice the divine surely. Whatever else may be uncertain, God’s care of believers is certain. God Himself is the guardian of the gracious. Under His sacred wing there is safety, even when every danger is around.
Can we accept this promise as certain?
Then in our present emergency we will find that it stands fast. We might hope to be delivered because we have friends, or because we are wise, or because we can see hopeful signs; but none of these things are half as good as God’s simple because thou hast put thy trust in me. Dear reader, try living this way. If you try it, you will keep to it all your life, for it is as sweet as it is certain.”
Dear reader, try this way, and, trying it, you will keep to it all your life. It is as sweet as it is sure.” – Charles Spurgeon, Faith’s Checkbook.
I hope reading about the life of Ebed-Melech has given you some solace as you navigate your own “Babylon” in these trying times. Be dependable, friends. Bless and pray for your pastors. Put your complete trust in the Lord, and He will protect your life.
You can download and print a copy of the Journaling Scripture Calendar here:
https://charitymaeprosper.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/SJ-Promises-for-July.pdf
