The city was fraught with tension. Evil permeated the hearts of the people. Furthermore, judgment had been declared on the city of Jerusalem. In the center of this chaos we find a message of reward and promise. A message for God’s people, as well as for us today. However, the people refused to listen to God’s message delivered by Jeremiah.
Instead, it was with a deliberate choice and outright rebellion that they turned their back on Almighty God. Yet in the midst of this defiance against God, we find a man who made a different choice. A choice that determined a different destiny than that of destruction.
Barriers and the Extravagant Love of God
Ebed-melech was a high ranking official in the court of King Zedekiah. He was an Ethiopian. Completely different than the people he rubbed shoulders with daily. Furthermore, Ebed-melech was a eunuch. (Jeremiah 38:7) These two facts alone, barred him from entrance into the Temple at Jerusalem. On the other hand, it did not bar him from the love of God.
Have you ever felt there was a barrier too big to scale in finding a place at the feet of Jesus? Are there inadequacies in your life that leave you uncertain of God’s welcome? I can assure you that God has open arms for you, regardless of where you find yourself today or what side of the tracks you come from.
There are not many details of Ebed-melech’s life story. Yet there are defining moments that declare loudly the choices he had made. Furthermore, from the details we are given we see a framing of the extravagant love God has for each of us, regardless of the color of our skin, the position we hold or the place we have come from.
Committed Choices
Ebed-melech was instrumental in getting Jeremiah rescued from the mud-slogged cistern. The story is told in just a few verses found in Jeremiah 38:6-13. From this glimpse we know that Ebed-melech made a choice to stand for God and right despite certain death stalking him.
God saw Ebed-melech. He knew the judgment that was coming on the people of Judah, yet God also knew the heart of the individual that had irrevocably placed his life in God’s hands.
In our day to day choices, God sees us. He knows our hearts and he draws near as we commit our life to his keeping. God wraps us in his forever love and encourages us to continue on when faced with mud-slogged pathways and dark cisterns.
The Reward of Trust
There is one other passage about Ebed-melech found in Jeremiah 39:15-18. It was a message from God given to Jeremiah to be relayed to Ebed-melech. A message that highlights the overflowing love God has for each of us. Moreover, it is a message of rescue and safety; of reward and promise.
“…because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.”
Jeremiah 39:18b
God sees the inward workings of our heart. When we stand for God and right despite the whiplash that is inevitable, we delight God’s heart. Our trust in the midst of darkness is a priceless gift to God. Furthermore, when we choose to tether our heart and soul to God Almighty despite what circumstances may be screaming, God draws near with a message of rescue and safety. A message of reward and promise.
Though little is known of Ebed-melech’s life, what we do know gives us a clear promise that God works in the lives of those who trust him. Looking at the facts, Ebed-melech did not measure up to the norm. In fact, he was a complete opposite of all that was accepted during this time in Jewish history. However, God looked beyond his inadequacies and found his heart to be full of trust. God accepted this choice of trust and surrender and provided a promise of rescue from those he feared. As well as safety, with his life as an unexpected reward, while caught in the whirling mass of destruction in Jerusalem.
In the dark situations of your life, when your inadequacies overwhelm, go deep with God. Trust his heart. The reward far outweighs the hardship. Be assured that God’s love for you knows no bounds. There are no barriers that he cannot overcome. Trust. And see what God will do in your life.
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