Jeremiah 38 FSI - HEAR, O EARTH

> [!title|noicon] **Jeremiah 38 Notes** > [[Jeremiah 37 FSI|<Prev]]   [\[Bible\]](Bible%20Books%20Navigation.md)   [[Jeremiah 39 FSI|Next>]] [[Jeremiah 38|Verse list view]] > [Jeremiah 38:1](Jeremiah%2038.md#^1) note > > God mentions these specific names in the Bible, people that we cannot know otherwise, to indicate that He is concerned about individuals -- how each one of us individually stands. Salvation is not a group activity, it is ultimately not a corporate activity, it is a personal activity. So we cannot boast that we come from a fine, believing family or what have you as though that somehow automatically gives us protection. We each stand individually before God. > > And the people mentioned here have heard all that Jeremiah had been declaring. Jeremiah was not a silent prophet, even though he was now living on the edge of death because the princes and many of the people were looking for a way to silence him. ^jer38-1 > [Jeremiah 38:2](Jeremiah%2038.md#^2), [3](Jeremiah%2038.md#^3) note > > This foreshadows the situation with the churches and congregations at the end of the church age. Those who remained within them would be spiritually cut off and under judgment. God commanded them to come out because He had installed Satan there (prefigured by Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar as they destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, as God warned in [verse 3](Jeremiah%2038.md#^3)) while the Holy Spirit had abandoned them so that there was no salvation there. It was a test of obedience to the command of God that we see here in Jeremiah. And a true believer has an intense desire to be obedient to God. ^jer38-2-3 > [Jeremiah 38:4](Jeremiah%2038.md#^4) note > > The princes here are reacting the way the world reacts. Jeremiah is declaring that the enemy is going to defeat them so they better surrender. And that weakens the resolve of the people as they fight against the enemy while trying to keep the city from falling. So in their political sense, from a reasonable perspective, they seemed to be correct. But they were not correct, it was the command of God that they were to fall out to the Babylonians, and we don't argue with God. Any time we trust our own wisdom and pit it against God's Wisdom, who is going to be the winner? We'll never be the winner, we always must trust God. That's why God says that those who lose their life will save it. When we come to the point where we we recognize there's nothing we can do and must fall altogether upon the mercy of God. ^jer38-4 > [Jeremiah 38:5](Jeremiah%2038.md#^5) note > > One reason Zedekiah says this is because he was just a puppet king, he was not the supreme ruler. Israel was under the rulership of Babylon and Zedekiah had been installed by Babylon. So he's showing a certain weakness. And this served God's purposes to set up the next portrait that illustrate God's salvation program. ^jer38-5 > [Jeremiah 38:6](Jeremiah%2038.md#^6) note > > Here we have a tableau or a portrait developing that illustrates salvation. Notice he is being cast into a *dungeon where there was mire*. And in [Psalm 40:1](Psalm%2040.md#^1), [2](Psalm%2040.md#^2), we read of salvation as a deliverance from the *horrible pit* (same word translated *dungeon* here in Jeremiah 38), out of the miry clay to set our feet on the Rock of Christ. > > The let down Jeremiah into this pit with cords (or ropes), where there was *no water.* Water many times represents the Gospel, but here there was none. So Jeremiah was much closer to death than even in the previous dungeon where, if they didn't throw Jeremiah a few scraps of bread, he would have died very quickly. It represents the grave, and it is a picture of the spiritual condition we are in before we are saved ([Ps 69:14](Psalm%2069.md#^14)). Before we're saved we're in the miry pit of the wrath of God, we're under the sentence of death. But we have the enormous privilege of crying out to God for mercy and deliverance before we're executed. And when that sentence is removed, when the pardon is given to us in Christ, then we are rescued from that terrible situation. And we'll see a picture of this rescue in the next several verses. ^jer38-6 > [Jeremiah 38:7](Jeremiah%2038.md#^7), [8](Jeremiah%2038.md#^8), [9](Jeremiah%2038.md#^9) note > > Normally when we think of a rescuer we might envision a prince riding a white horse with all of his army to save you. And certainly, Christ is typified by this in the book of Revelation. But here is an Ethiopian eunuch, a man from Cush. And he went to the king to protest the very tight situation that Jeremiah was placed in where there was no bread left in the city, much less would there be any for the dungeon. He was within days or even hours of death with no bread or water (no Gospel). He was in a pit where nobody could find him or help him in any way. We could say he was in the 11th hour. And, in a sense, we could say that about each one of us before we are saved because we have no assurance whether we'll be alive tomorrow. We're all within minutes or hours of death, and if we die before we're saved it's a shameful execution. > > But here comes Ebed-melech ("servant of the king") the Ethiopian eunuch. And Who is the Servant of the King to provide salvation? It is the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, Ebed-melech is a figure of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is important that we understand that God singles out an Ethiopian eunuch here to illustrate that God is not a Respector of persons, there is no favoritism or differentiation of races with God with regard to salvation. > > Now Ebed-melech was a brave man. He went right to the Gate of Benjamin where the king was sitting to declare that what they were doing to Jeremiah was wrong. And it was an indictment against these princes that wanted to kill Jeremiah. He couldn't help but declare how evil it was in his concern for Jeremiah. ^jer38-7-9 > [Jeremiah 38:10](Jeremiah%2038.md#^10) note > > Here again we see that it is God Who rules, He is in charge. So the king agreed with Ebed-melech and commands him to take with him 30 men to rescue Jeremiah. ^jer38-10 > [Jeremiah 38:11](Jeremiah%2038.md#^11), [12](Jeremiah%2038.md#^12), [13](Jeremiah%2038.md#^13) note > > Looking first at the *cords* (or *ropes*) used to *rescue* Jeremiah (particularly in [verse 13](Jeremiah%2038.md#^13), we'll see that they relate to *salvation*. We find this word in [Hosea 11:4](Hosea%2011.md#^4) where God draws Israel (His people) with *cords* and *bands of love* and provides food (the Gospel) for us. And it is because of the *love* of God that He provided for our salvation. Beginning in [Hosea 11:1](Hosea%2011.md#^1) we already see the love of God where 1) God called national Israel out of Egypt to go into the land of Canaan, and, 2) it points to when the Lord Jesus Christ was called out of Egypt after his family fled there when Herod wanted to kill Him. And it is in this context that God describes His love for those He has come to save. Then in [Hosea 11:2](Hosea%2011.md#^2) we see the enormous patience of God toward His people as they went after other gods. And in [Hosea 11:3](Hosea%2011.md#^3) we again see God's love as He takes us by the arms like little children and *heals* us from our sins in His mercy, even when we were in rebellion against Him. > > So as Ebed-melech lets down these cords to rescue Jeremiah from the pit it points to the bands of love that God uses to draw us to Himself. > > Now, Ebed-melech and his men had taken some old materials that were ripped and torn and had no service of any kind, and some rotten rags, to assist with pulling Jeremiah out from the pit. These were absolutely worthless pieces of material that could nevertheless be used to give Jeremiah some protection from the ropes, as a cushion for his armpits, while pulling him up. And by this time Jeremiah was likely very emaciated and weakened from lack of bread and water. But this reminds us of [1 Corinthians 1:25](1%20Corinthians%201.md#^25), [27](1%20Corinthians%201.md#^27), [28](1%20Corinthians%201.md#^28). You see, in the eyes of the world, the whole Gospel is foolish, it is nonsense. As we warn the world about judgment day, all kinds of people are in total denial. They don't even want to look at it. The fact that we trust in the Lord Jesus Who has saved us is utterly foolish to them. The Gospel is a castaway, it's a nothing, it has no substance of any kind to them. > > The *rotten rags* here comes from a Hebrew root word that also means *salt*. In [Leviticus 2:13](Leviticus%202.md#^13) we find that the sacrifices had to be salted with salt, and the sacrifices identify with what had to be offered in Christ's atonement for our sins. So the salt has to do with *judgment*. Christ the Sacrifice came under the wrath of God for our sins. Remember Lot's wife when she looked back from behind him? She turned into a pillar of *salt* [Gen 19:26](Genesis%2019.md#^26)). Also in [Matthew 5:13](Matthew%205.md#^13) Christ says that we (the true believers) are the salt of the earth. That is, as we bring the Gospel we are the savor of death unto death and the savor of life unto life ([Col 4:6](Colossians%204.md#^6); [2 Cor 2:16](2%20Corinthians%202.md#^16)). So the salt represents the fact there must be a penalty that is paid for our sins, and that penalty is death, thus that is what we must declare. > > So in these 3 verses we have the *cords*, the love of God in our salvation. Then we have the old cast scrap-cloths, the worthless things in the eyes of the human race, to achieve the glorious plan of salvation. And then it is through the fact there has been judgment (salt), that God has made payment for our sins, that we can become saved. So we see these 3 considerations as we see Ebed-melech taking Jeremiah out of the pit. It is a beautiful tableau of what salvation is. We are taken out of the miry clay because of the love of God in satisfying the justice of God on our behalf, making all of this possible. ^jer38-11-13 > [Jeremiah 38:14](Jeremiah%2038.md#^14), [15](Jeremiah%2038.md#^15), [16](Jeremiah%2038.md#^16) note > > Zedekiah seeks to ask a question of Jeremiah. But now Jeremiah is being very careful because back in [verses 4](Jeremiah%2038.md#^4), [5](Jeremiah%2038.md#^5) Zedekiah was ready to have Jeremiah killed, and the pit was a place where you could very much expect to die. And besides that, Jeremiah asks the king if he would even listen to his counsel, implying that the king would not listen so it's not worth anything anyway. So Zedekiah secretly swore to Jeremiah that he will neither put him to death nor deliver him into the hand of those who seek his life. So he has taken an oath that he will not put Jeremiah to death. ^jer38-14-16 > [Jeremiah 38:17](Jeremiah%2038.md#^17), [18](Jeremiah%2038.md#^18) note > > God is, through this, declaring the same thing to the churches and fellowships today. If they will *come out* of them then they will live, they can find salvation. But if they *remain* there, then they'll be destroyed, death will overtake everyone who remains there. This is extraordinary sad because there are those who are there and have been told again and again that they *must* get out based on what God is teaching here and other places. But they do not see the living nature of the Bible and how this all applies to today, they see it now as a static book. > > If everyone came out according to God's command, a great many people would not suffer eternal death, it would not be destroyed by fire. There would be no apostate city or organization left to destroy. But given that the problem to begin with is that they have rejected God's Word, that the city (the churches and congregations) lie in wickedness and in darkness, that will not happen because that is the nature of those that have come under judgment. ^jer38-17-18 > [Jeremiah 38:19](Jeremiah%2038.md#^19), [20](Jeremiah%2038.md#^20) note > > In verse 19, we see an indicator of a man who is trusting in himself and in what he can do rather than in God. He's afraid that they will deliver him up and mock him. He's not really listening to what God is saying through Jeremiah that if he gives himself up he will save his life, he'll save his soul (see [Mt 16:25](Matthew%2016.md#^25)). And the city itself will be saved. But no, he's only trusting in himself. > > So again, Jeremiah says to Zedekiah that they will not deliver him. They aren't in charge of his life, God is in charge of his life. He should trust in the LORD. And we fall into this trap all the time when we get into a difficult situation. We start thinking of ways and means to get out of the predicament, and we forget that the first thing we ought to be doing is praying to the LORD for His help. This has to be the very beginning of what we do. And in this situation here with Zedekiah it is paramount, if he obeys the voice of the LORD then his *soul shall live*. And the only way our soul can live is if we become saved. ^jer38-19-20 > [Jeremiah 38:21](Jeremiah%2038.md#^21), [22](Jeremiah%2038.md#^22), [23](Jeremiah%2038.md#^23) note > > So here is Zedekiah, and he's afraid that he will be mocked by some of the princes that have already left the city and sought the sanctuary and protection of the Chaldeans. So God is telling him it will be far worse than that if he doesn't obey. All of his harem and his children will go to the princes of the Babylonians and *they* will turn against him and ridicule him. So the mocking that he fears from a few will come right from his own household, and the city will be burned with fire. When we go our own way the situation never gets better, it only gets worse and worse. ^jer38-21-23 > [Jeremiah 38:24](Jeremiah%2038.md#^24), [25](Jeremiah%2038.md#^25), [26](Jeremiah%2038.md#^26) note > > Zedekiah doesn't want anyone to know that he had been discussing this matter with Jeremiah. Instead, he wants Jeremiah to say that he made supplication to the king not to be returned to Jonathan's house to die there. And this wasn't a complete fabrication as Jeremiah had indeed done so earlier in [Jeremiah 37:20](Jeremiah%2037.md#^20), and even now had been expressing the same concern for responding in truth to the king's question. ^jer38-24-26 > [Jeremiah 38:27](Jeremiah%2038.md#^27), [28](Jeremiah%2038.md#^28) note > > Here we have a very interesting situation. Jeremiah and Zedekiah have spoken about some very important matters. And one of the things that came from this is Jeremiah's plea not to be thrown back into the death-dungeon. And, of course, Zedekiah mentioned to Jeremiah some of his own fears. But now come the princes, just as Zedekiah had expected, wanting to know what they were talking about. And indeed, Jeremiah limits the topic to what Zedekiah had commanded, that he had presented supplication to Zedekiah not to put him back into the prison. > > Through this, God establishes a principle. In [1 Samuel 16:1](1%20Samuel%2016.md#^1), [2](1%20Samuel%2016.md#^2), [3](1%20Samuel%2016.md#^3), God instructs Samuel to anoint David as king after Saul had been rejected by God. But in order to avoid having Saul kill Samuel, God also instructs Samuel only to give some of the information. So Samuel is going to offer sacrifice at the same time and indicate that is the purpose for why he is going. So then in [1 Samuel 16:4](1%20Samuel%2016.md#^4), [5](1%20Samuel%2016.md#^5) and following we read about how this came about so that Samuel could anoint David as king. > > When we look at this candidly, there is no untruth here, there was indeed a sacrifice. But there is a fundamental principle here that applies to the way God has given us the Bible. In these examples only *partial information* is being given. And God has made the Bible so complex and presents Truth in such a way that on the surface you think you might understand it, but in fact you've missed it by a thousand miles. He gives us partial information while warning that there's a lot more coming (here a little, there a little, precept upon precept, line upon line - [Isa 28:10](Isaiah%2028.md#^10)). So if we simply stick to what we've already learned then we won't learn all that is still to come, we'll be entrapped by our preconceived ideas and locked into our own thinking so that we can't get away from it. And that's the situation that leaves many without Truth. This is why it is imperative that we continually search the Scriptures and understand that God reveals Truth through progressive revelation. ^jer38-27-28 Tags: #Old_Testament #Jeremiah #Gods_judgment_on_His_people #FSI