The Faith of Ebed-Melech

Light and sound pierced the darkness. Jeremiah lifted his head, though he was still mired in the mud of the cistern. It was the voice of the Ethiopian servant of the king that he heard above him.

Ebed-Melech had come, together with 30 of the king’s men, to rescue Jeremiah from certain death (Jeremiah 38:10-13). Jeremiah undoubtedly felt tremendous relief.

This rescue showcased the great faith of Ebed-Melech. Who was this God-fearing man, and what circumstances compelled him to save Jeremiah?

Clashing empires

Two decades before this dramatic turn of events, Josiah, the last righteous king of Judah, had been killed in battle (2 Kings 23:29). From that time forward, the tiny kingdom of Judah had suffered under the incompetent and unrighteous rule of four other kings.

What happened to the royal household in these final years of the kingdom reflected the turmoil of international politics. A power struggle between the declining Assyrian Empire and the rising Babylonian Empire embroiled much of the ancient Near East in conflict. Egypt, recognizing the threat posed by Babylon, chose to ally itself with Assyria (verse 29).

The Babylonians defeated the Assyrians at the decisive Battle of Carchemish. According to The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, this victory “not only finished the Assyrians, but spelled the end of Egyptian power in Asia, though for years the rulers of Judah could not believe this” (Vol. 3, p. 419).

It is with this power struggle in mind that we can make sense of the final days of the nation of Judah. The wealthy and influential people disagreed about whether they should resist Babylon by seeking the help of Egypt or accept Babylonian rule.

In this chaotic time we find the story of Ebed-Melech saving God’s prophet Jeremiah.

Who was Ebed-Melech?

The name Ebed-Melech means “servant of a king” or “royal servant.” The word servant, in this case, means someone more like what the modern world would call a slave.

Scripture tells us that Ebed-Melech was “one of the eunuchs, who was in the king’s house” (Jeremiah 38:7). As such, he was an official with access to the king himself.

You need not be someone influential or powerful to be protected and blessed by God. Ebed-Melech was a eunuch, a foreigner and a slave, but God watched over him. The Bible also tells us that Ebed-Melech was an Ethiopian. “Ethiopian” here is a translation of “Cushite” (Strong’s H3569), which refers to an individual from south of Egypt, including what is now southern Egypt and northern Sudan.

What all of this means is that Ebed-Melech, though serving in a high capacity and with access to the king, had few legal rights. As a eunuch, he was excluded from “the assembly of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 23:1). Being a foreigner, he may have been treated unfairly, as evidenced by the fact that God’s law specifically anticipated and forbade such mistreatment (Leviticus 19:33-34). And he was a slave, subject to his master’s will.

Jeremiah accused of treason

The mighty army of Babylon besieged Jerusalem in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign (2 Kings 25:1). The siege lasted a year and a half (verses 2, 8) before Babylonian forces entered the city and destroyed it.

It was during this stressful and terrifying time that Jeremiah proclaimed God’s will for the people to surrender, thus avoiding death and misery (Jeremiah 38:1-3). Four men—Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jucal and Pashhur (verse 1)—heard his words and viewed them as treasonous.

These individuals were men of high rank with significant political power, as attested by Zedekiah’s statement that he couldn’t do anything against them (verse 5). The account describes these men as “princes” (verse 4).

The superiority of the Babylonian army was evident—the forces of Judah were restricted to their fortified position within the walls of Jerusalem. On top of that, the people were starving and Egypt had not appeared on the scene to deliver Judah, as some of the nobles had hoped.

Anything that weakened the resolve of the soldiers defending Jerusalem was considered a crime against the nation. That’s why these princes asked for Jeremiah to be put to death after he had urged the people to surrender.

A weak and indecisive king

The Bible paints a picture of Zedekiah as an indecisive and ineffectual king. His actions show that he vacillated between the idea that Egypt would come to the aid of Judah and the idea that resisting the Babylonian juggernaut was pointless.

Zedekiah felt powerless to resist the princes of Judah, so, he allowed them to cast Jeremiah into a cistern to face a lingering death (verse 6).

Zedekiah didn’t trust God or obey the instructions God provided through His prophet: “But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land gave heed to the words of the LORD which He spoke by the prophet Jeremiah” (Jeremiah 37:2).

The faith of Ebed-Melech in context

Ebed-Melech observed all the court politics firsthand. He knew what Shephatiah, Gedaliah, Jucal and Pashhur had done to Jeremiah, and he knew Jeremiah would die without help (Jeremiah 38:7-9). Choosing to intervene on Jeremiah’s behalf was a bold and risky move.

Ebed-Melech could not have known how Zedekiah would react. Nor could he have known whether he would face repercussions from the princes whose plans he had thwarted. He asked the king anyway.

This remarkable individual demonstrated great faith in approaching an unpredictable king for permission to save Jeremiah. That is the essence of faith—to choose to do the right thing, regardless of potentially negative consequences.

Not only did this man’s actions clearly demonstrate his faith, but also his compassion. The biblical account gives us this insight into Ebed-Melech’s heart. Rather than merely lowering a rope to Jeremiah, this kindhearted man thoughtfully lowered “old clothes and old rags” (verse 11) so that the rope would not tear into Jeremiah’s armpits (verse 12).

God’s promise to Ebed-Melech

The faith of Ebed-Melech, as well as his compassion, did not go unnoticed. God saw and acted.

God instructed Jeremiah to “go and speak to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian” (Jeremiah 39:16). These are God’s words to the foreign slave:

“‘Behold, I will bring My words upon this city for adversity and not for good, and they shall be performed in that day before you. But I will deliver you in that day,’ says the LORD, ‘and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me,’ says the LORD” (verses 16-18).

When Jerusalem fell, many Jewish people died. Zedekiah was forced to watch his sons slaughtered, and then his eyes were put out (verses 6-7). The nobles of Judah, probably including the princes who had sought Jeremiah’s death, were put to death (verse 6). Many people were carried off to Babylon (verse 9), and others were spared (Jeremiah 40:7).

God had chosen to tell Ebed-Melech not only His plans to deliver him, but also what would happen to the city. Ebed-Melech, a eunuch, a foreigner and a slave, was not only spared, but also honored by God.

Why?

God’s words make it clear: “Because you have put your trust in Me” (verse 18).

Lessons from the faith of Ebed-Melech

Though this story appears in only two chapters of the Old Testament, it is one that can inspire Christians today. Here are a few principles that we can learn from the faith of Ebed-Melech:

• God notices. We are told, “Behold,” or pay attention, “the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him” (Psalm 33:18). God saw the risk Ebed-Melech took, and He saw the compassion of this man. He also sees our efforts to obey Him and to serve Him.
• You need not be someone influential or powerful to be protected and blessed by God. Ebed-Melech was a eunuch, a foreigner and a slave, but God watched over him. The king and the powerful nobles, on the other hand, suffered calamity.
• God can use anyone to fulfill His plans. It was not God’s will for His prophet Jeremiah to die, and God used Ebed-Melech to rescue him. God can use any of us who submit to Him and His will.
• Life is unpredictable. In the confusion and chaos of the Babylonian siege, Ebed-Melech did not know that God would protect him. He simply chose to do the right thing—to rescue Jeremiah from certain death. Our world today is becoming more confusing and chaotic, but we can choose to do the right thing and be confident that God will notice.

The Bible does not give us any more information about this little-known man of faith, but we can learn from and be inspired by his recorded example.

Study more about how to have this type of faith in our article “How to Grow in Faith.”